Scented candles aren’t a modern invention as their history can be traced way back to the olden days. As old as the time of the Roman empire around 500 BC. Back then, there were no such things as electricity so candles — scented or not — become human’s primary source of light.
Today, scented candles have become a common item among many households. They smell great and are known to be therapeutic. Below are the 8 Benefits You Can Get From Burning Scented Candles.
1) Helps To Alleviate Stress
Some scented candles, namely bergamot and ylang-ylang, promote a sense of calmness. They also reduce your body’s cortisol levels a.k.a. the stress hormone, which in turn, helps to improve your mood.
2) Promotes A Good Night’s Sleep
Having trouble sleeping at night? Consider lighting a scented candle or two to help you doze off. While there are plenty of candle scents to choose from, some of the recommended ones include lavender, rose, mandarin and chamomile. For example, lavender is not only good for relieving mild insomnia, but it also reduces stress and anxiety.
3) Boost Productivity
Feeling down or perhaps demotivated while working or studying? Two words: scented candles. Certain candles can actually boost your mood and even productivity such as vanilla, jasmine, and pine. Take the former, for instance: The smooth and rich scent of vanilla from the candle relaxes your mind, body and soul. Not to mention its naturally sweet smell can make you feel uplifted.
4) Keeping Bugs Away
Still relying on spraying chemical-filled aerosol to get rid of pesky bugs? Try using scented candles that contain citronella or certain strong scents such as lemon balm. They can be useful as a repellent since the smell can overwhelm the likes of mosquitoes. Other recommended candle scents for keeping the bugs away include peppermint, clove, and cedarwood.
5) Creates A Calming Ambience
Sometimes all you need is just a scented candle or two to evoke a relaxing and calming ambience, say in your bedroom during the night. The soft and warm glow from the tiny, flickering flame of the candle can help make your room feel cosier or even romantic.
6) Good For Yoga And Meditation
If you practice yoga at home, you can maximise it by incorporating aromatherapy with scented candles. Some of these candles can help improve your focus during yoga sessions. For instance, choose the lemongrass scent since it has that wonderful, refreshing smell. Alternatively, sandalwood scent encourages spiritual healing as well as others like energy, enthusiasm, and self-esteem.
You can also make good use of scented candles during your meditation process. Popular scents like lavender and peppermint promote relaxation, which helps to improve your meditation more effective.
7) Improves Memory
Did you know that certain smells can directly connect with the brain’s emotional centre and boost your memory? So, if you tend to forget things (e.g. misplaced your car keys), perhaps getting a whiff of scented candle(s) might do the trick. Rosemary scent happens to be one of them since it stimulates the mind and memory.
But if you dislike rosemary, there are other recommended memory-boosting candle scents too. This includes lemon, peppermint, jasmine, and cinnamon. However, according to The List.com, certain candle scents like lavender and chamomile are not suitable for stimulating a person’s ability to remember things.
8) Beautify Your Room
Scented candles may primarily be about the smells. But given the availability of different colours of the candles, they can add softness and style to your room. You can even mix and match whichever scented candles that suit your personality and preference. And by room, it can be anyplace in your homes such as the bedroom, living room or bathroom.
