Candle Wicks

Candle Making Fragrance

Mind Body & Soul Fragrance Essentials

Candle Making Fragrances – Choosing a Scent

It is not a life-changing decision to choose a fragrance for making candles, but the scent may represent a life-changing event. Let me explain.

Our sense of smell is directly connected to our emotions.  In fact, using a term coined by Dr. Rachel Herz, of Brown University, through olfactory-emotion translation, humans evolved to use emotions to navigate the world in the same way that animals use scents.  Whereas animals respond directly to odors, humans make connections between odors and emotions and then use the emotions to interpret their surroundings.   The scent and the emotion remain connected.  You should be aware of this when choosing a fragrance for your candles.

For example, in the months after 9/11/2001, there was a distinctive odor in the air in New York City that emanated from the site of the collapsed World Trade Center.  Whenever the odor wafted under the nose of New Yorkers, they were instantly aware of it and often experienced sensations of panic.  Researchers from the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia went to New York to study the odor.  They too noticed the odor, and categorized it as a "complex mixture of chemicals that smelled rubbery, bitter, and sweet at the same time."  The researchers found the odor unusual and distinctive, yet they had no emotional reaction to it whatsoever.  The difference was that the researchers' first encounter with the odor was part of an investigation; whereas native New Yorkers first smelled the odor during the terrorist attack.

As a second example, the smell of flowers is another candle fragrance that is usually connected with pleasant emotions.  Perhaps it evokes memories of springtime or summer.  Yet some people dislike the aroma of flowers.  Several people have reported that the first memory they have of smelling certain flowers was when they were children and a close relative had died; these people now find the scent of flowers unpleasant because it makes them remember that sad time in their life.

The third example is something that many people have experienced, which is a strong aversion to the smell of a certain food based on one incident.  Dr Herz discusses that, as a child, she contracted stomach flu at the same time that she first tasted pepperoni pizza.  She intellectually knew that the pizza was not the problem, but for the longest time she could not tolerate the smell of pepperoni.  I experienced a similar incident with yogurt.  I remember how excited that I was to try yogurt.  But something didn't sit right with me.

After that, I couldn't tolerate the smell of yogurt.  It took over 20 years for me to consider eating it once more.

What all this means to you the candle maker is that you may get unexpected reactions to the scents that you choose for your candles.  If you are making candles for yourself, then you only have your preferences to consider.  If you are making candles for others as gifts, then you may want to discover if those people have any scent aversions.  Do not be offended if an aroma that you consider to be fabulous is not well-received by others.

There are no wrong or right scents for a candle. How a person responds to a smell is based on that person's emotions and experiences.  Don't let others emotions interfere with your confidence as a capable candle maker.

Reference:  The Scent of Desire, Discovering Our Enigmatic Sense of Smell, by Rachel Herz, 2007 William Morrow.

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Gelly Candle Fragrance Assortment 1 Ounce Bottle 3/Pkg - Rose, Lavender, Rain Forest List Price: $3.09 Sale Price: $2.01 You save: $1.08 (35%)   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description Add fragrance to Gelly Wax with these convienent sized assortments. Features Add fragrance to Gelly Wax Assortments are conveniently sized Includes three 1 ounce bottles Fragrances are roses, lavender and rain forest

Country Lane Candle Scent Apple PIE Scent 1/2oz Sale Price: $2.19   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description This item is 1/2 ounce of concentrated liquid fragrance Apple Pie. Make your candles smell like a freshly baked pie sitting in your kitchen. Continues be one of the most popular scents in the market. candle making, soy candles, general candle making Features Great for use in paraffin wax Great for use in Soy wax Leading brand in Candle making

Country Lane Candle Scent Lavender Scent 1/2oz Sale Price: $2.19   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description This item is 1/2 ounce of concentrated liquid fragrance great for candle making. Your candles will be a full bloom with soothing lavender fragrance Continues be one of the most popular scents in the market. candle making, soy candles, general candle making Features Great for use in paraffin wax Great for use in Soy wax Leading brand in Candle making

Country Lane Candle Scent Sugar Cookie 1/2 ounce Sale Price: $2.19   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description This item is 1/2 ounce of concentrated liquid dye great for candle making. Sugar Cookie continues to be one of the most popular scents in the market. Features Great for use in paraffin wax Great for use in Soy wax Leading brand in Candle making

Country Lane Candle Scent Christmas Tree 1/2 Ounce Sale Price: $2.19   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description This item is 1/2 ounce of concentrated liquid dye great for candle making. Christmas Tree continues to be one of the most popular scents in the market. candle making, soy candles, general candle making Concentrated liquid candle fragrance This traditional Christmas scent can be enjoyed any time of the year. Youll love the earthy aroma as it lingers, leaving your home smelling fresh and inviting. Features Great for use in paraffin wax Great for use in Soy wax Leading brand in Candle making

Complete Bath Bomb Starter Kit, 2 lbs. Baking Soda, 1 Lb. Citric, 1 lb. Corn Starch, 1 lb. Epsom Salt, 4 x 1 oz. fragrances, 4 x 1 oz. FD&C = Strawberry Red, Lemon Yellow, Sky Blue, Mint Green. Sale Price: $17.24   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description Complete Bath Bomb Starter Kit, priced per complete kit. This is everything you need to begin making your own highly scented quality Bath Bombs!! This kit contains: 2 pounds of Baking Soda, 1 pound of Citric Acid, 1 pound of Corn Starch, 1 pound of Epsom Salt, 4 x 1 oz. bottles of any fragrance or perfume of your choice, and 1 oz. bottle of FD&C Strawberry Red, Lemon Yellow, Sky Blue, and Mint Green colorant. These ingredients and approximately 8 ozs. of Vegetable oil will give you everything you need to make 4 batches of 7 bath bombs (28 total), each measuring approximately 1 3/4 inches in diameter. PLEASE tell us what fragrance/perfume you would like in the "Order Notes" for the 4 x 1 oz. bottles.Finished Bath Bombs and dish not included.Find our complete recipe and instructions under FAQ to make your Bath Bombs.

"Apple Pie" Concentrated Fragrance Oil for Candle Making Sale Price: $10.99   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product

Country Lane Candle Scent Strawberry Scent 1/2oz Sale Price: $2.19   Eligible for free shipping! Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days See Reviews For This Product Description This item is 1/2 ounce of concentrated liquid dye great for candle making. Strawberry A juicy strawberry aroma. Continues be one of the most popular scents in the market. candle making, soy candles, general candle making Features Great for use in paraffin wax Great for use in Soy wax Leading brand in Candle making