Aromatherapy

Archive for the ‘Candles’ Category

candles have a rich and vibrant history. Candles were the sole decoration on the first Christmas tree. Candles served as the only light in every home for hundreds of years. Candles have only become decorative pieces since the introduction of electricity. Candles come in a variety of sizes (widths, lengths), shapes (common circles, stars and squares), scents (lavender, clean linen, wisteria, cinnamon apple), patterns, designs, materials (not all are made of wax), colors, containers (jars, bowls for votives, decorative cans shaped like pails), and widths.

Using candles to decorate your space is a lot harder than it sounds. Depending on the space you are looking to decorate, you will need to take some time deciding amongst all the varieties of candles. If you have a bare fireplace mantle in need of sprucing up, you can add elegance and color by purchasing tall, wrought iron candelabras and affix short, thick candles to the tops. The choice of color depends on the color theme you currently have in your living room. If you are a decorating novice, keep in mind that white candles go with anything.

If you want to decorate your space and create an oasis of sensual scents, why not envelope your senses in scented oil candles that completely melt away and fill your home with delectable delights like vanilla and lavender, spiced rose, pumpkin pie, or raspberry delight. Make your home smell like a florists shop, a linen closet, or Christmas dinner.

Large open spaces are the perfect places for large candles in large candle holders. Smaller spaces are ideal for small candles. If you want to expand from the simple candle and candle holder, you can purchase a fish bowl, fill it with water and brightly colored decorative rocks, then set floating votives inside. This creates a center piece for your coffee table or a table decoration for a bridal shower.

There are hundreds of choices in the market. You can easily purchase candles in department stores, online shops,accessories boutiques and home dcor specialty stores. Yankee Candle and Glade are familiar names. These brands boast of quality and great selections.

Decorating your home for maximum effect can be achieved with candles and some help from area rugs. Any mood you wish to convey, may it be romantic, sweet, sensual, elegant, cheery or even scary, candles will do the job for you. Added with complements from suitable area rugs, you’ll get the perfect look. Highlight an area rug in the center of the room by placing candles in surrounding spaces like putting some on the table, on the floor, and on the mantelpiece. You will not only enhance the whole room but you will add more beauty to your rug.

If before, candles are lit to give light, now candles are lit for so much more. They can be a symbol of beauty, love and serenity. Try lighting a candle after a stressful day and feel yourself relax. It’s a simple therapy. Just practice caution for no matter how pretty candles look, they can cause fire accidents if left unattended. Enjoy the candles but don’t play with fire.

Each night the national news is reporting on the various economic disasters that are occurring in the American economy. Fortunately, there is an incredibly easy way for us Americans to support our own economy and our own friends and neighbors. Soy candles are produced by companies based in the United States and sold by companies based in the United States. This makes the process of buying American made candles extremely easy!

Soy candles start with a plant – the soybean plant. Soybeans are grown by American farmers. After planting the seeds in the spring and carefully nurturing the crop during the summer, the soybean is ready for harvesting by the farmer each fall. The beans are then transported to facilities which crush the bean, separating the meal from the oil. The soy meal (or meat) is used by many manufacturers in the production of both human and animal food. The soy oil is sent through a partial hydrogenation process that turns the soy oil into soy wax. The was is extremely soft.

The soybean wax is very soft so it works very well with containers. However, freestanding candles such as pillar candles and taper candles can not be made purely of soy wax because it is so soft. Any freestanding candle that is marketed as soy must have some other ingredient in it (paraffin wax is very common) so the candle will not become a complete blob of molten wax the first time it is burned. Another possible wax used to “firm” the soy wax is palm wax – a natural renewable resource. Other vegetable waxes, such as bayberry, candelilla, carnauba, castor, jojoba oil, ouricury wax (from the Brazillian Feather Palm) or rice bran may also be used to firm the soy wax to form the freestanding candles.

