What is the best candle to buy as a Valentine's gift?
Don’t listen to anyone who says that candles aren’t an original gift for Valentines. Well maybe they’re not ORIGINAL, but you’d be hard pushed to find someone who would not be happy with a gifted candle for Valentines.
So now we’ve cleared that up – the question is, which scent?
What is Valentine’s Day?
Valentines is a celebration of love. In its current capitalist, commercialised incarnation of course (Side note: the origins of Valentine’s Day date back to a Roman festival called Lupercalia from the 5th Century, later adopted by the Christian Church in the 15th century, but the association with lovers expressing their feelings for each other is a more recent invention).
The best essential oils for getting in the mood
Love is literally in the air where some essential oils are concerned. Some are known for their aphrodisiac properties (ie stimulating sexual desire). We all know how much our senses affect our sexual desire so it’s natural that smell affects our mood. The wrong scent can be a major turn off.
Many of the essential oils we use help calm and instil a feeling of relaxation – the corollary of which is improved mood and a boosted sex drive. The more relaxed we feel, the more likely we are to enjoy sex.
Here’s BALMY’s guide to the best essential oils for creating the perfect environment for Valentine’s Day romance.
Patchouli
A member of the mint family (but with an earthy, herbal scent rather than a peppery one), patchouli is known for its anxiety reducing properties, calming those date night jitters. There have been some studies linking patchouli with elevated testosterone production in men and aiding sexual dysfunction even.
Ylang ylang
Long hailed for its mood boosting super powers, ylang ylang (a yellow flower from the Cananga tree found in SE Asia) is also used in some cultures to decorate newly married couples’ marital beds. It is believed to improve libido!
Rose
It is no surprise that rose – the symbolic flower of Valentine’s Day – is also a major contender for the best essential oil to set the mood. In diluted form on the skin it is said to increase blood flow to the genitalia. I’m not recommending you go anywhere near there with a candle, but a scented candle to scent the space will do nicely. None of our blends feature rose essential oil at the moment (it’s a very pricey oil!) but watch this space…
Clary sage
A calming oil which is brilliant at reducing stress. This subtle herb, native to the Mediterranean, is mainly used as an ingredient in Earl Grey tea. But some studies have shown that inhaling the oil can increase feelings of relaxation and help to reduce blood pressure.
Sandalwood
According to this study, participants experienced increased feelings of arousal when inhaling sandalwood than those who did not inhale it.
Lavender
One of the best essential oils for relaxation, helping to decrease anxiety and increase a feeling of calm. Feeling relaxed = improved enjoyment of sex
Top three BALMY fragrances for Valentines
If you’re looking for the perfect Valentine’s gift – here are our suggestions for the best BALMY mood-enhancing, libido-boosting fragrances:
