There’s nothing like a gorgeous aroma to make you feel good. Did you know that scents have properties that are proven to enhance your mood? Whether it be a calming, relaxing aroma or a fresh, uplifting fragrance, mood boosting scents play a big part in setting the mood – literally!
When spending a lot of time around the house it can be helpful to fill your home with delicious scents that you love, particularly in winter when it’s harder to let in fresh air. A love of fragrance is pretty key to creating and designing candles, so we have plenty to say about mood boosting scents.
5 Mood Boosting Scents
Here's a quick guide to some of our favourite mood boosting scents and how you can use them at home to lift your spirits on a gloomy day.
Citrus
The uplifting scents of citrus fruits such as lime, lemon and orange are sure to put a zing in your step. These zesty notes create a bright and breezy feel, evoking the start of spring (which, let’s be honest, can’t come soon enough right now!)
We paired zesty citrus fragrances with the warmth and spice of ginger in our ginger and lime candles. Not only does lime improve your mood, it is also said to enhance creativity. Ginger on the other hand is an energising scent, so together they make a great combination for a homeworking environment.
Floral
Floral aromas are generally considered to have calming and soothing qualities. Once again they recall memories of the beauty of spring and summer and natural surroundings. Memory plays a huge role in the way fragrances affect your mood (more about that later). Rose is a popular soothing scent, whilst Ylang-Ylang & Jasmine each have a strong, floral scent, said to be an aphrodisiac (oh la la).
Mint
Both peppermint and spearmint have both featured in studies demonstrating their mood boosting properties. Spearmint was found to have a beneficial effect on learning and memory, as well as combating the oxidative brain tissue damage that occurs with age. Peppermint has energising qualities and has been proven to reduce fatigue during exercise.
Herbal
Many herbal scents are heralded for their mood enhancing properties. Lavender has a soporific effect and is popularly used to help with relaxation. It’s a great choice for a bedroom or bathroom. Rosemary and basil also boast great mood boosting qualities as well as the ability to alleviate stress and fight infection.
Spices
Spicy scents have a warming, comforting quality that can set the scene for a place to unwind at home. Great for a living room or bedroom, these aromas indulge the senses, adding a rich, lavish note to your surroundings. This cosy ambiance is particularly welcome in colder months, which is why we developed our winter spice blend.
How mood boosting scents work
Emotions are a response to the environment around us. This could be your physical location, relationships or activities you take part in. How your brain processes these elements will translate into your emotional response, and therefore mood.
Every distinct scent that you inhale will be processed by your brain’s olfactory system. This system is connected to the limbic system – the section of our brain that stores emotions and memories. Hence why certain smells can bring back a memory, or evoke an emotion that comes from the memories related to that smell.
Since everyone’s experiences and memories are different, each person’s emotional reaction to a particular fragrance will be unique. So the aim is to select aromas that trigger positive feelings and enhance your mood.
The importance of emotional well-being
There are a vast array of different emotions, but generally they come under two categories: positive or negative.
Positive emotions make us feel motivated and uplifted. Negative emotions do sometimes motivate us to resolve a particular issue. But if we dwell in negative emotions, they can start to spiral and impact our quality of life.
This winter has been stressful in more ways than one, so taking care of your well-being has never been so important.
Mood boosting scents can play a part in creating an environment around you that helps you to relax and feel happy –as well as good food, a cosy blanket and your favourite music. And perhaps a pet or two to snuggle too.
Being proactive in boosting your mood can go a long way to improve your wider physical health too. Eating healthily, sleeping well and being physically active are well known to boost your mood and help reduce stress. Likewise, anxiety and stress can have a long term impact on your physical health if left unchecked.
Choosing the scent that works for you
No two people will respond to the same fragrances in the same way. So have some fun experimenting with scents to find ones that really work for you.
Think about the sort of setting you want to create. This will change depending on the type of day or activity. For example, in a home office you’ll want a scent that is invigorating and energising (like Ginger and Lime), whilst to unwind in the living room at night or in a bubbly bath you’ll want something more soothing (like Rose and Oud). As for the bedroom… well, that depends…
Explore our collection of freshly scented Ginger and Lime candles to give your mood a boost!
