The Art of Aromatherapy Candles

By Scarlett Lovitt

It's been a tiring day. You've been working hard, first at your day job, and then when you got home there was housework to do and taking care of your kids. Right now, all you feel like doing is flopping down in bed and going to sleep. But your head is aching and you are not relaxed. So what do you do?

One easy answer is aromatherapy. Aromatherapy helps you to unwind. Its essential oils, when diffused in your bedroom, will soothe that headache and ease your tensions. You could even light an aromatherapy candle, lie down in bed after a relaxing bath, and slowly drift off after a cup of herbal tea. What could be more soothing and restful than that?

Candles are very useful in diffusing essential oils. You can set up a diffuser, which involves putting a tea light under a small tray, and the heat of the flame diffuses the essential oil's pleasant aroma around the room. Alternatively, you may want to light an aromatherapy candle, which already has the essential oil within its wax. The pleasant fragrance that it exudes is guaranteed to settle and soothe you.

In fact, you may want to make your own aromatherapy candles. This is not as difficult or complicated as it sounds, and this way you can create the candles that contain the essential oil that works the best for you.

To make your own aromatherapy candles, you don't need too many components:

• Wax
• A mold
• A double boiler
• A thermometer
• Dye
• Essential oil
• A wick

The simplest kind of candle to make for this purpose is a tea light. All you need to do is boil the wax in a double boiler to the temperature specified by the wax manufacturer (usually around 180F, but it can vary). Meanwhile, place the wick inside the mold or the metal cup that you will use for a tea light. Once the wax has reached the required temperature, you can add the color of your choice to make the candle look more attractive. (Again, this is why a tea light is a good choice, as these always look beautiful!)

At this point, you can add the essential oil of your choice, depending on the effect you wish to achieve. Do you want to relax? Are you trying to banish a headache? Do you want to create a romantic atmosphere? Remember that essential oils are quite strong, so you should add them very carefully to make sure that you don't overdo it and that you achieve the desired effect. You can also blend essential oils to create your own, personalized aromatherapy.

The great thing about aromatherapy candles is that they can go in any room and blend with any kind of décor. Just consider them to be among those little luxury items that you can allow yourself to make your life that little bit easier and more comfortable. These include your favorite tea, a flokati wool rug (or any other kind of luxury soft area rug), or a relaxing body lotion.

If the candles are pretty colors, they also make a great decoration even before you actually light them. You could also say that their fragrance decorates your room on the sensory plane.

So if you want to add a feeling of luxury to your bedroom, make your own aromatherapy candles and the end of a busy day will never be the same again! •

© 2010 Scarlett Lovitt. All rights reserved.

9/11/10