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The best candles for stress relief in 2021

Estimated read time: about 7 minutes

Best for stress / best for depression / best for anxiety / best for social anxiety / best for concentration

Photo by Shashi Chaturvedula on Unsplash

When you think about setting the mood, what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Whether you’re planning a date or drawing a bath, chances are your go-to is the scented candle. And with good reason: essential oils have been used as aromatherapy for more than 2000 years (though the term was officially coined in 1935).

And while negative associations have been established by every pyramid-scheme-pushing Karen on your Facebook feed, the renewed interest in holistic therapy has given us a wealth of new information.

“The olfactory sense has a unique intimacy with emotion.”

We can see physical responses in the brain when test subjects are presented with odours in a state of anxiety, with changes visible in the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex. Clinical trials have even gone as far as to demonstrate the influence of essential oils “in physiological parameters such as blood pressure, heart rate, respiratory rate, brain waves composition, and cortisol serum levels with concomitant psychological effects.”

“The smell of the scented candle stimulates the part of your brain which is connected to memory and mood.”

We’ve all experienced this in our everyday lives: whether it’s a certain brand of coffee, the dusty pages of a book, or the perfume your mother used to wear. There is nothing so evocative as smell, and the right scents can transport you right back to your childhood. It’s the same reason we feel excited when we smell pine trees at Christmas.

Whatever way you look at it, scent and mood go together like copy and paste. So how can we use this knowledge to our advantage? In this article, I’ll take you on a virtual smelling tour of the best scents for relieving stress (and all of its ugly relatives).
Reducing everyday stress
The winner: lavender

Photo by Teo Sticea on Unsplash

Does it work?

Lavender can be used to calm patients before surgery, or as an alternative to taking sleeping medication. It’s the classic scent you were thinking of when you read the title of this article, and you probably already knew about its famed calming effects.

But did you know that mice who were exposed to the fragrance showed fewer signs of stress, but only if they had a sense of smell? Mice with no sense of smell who were injected with linalool (lavender extract) displayed no such signs of stress reduction.

The evidence suggests that the olfactory neurons in the nose are responsible for stress reduction. Moreover, unlike sedative drugs, the lavender extract had no negative effects on movement. The study is intriguing because it paves the way for the exploration of linalool as a medical tool in the reduction of stress.

Until then, lighting an organic, lavender-infused candle can help quiet that nagging voice in your mind that thinks you should be doing a million things all at once.

When to use it

Light a lavender candle while practising meditation, or if silence is not your thing, try picking up a stress-relieving hobby. A creative outlet is ideal for stress-busting as it rewards your mind with a tasty dose of happy hormone (serotonin). Try learning a new art or craft – you could even explore making your own aromatherapy candles at home (check out my tutorials here).

Alternatives

We can’t all be lavender lovers. If it’s giving you more of an “eww” than an “ahh”, try a floral alternative like neroli, or a mustier scent like sandalwood. Both aromas have relaxation capabilities, and sandalwood is great if you prefer a more “masculine” fragrance.

Decreasing depression

The winner: rosemary

Photo by Content Pixie on Unsplash

Does it work?

If you’re suffering from depression, your first step should always be talking to a medical professional. If you’ve already done this or you’re looking for a supplementary treatment plan, then aromatherapy could be a good option for you. The scent of rosemary has been reported to improve cognition, memory and mood, and has been shown to significantly ameliorate depressive behaviours in mice.

When to use it

A lighted rosemary candle can be a great accompaniment to any self-care activity. Make it an aim to practice self-care at least once every day. Light a candle to signal the start of your self-care ritual, then take a bath, read your favourite book, or do some gentle exercise.
If you’re struggling to stick to the routine, candles can work wonders. There’s a reason they’re included in every notable ritual from religious prayers to birthday celebrations. Use the power of invocation to condition yourself to keep up your chosen behaviour. Then enjoy the satisfying closure of blowing out your scented candle when you’re done. Over time, you’ll begin to associate the self-care behaviour with the fragrance, which will take its mood-boosting powers to another level.

Alternatives

I don’t know about you, but rosemary always makes me think of roast chicken dinners. If that’s an issue for you, try using a vanilla-scented candle instead. Vanilla is one of those magical scents that you can almost taste in the air, and has been shown to stimulate feelings of joy.

Tackling anxiety

The winner: apple

Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash

Does it work?

Everyone is subject to an anxious stomach from time to time, but if it’s becoming a habit for you, then it’s another one you want to get checked out at the doctor’s office.
It’s remarkable that we walk about feeling anxiety in our gut when the best scents for loosening the knots in our stomach are culinary. Perhaps it’s a coincidence, or perhaps there is more about our microbiome and olfactory responses that we don’t yet know about.
In either case, fruity smells like apple are the best for anxiety relief.

When to use it

Light an apple candle and practise a mindfulness activity like Thai Chi. Alternatives
Any citrus smell will work well here, but grapefruit or lemongrass are best if apple is too ripe for you. Indeed, lemongrass "has shown anxiolytic [anxiety-reducing] activity […] in male rats at a dose of 10 mg/kg".

Social anxiety

The winner: cinnamon

Photo by Pille R. Priske on Unsplash

Does it work?

Social anxiety is like general anxiety’s little sister – usually found dogging its steps but hidden in its overbearing shadow. Just like with generalized anxiety, the best scented candle for anxiety reduction has a food scent. Cinnamon has been shown to reduce depressive behaviour in mice and increase their instances of socialising. As well as being one of those intoxicating scents that stay with you long after it’s gone (I don’t know about you but, I can practically smell this photo…)

When to use it

Use a cinnamon-scented candle during breathwork. A mini candle can be carried around with you and used when social anxiety rears its uninvited head.

Alternatives

Ylang-ylang or bergamot. A small study found that people who inhaled ylang-ylang for at least 30 days reported higher levels of self-esteem.

Alleviating pain

The winner: clary sage

Photo by Jennifer Grube on Unsplash

Does it work?

This one has been around for a while, and you might have had recommendations on how to use this by your great aunt Tessie. In a 2014 study, menopausal women had reduced cortisol levels when inhaling clary sage, and it was proven to reduce the duration of pain in women with extreme periods compared with artificial fragrances (pain duration significantly reduced from 2.4 to 1.8 days after aromatherapy intervention).

Indeed, during the 9 whole days my darling daughter decided to outstay her welcome in my womb, I was advised to inhale the scent daily to encourage her arrival. If you’re pregnant and not trying to induce labour, this is probably one to avoid. In most other scenarios, clary sage can be a powerful tool for assuaging pain.

When to use it

Other than in labour, you can try a scented clary sage candle alongside a stress-relieving yoga ritual (assuming you have ok’d this with your doctor).
Alternatives

Marjoram or grapefruit. Inhaling grapefruit was shown to significantly reduce abdominal discomfort in anxious colonoscopy patients in a randomized control study of 361 patients.
Boosting concentration
The winner: peppermint

Photo by S. Laiba Ali on Unsplash

Does it work?

You may have heard the theory that chewing gum helps aid concentration. This is usually attributed to classical conditioning by the chewer: chew when you study, and your hard learned facts will return in the exam room like a toxic ex in your DMs. But there may be more to this theory than previously thought.

A study by the University of Cincinnati found that smelling peppermint helps students concentrate during tasks that required sustained focus. A handy nugget I’ll be keeping in my back pocket in case I bump into all the teachers that confiscated my gum over the years (they’ve probably started their own corner shop by now).

When to use it

Light a peppermint candle when working, reading or studying. A candle clock is a great way to carve out an effective work schedule, while enjoying the effects of the scent at the same time.
Alternatives

In addition to carrying your go-to scent for depression, rosemary is a great tool to enhance concentration.

Top tips for choosing aromatherapy candles

The core benefit of essential oils in candles is that they are natural. A synthetic fragrance blend will not only fail to work as well (as evidenced by the clary sage study), but could actively cause you more harm than good, with adverse health effects such as migraines and asthma attacks on the cards. Stick to a high-quality, natural oil blend from a reputable seller.

Similarly, opt for an organic wax. Beeswax or soy are environmentally friendly, burn slower than paraffin wax, and actively clean the air rather than emitting soot like paraffin wax. Check out my shop for a range of custom made, organic scented candles to start your aromatherapy journey.

Browse candles

A playlist for every candle

1. Soundtrack for lavender
3. Soundtrack for apple
2. Soundtrack for rosemary
4. Soundtrack for cinnamon
5. Soundtrack for clary sage
6. Soundtrack for peppermint