The Power of Scents for Relaxation.

Hello readers, Amy here talking about the power of scents for relaxation.

Well a new year is upon us and with that comes New Year’s resolutions. I don’t always have the best of luck succeeding in keeping my resolutions so this year I made a point to not make that many.  I simply made a goal to make healthier choices when it comes to food and exercise and to relax more.  Sometimes we have so much going on in our lives and are just in go go go mode, it’s hard to relax. 

One of the things that help me to relax is burning candles.  Like my sensitive skin, however, I also have sensitive sinuses so I can’t just burn any candle, my nose is quite particular to what scent it will put up with.  One of my favorite brands is YankeeCandle and this past holiday season; my scent of choice was Mistletoe.  My absolute favorite part of the holiday season is the smell of the fresh cut Christmas tree and I want that smell to engulf my entire house.  Mistletoe is a close second to my all-time favorite, Balsam & Cedar.  They both have that fresh, woodsy, pine and cedar combination that when I walk into a room, well, I immediately feel relaxed and happy.

Now that the holidays are over, I turn to another favorite, Macintosh.  It smells exactly like a fresh macintosh apple and who could argue with that unmistakably smell with the first big bite!  Yum!

Another way I love to relax with scents is through using essential oils.  These highly concentrated 100% pure oils have many uses but two ways I enjoy them is by adding a few drops to a foot bath or on a cotton ball and placed in my vacuum cleaner bag. 

Lavender, known for its calming effect, is my top choice for relaxing essential oil scents.  When dropped in a hot foot bath, the released aroma not only relaxes the mind, but the tension in my feet evaporates as well.  The vacuum cleaner effect is awesome.  I don’t know about you but I always feel more relaxed when my house is clean and vacuumed.  By placing a few drops on a cotton ball and putting directly into the bag (or simply drop on the filter for bag less styles) the whole house omits the wonderful, sweet, floral scent that makes you feel like you’ve just entered a spa.

Aura Cacia has a great line of pure essential oils with tips, recipes and articles on their multiple benefits and uses.

So remember to take relax this year but most importantly, take care of yourself.

Enjoy the day!