The history, use and value of candles – scented candles

Scented candles can add warmth and light to any home, but in addition that can alter our sense of the mood of a place, offering a clean and refreshing, cosy, romantic or spiritually uplifting ambience. This means they can help us commemorate a season or holiday or simply change the emotional content of a space.

If you close your eyes and think of each season: winter, spring, summer and autumn, different colours, temperatures and scents will come into your mind – by using these memories to evoke the mood we associate with each season, we can celebrate summer in the middle of winter, or look forward to spring in autumn. A citrus-scented candle like pineapple or tangerine, along with some reggae music, takes us straight to the beach, while the fragrance of pine, or mulled spice with a Gregorian chant evokes Christmas even in the middle of summer.

But these scents have a greater power too. By choosing them carefully we can actually alter our own biochemistry because our limbic system responds to smell by producing hormones.

Invigorating candles usually draw on the mint and citrus families of scents. The mint odours: peppermint, spearmint, basil, and eucalyptus will provide quick stimulation, and a spurt of energy. Other invigorating essential oils include cedar, rosemary, cinnamon, geranium, and vanilla.
Stress-releasing essential oils include lavender, chamomile, patchouli, geranium and rose all of which actually help reduce blood pressure
Sensual essential oils such as ylang ylang, vanilla, neroli, rose, clary sage, and sandalwood evoke relaxing but romantic thoughts.

Scented Candle photograph by Eggybird, used under a creative commons attribution licence