Soy wax candles are non-toxic so they are safe for humans as well as pets. Soy candles are extremely clean burning, producing at least 90-95% less soot than paraffin wax candles. The soot which is produced by burning a soy candle is black like it is with paraffin wax candles, but mostly a white color which may not be noticeable to the naked eye. There is very little black soot produced with a pure unscented soy candle. Adding fragrance and other additives to preserve color or to form freestanding candles can create more of the black soot. Soy candles also burn at a cooler temperature than paraffin wax candles which results in 20-30% longer burn time.

Soy wax is famous for accepting any fragrance that is added to it with incredible ease. Pound for pound, soy wax can hold more scent than paraffin wax. This means that your unlit soy candle will throw scent just as well as the burning soy candle, potentially filling your entire room with delicious fragrance. The fragrance is evenly distributed throughout the candle, so the scent at the end is the same as at the beginning.

Paraffin wax candles are a petroleum based product – meaning they are made from oil. This increases the American dependence on foreign oil supplies and further erodes the American economy. The all natural soy wax candles do not depend on foreign oil or foreign economies because they originate from the soybean plant, grown by American farmers. Soy candles are not just a healthier alternative for our bodies but also a healthy alternative to the economy of the United States.

I love to buy candles, but there are many that end up being very disappointing. You have probably had the same experience, and quite often the problem is what the candles are made from. If you get ones that are made from paraffin wax, you are not getting a very good candle. They may be adequate, and you may like them, but if you buy really cheap ones, you are going to be unhappy with what you have. That’s why there are a lot of people that love to buy beeswax candles to have in their home.

Some of the paraffin wax candles are very greasy and oily. You have probably seen this if you have gotten a really cheap one and it has set around for a while. The more expensive ones are better, but you won’t like them much after you try beeswax candles. When you get one, look for one that is a one hundred percent beeswax candles. They are some of the cleanest burning candles you can buy, and if they have a wick that does not put off a lot of soot, you are getting one that will not give off a lot of fumes.

Some buy beeswax candles that are nothing more than paraffin candles stamped to look like a honeycomb. These aren’t really beeswax candles. You have to look at the label and see what you are getting. Some candle makers will take real beeswax and melt it down to pour their candles and others will just roll the sheets up and include a wick. If they do it right, you are going to have one great candle for your home. Once you burn one, you may never go back.

They say that soy is just as good as beeswax candles, but I couldn’t say for sure. I have never bought soy, though I may try them out one day. It is more expensive to make both soy and beeswax candles, and that means they are going to cost more when you buy them. Most will tell you that they are well worth the price. They come in many colors and many scents. You will have a longer, cleaner burning candle, and you will be very happy with them for a long time to come. These make great gifts too, and if you are thinking of making your own candles, you may want to go with these first. You may find that you never bother with paraffin at all.

If you are looking for an easy, inexpensive way to elevate your mood, get rid of a stale odor in your home or become alert quicker in the morning then aromatherapy candles may be beneficial to you.

What Aromatherapy Candles Are

Aromatherapy candles are candles that are infused with essential oils, which are what make these candles work. These essential oils are derived from such things as plants, flowers, wood and fruit. Aromatherapy candles come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and are filled with various essential oils.

You can purchase these candles from a wide range of web sites. These sites will provide you with a listing of essential oils that are in the candle and what their therapeutic effect is. Of course, aromatherapy candles can also be purchased from such stores as Bath & Body Works and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Whenever you purchase these candles just make sure that they contain essential oils and not fragrance or perfume.

How Aromatherapy Candles Work

These candles work because they are volatile and thus they are able to release their scent into the air at higher temperatures and thus the therapeutic vapors of the essential oils are emitted. Once they are in the air you are able to inhale the healing scent.

Aromatherapy candles are made from bees or soy wax, but the soy are the most popular. They should not be made out of paraffin as this can be harmful. Real aromatherapy candles should also be made of pure essential oils. Without the essential oils the candle will merely smell nice, but it will not emit any healing scents.

