Imagine walking into a room filled with the calming scent of lavender. Instantly, your shoulders drop, your breathing slows, and the weight of the day seems to lighten. Your body is having a direct reaction to this fragrance!
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about how a lemon smells? Did you think of fresh or clean? Lemon has a long history of being used in cleaning products - first for practical reasons, as lemon juice dissolves limescale easily and lemon peel oil can be used as wood polish. The smell of lemon became so ingrained in our psyche that we now link that fragrance to cleanliness.
Want that cleanliness fragrance to continue without constantly wiping your counters? Check out the Creature of Habit Lemon Zest & Spearmint candle - a subtle hint of white musk adds warmth and complexity to this delicious scent!
Our sense of smell is deeply tied to emotions and memories, making it an amazing tool for self-care. There have been multiple clinical publications exploring the connection between fragrance and mood, including one from last year by the University of Pittsburgh showing that scents are more effective than words at recalling a memory of a specific event in adults with a depressive disorder! It’s kind of like a positive manipulation. Is that a weird comparison?
Anyway, this is one of those things that I felt intuitively but is nice to be validated by science! My favorite personal scent-related memory involves the unlikely pair of Bath & Body Works Plumeria lotion and Roller Coaster Tycoon, the video game where you can build an amusement park. My addiction to RCT happened to coincide with getting that lotion and I can still immediately remember how it smells every time I see an RCT meme. Science doesn’t lie!
But what about other scents? When I want to research something, I research it HARD, so here’s a list of common scents and the mind/body connection that research shows:
💜 Lavender
- Reduces mental stress
- Increases relaxation
- Is used successfully in the treatment of agitated behavior in patients with severe dementia (this one really tugs on my heart strings and reminds me of that documentary about music and Alzheimer patients - I lasted 5 minutes before sobbing uncontrollably. Even just thinking about it makes me tear up).
We have a few different products featuring lavender! Our French Lavender & Bergamot candle is so delightful - the mellow bergamot really evens out the herbaceous notes. The French Lavender bar soap is straight up organic lavender essential oil, no other blend, so if you love this scent it’s a must have! We also have a Lemon Lavender lip balm; the lavender is subtle, just enough to cut through the sharpness of the lemon.
🍊 Citrus
- Is associated with a relaxed effect with a higher level of calmness
- Reduces anxiety
- Improves mood
Along with Lemon Zest & Spearmint I mentioned above, we have two other citrus candles: Blood Orange & Vetiver (the woody vetiver balances out the crisp, juicy citrus notes!) and Sparkling Grapefruit (literally the embodiment of a grapefruit prosecco).
🍃 Peppermint
- Reduces sleepiness and fatigue
- Enhances physical performance and energy
- Improves mood and alertness
- Enhances memory
Creature of Habit has a Eucalyptus Mint bar soap that is powerful, sharp and distinctive - perfect for if you’re feeling under the weather or just need a mental boost!
💐 Florals
- Reduces blood pressure
- Increased positive mood
I know florals can be polarizing, but to me they are definitely relaxing. Just thinking about a wildflower meadow or walking through a botanical garden cheers me up. The Lily of the Valley candle embodies that; it’s so delicate and clean. Creature of Habit also offers a Tropical Rose lip balm.
I hope you remember all of these fragrance attributes next time you reach for a candle or other self-care product! It feels so special to be able to use scents to create moments of calm, focus, and joy in our daily lives. Such a powerful reminder of how scents can transform our mood and support our mental well-being.
Do you have a favorite scent memory? Or a strong reaction to a certain scent (either positive or negative)? I’d love to hear your perspective!
Thanks for reading! 🥰
Kayla
Sources and extra reading:
Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review
Why do we associate citrus smells with being clean?
