The use of candles in the home as a means of creating ambience, atmosphere and lovely fragrances is on the increase and seems set to stay.
Fragrance,or scent, has always played an important part in our lives and the word perfume comes from the Latin "per" - meaning through and "fumus" - meaning smoke. This gives us the origin of all perfumery - INCENSE. Fragrance had been used for centuries in both healing and ceremonial rituals; Buddhists used it religiously, Greeks valued its healing properties, Egyptian priests inhaled it to alter their state of mind and the Chinese used it to clear oppressive atmospheres and increase energy flow.
Most importantly though, a sense of smell played a vital role in survival. Our ability to smell was tuned for tracking enemies, family, food and sensing danger, but over time we have had to rely less on this capability and under-use, pollution, cigarette smoke and mucus producing diets have all dulled our sense of smell. We all have a signature scent (like it or not) which is as unique as a finger print and only ever the same in identical twins.
It takes only two seconds for an aroma to enter the nose and travel to the part of the brain that controls memory and emotions. Odour molecules pass through small nasal passages until they reach millions of olfactory sensors behind the bridge of the nose. These bind to cells which then send messages about the odour to the limbic system, the part of the brain which is responsible for varying emotions such as fear, rage, anger, aggression and pleasure. The limbic system also influences hormonal, metabolic and sexual activity as well as regulating our stress responses. This is the reason why particular fragrances have the ability to stimulate intense memories, re-create experiences, regardless of whether they were pleasant or not, and influence the way we feel and behave.
It takes half a second for us to respond to a smell, compared with a full second to respond to pain. Essential oils, extracted from plants, have been used for centuries in incense, ointments, perfumes and lotions. Today, they are also recognised for their emotional, spiritual and physiological benefits. Most essential oils are made up of more than 100 constituents. Over the years, scientists have been able to isolate the active ingredients in many plants and reproduce them sythetically. Although natural - identical fragrance molecules are suitable for use in fragrances, they have no benefit in aromatherapy as they do not have the same treatment properties of the pure essential oils.
Women have a more acute sense of smell than men (tell us something we don't know!) and this intensifies during ovulation.
We have the ability to detect between 5000 and 10,000 different aromas.
It is believed that taking zinc tablets can help those who have lost their sense of smell.
Our sense of smell is most acute between the ages of 20 and 40, and then begins to deteriorate after the age of 50.
Our sense of smell is stronger at night than in the mornings.
Surrounding ourselves with fragrance not only indulges our senses but also enhances the appeal of our homes. Research has shown that the environments inside our homes can be 10 times more toxic than the outside world! Advanced technology means that it is possible to synthetically recreate the smell of practically any substance, and in our quest for hygiene and cleanliness, we are using so many synthetic aromas to mask environmental smells that our houses are actually being polluted with the chemicals found in detergents, air fresheners and cleaning products. Switching to essential oils will have a positive effect on the way you feel and may have antibacterial and antifungal properties.
• Geranium & Lavender soothing and balancing, helps to make us feel at east.
• Lemon, Lime & Grapefruit are good for freshening the air and are great for mopping up unwanted odours.
• 5 drops of Thyme oil, 12 drops of Rosemary and 8 drops of Pine essence in 125ml of water will help remove cigarette and cigar odours from the atmosphere when sprayed into the air.
• Pine & Eucalyptus deodorise.
• Thyme & Rosemary disinfect.
• Eucalyptus oil possesses disinfecting properties, which actually improve with age.
• Banana, Green Apple & Peppermint can help suppress hunger pangs.
• Peppermint, don't use this oil if you are taking homeopathic remedies as mint has an antidote effect.
If your mood is:
angry and agitated - use camomile, tuberose, lavender.
tense and overactive - use lavender.
drained and burnt out - use lavender to relax, or grapefruit, lemon and peppermint.
unbalanced and low - use mandarin, camomile, lemon, grapefruit.
restless and anxious - use camomile.
tired and irritated - use ylang ylang and camomile.
