We love to welcome fine fragrances into our homes. There are dozens of products that help us do so, such as scented candles, reed diffusers, room sprays, and air fresheners. Beautiful fragrances are also added to household care products, like laundry detergents, household cleaners, and dishwashing liquid, to make our homes smell wonderful.
There are so many reasons we are drawn to these products. Firstly, they may mask unpleasant odors from cooking or pets as part of a more pleasant cleaning experience. We may use them as part of a relaxing self-care routine, to impress guests or to add a touch of luxury to time spent at home. A mood boost from fragrance can uplift us and improve our productivity.
In fact, during 2020’s COVID-19 crisis and enforced lockdowns around the world, our love of home and household care fragrances grew deeper. While some retailers struggled, those who stocked home fragrance products found sales boomed. Consumers all over the world were looking at ways they could feel more uplifted, positive and productive while staying home. And so they turned to the world of home fragrance for a lift and a spot of indulgence.
So at times when we need a boost, a little more energy or positivity, what are the fragrances that best suit? What are the ingredients we need to be looking for in our fragranced home and household products? Here are five natural fragrances that hit all the right uplifting notes.
Natural fragrances
Natural fragrance options take their scents from essential oils or other botanical sources. Most people prefer natural scents for several reasons. Firstly, they smell “real,” and that is usually preferable to artificial scents which tend to be harsher on the nose. People tend to worry about the effects on their health of artificial ingredients, but much less those from nature. Finally, there are some proven positive effects of several natural scents to improve well-being and mindset.
These are five of the best for lifting mood:
Citrus
Citrus fragrances derived from fruits such as lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit are a firm favorite. They feel bright, cheery and carefree, reminiscent of warm sunny days and refreshing lemonade.
As an ingredient in cleaning products, they are quite popular. Lemon, in particular, has antiviral and antibacterial properties and is an astringent cleaning agent itself. The slightly bitter element of citrus fragrances clears the air. When lemon or other citrus fruits are used as part of a cleaning product, our homes just feel cleaner and fresher.
Citrus is also through to aid concentration and help clarify the mind. It’s perfect for those who are home working or those who need some time to think clearly and reset.
Jasmine
Jasmine is a subtle floral scent derived from the delicate white flowers of the Jasmine plant. It is thought to originate from north India where it grows in abundance. Many gardeners around the world choose to grow this climbing plant ornamentally for its pretty flowers and delicate scent.
The scent of jasmine can be described as sweet and floral but also slightly woody, rich and exotic. It’s one of the most popular ingredients for perfumes, appearing in more than three-quarters of fine fragrances. Used in the home, it gives rooms a fresh but luxurious feel.
Like many floral scents, it has calming properties. Scientists have even found that it can calm mice exposed to the scent. As such, it has been used to treat stress and anxiety. It is also believed to help depression by lifting mood.
Peppermint
Peppermint is one of the freshest scents (and flavors) there is. This herb grows in warm areas throughout the world and has seemingly endless uses. It’s popular as a flavoring for toothpastes and mouthwashes, as mint tea, and as a cooking ingredient.
There’s lots of evidence to show that it has been loved for thousands of years, with the Ancient Egyptians and Romans both using it readily. It is thought to have been used medicinally by the Ancient Greeks, too. People still use it today to help digestion and alleviate headaches.
The scent comes from the bright green leaves. It has an intensely cool and refreshing aroma. As a home fragrance, it is very energizing and clean-smelling.
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is quite the opposite of mint; it has a very warm, mellow scent. It can be described as both woody and musky. However, it still has a very uplifting and awakening effect. Some studies have even shown that smelling cinnamon can improve memory performance.
Cinnamon as a home fragrance is particularly popular in the Western world during Christmas and winter festivities. It is a popular baking ingredient at these times, so aromas are reminiscent of homely, comforting times whenever they are used.
However, cinnamon is actually a tree native to south Asia and has been used for thousands of years as a flavoring and ingredient of perfume. The inner bark of the cinnamon tree, which we can buy as cinnamon sticks, is the source of both the cooking ingredient and the scent. Bark fragments are distilled for use in perfume.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a herb with a beautiful woody aroma. There is a slightly citrus note to it too which freshens it and makes it very energizing.
Like many of the scents here, it is equally popular as a culinary ingredient. It’s been used to flavor dishes for centuries in the Mediterranean area from which it originates. Like mint (it actually comes from the same plant family), the leaves are used for both the flavoring and to extract the scent.
Rosemary has popular medicinal purposes. Aromatherapy practitioners use it for relieving stress, to boost mental clarity and insight, to enhance concentration and to improve mood.
If you are looking for new scents to fragrance your home, you’ll find products containing any one of these ingredients very uplifting. Whether you’d prefer sweeter smelling cinnamon or jasmine, zesty citrus, or fresh-smelling rosemary or mint is down to your personal preferences for fragrances. However, they all can help boost your mood and create a positive, happy space to live in.
AUTHOR BIO
Lamia Rochdi is the Marketing Manager at Bell Flavors & Fragrances EMEA. A successful family-owned business, Bell’s core competencies include customized solutions for the food and beverages industry, the household and personal care sector, and the perfume industry.