Candle Aromatherapy: How Scented Candles Affect Your Mood

Everyone loves the warm sweet scents of candles, and the feeling they add to the room. What you may not have known, is that the scents of the candles you choose can affect your mood and attitude in your own home. There are many common scents that have been known to have positive effects to everyone close enough to enjoy them.

Some of the most popular scents are vanilla, lavender, rose, citrus scents, and scents with cinnamon or ginger. Each aroma or combination of aromas can have an impact on the mood of the entire room. For instance, vanilla is a sweet scent known to be a natural aphrodisiac. Vanilla has also been known to help if you feel sad, lonely, or depressed, because it is a naturally warming and soothing aroma. When other aromas, namely floral scents, are added to vanilla, the result is a cheerful and comforting fragrance that can make even the dreariest of rooms feel homey.

Rose and lavender candles are sweet and flowery scents, lavender being a bit more gentle than rose. Lavender is used to treat headaches, while rose is used to aid in digestion and stomach upset. Other well known and widely used floral scented candles include jasmine, juniper, and cotton blossom. All of these have had famed properties of headache relief, and have been said since ancient times to be powerful sleep aides.

Candles that have the pungent and pleasing aroma of citruses are invigorating and can instantly brighten the mood of a room. These scents are uplifting and clean, and can even make you hungry! Common citrus candle scents are orange, lemon, and even grapefruit. Using citrus in combination with other aromas has been documented to cause headaches in those sensitive to smell.

Using cinnamon or ginger scented candles is more common around the holidays, especially in the winter time. Cinnamon has always been known to help with exhaustion and fatigue, and has also been said to have wonderful effects on your nerves, calming you down and making you more aware. Ginger is more of a stimulant than a calming scent, but it is also said to boost awareness, and even said to "cleanse the soul".

Scented candles are a great way to treat yourself to some relaxing, simple aromatherapy. Whether you're alone and taking a bubble bath or expecting company over the holidays, scented candles will add a pleasing atmosphere to the entire room.