The therapeutic effects of these candles range from helping you fall asleep to energizing you. If you choose to purchase a lavender or tangerine candle it will help you to release your tension. On the other hand, if you want to relieve your tension, then you should get a chamomile candle. Of course, these candles can also be used as a memory aid if you purchase ginger aromatherapy candles. In order to elevate your mood you will need a bergamot candle, which will make you feel happier. There are also candles that can calm your mood, alleviate your stress and enhance your memory. Since you will probably want more than one type of candle, you will be glad to know that these candles are inexpensive.

The Various Types Of Aromatherapy Candles And Accessories Available

Most of the time all you have to do is light these candles and enjoy them. However, you can find a lot of great accessories to help you enjoy these candles even more. For instance, there are some great candle holders available that will to the look of your home’s décor. Of course, this only increases the scents that add value to the ambiance of your home. For this reason a lot of people enjoy using these candles in their bathrooms. You will discover that the decorating and atmosphere options with these candles are absolutely endless.

Aromatherapy is a great natural way to relax and relieve stress and tension. It also will help with certain health problem. Aromatherapy is used to go with any treatment your Doctor has prescribed. Diffusion is spreading the scent of the natural oils throughout a room or any area. There are several ways to use diffusers to circulate the scent of healing oils through your home, or a particular space.

Some simple diffusion methods are useful but have their advantages and disadvantages. Placing three or four drops of oil on a tissue and leaving it near you is a simple diffusion method. Any movement in the room can cause the scent to be released from the tissue. It is helpful to use this method because it is portable and can be used anywhere. The disadvantage is that it doesn’t send much aroma out into the room.

There is steam diffusion that is effective as well. Drop up to 10 drops of oil in a bowl of steaming, boiled water. The steam will quickly spread the aroma throughout the room. The disadvantage is that heating may destroy the parts of the oils that have the most therapeutic value and are not as effective as cold-air diffusion methods.

Lamp rings are another effective ways of spreading aromatic oil throughout the room as well. Made from terra cotta they have a groove around the ring that holds the oil as it sits on a light bulb. They are usually inexpensive, but can cause a light bulb to break if some of the oil accidentally falls on it. Again, the heat can reduce the therapeutic value of the oils.

Clay pot diffusers also are made from terra cotta. The oil is put into the container and then a stopper is placed on top. The container absorbs the oils and spreads the aroma throughout the room. Aroma is usually strongest when the oil is placed in the pot and lessens every day. You may also buy fan diffusers, electric heat diffusers, and nebulizers for use in spreading aroma throughout the room.

Electric or battery ran fan diffusers have their advantages in that it uses a small fan to blow the aroma into the air. The oil is usually put on a disposable pad and the fan blows across this pad to diffuse the oils throughout a whole room. They are usually portable because you can use them with batteries. Also available are electric heat diffusers will spread the oil aroma throughout a large room, but as with other heat methods, it can reduce the therapeutic benefit of aromatic oils.

A candle diffuser is different in that it uses a tea light candle or any other candle to heat the oil and promote the diffusion into the room. A candle diffuser is normally made from ceramic or metal. It has a place for a candle and a small bowl or tray in which you place the drops of oils. You can buy candle diffusers in various colors and shapes and can be bought to go with the decor of your home.

There are some advantages and disadvantages to candle diffusers. The advantages are they can be inexpensive and you don’t need either batteries or electricity to run it. If you love candles and have ones that are scented already, this could be what you’re looking for. Another advantage is the aroma is light and isn’t overpowering in the room.

There are some disadvantages to candle diffusers or using candles in general. Another disadvantage is that you must be sure to keep replacement candles. In addition, it could be an advantage but also a disadvantage by only putting out a light aroma. It will not usually diffuse a whole room. As with other heat-generated diffusers, the heat may alter or destroy ingredients in the oils that have the most therapeutic benefit.

For those of you who prefer the ambience of candlelight and have candles lit to enhance mood most of the time, the candle diffuser would be the obvious choice. Keeping candles handy isn’t anything to worry about if you already collect and use decorative candles and tea lights. Candle diffusers are wonderful and give you the best of both worlds, the ambience of candle light and the benefits of aromatherapy.