It’s definitely the season for switching on the slow cooker, muddy walks, cosying up under a knitted blanket and, my favourite ritual, lighting candles on dark evenings.

Candles have always been an integral part of creating an inviting atmosphere, especially on a cold and windy night! They provide a warm glow and soothing ambiance that can transform any space. That said, buying candles can be a complete minefield with various waxes to choose from, a seemingly endless choice of fragrances, not to mention colours! Sometimes you just need a specific colour of dinner candles for a beautiful table setting and sometimes you need something cheap and cheerful to disguise the smell of wet dog in the utility room….

But have you ever considered taking your candle game to the next level by lighting candles infused with essential oils? In this blog post, we will delve into the world of essential oils in candles, exploring their benefits, popular scents, and how to get the most out of your aromatic experience.

Essential oils are renowned for their therapeutic properties, and when incorporated into candles, they bring an array of benefits to enhance your mental well-being. For instance, a firm favourite here at Hedgewild, lavender essential oil, promotes relaxation and improves sleep quality, making it an excellent choice for a bedroom candle. Peppermint oil can clear sinuses and invigorate your senses, creating a refreshing atmosphere when you need to focus.

When you inhale essential oils, the molecules reach thousands of receptors in the olfactory membrane in your nose and follow the chemosensory pathway to reach to reach the ‘limbic system’. This is the oldest part of your brain and is responsible for emotions, behaviours, sense of smell, and long term memory (which is why certain smells can trigger vivid memories and emotions).

Choosing a candle that is blended with essential oils rather than synthetic fragrance oils can therefore help to improve your mental wellbeing, whether that’s relieving anxiety, reducing stress, promoting sleep or pepping up your mood.

When it comes to caring for your essential oil candle there are a few things you can do to help maximise their therapeutic benefits;

• If you don’t use your candle straight away, store it with the lid on in a cool, dry, dark place. This will prevent the natural essential oils dissipating.

• The first time you burn your candle, burn it between 2-4 hours. Burning less than 2 can cause ‘tunnelling’ which can mean the wick is harder to keep alight. Burning for over 4 hours can cause the wick to ‘mushroom’ causing a sooty flame.

• Keep the wick trimmed to 5mm to prevent the flame becoming too large and the candle smoking.

• And just from a safety POV, always follow the advice on the candle label.

If you are looking for a candle to transport you to a calm, relaxing space, we have blended the perfect combination of British rosemary and clary sage essential oils in locally grown rapeseed wax to bring you a woody, floral, earthing scent, perfect for dark cosy evenings. Let the Rosemary and Clary Sage essential oils work their magic to aid relaxation, calmness and clarity of mind.

We are making only a limited run of these so if it sounds like something you need in your life, check out our Rosemary and Clary Sage candle here!

Photo credit @myoldpub