Scents can have very powerful effects on our mood and responses, depending on which part of our brain they stimulate. Using what we know about scent to our advantage, we can deploy the right aroma at the right time, to create the boost in mood or calming effect we need in the moment. Below, we explore how our scent receptors work and discover 8 ways we can use scent to improve our daily lives.
When we breathe in molecules from the air, scents get picked up by our olfactory system. We have receptors send the signals we get from scent to the brain, where it uses the limbic system to translate them. The brain identifies scent by looking for recognizable molecules, which is why aromas linked to good memories are identified so strongly.
We have about 400 scent receptors, but we identify tens of thousands of different scents in an instant. As the brain translates each scent we encounter, the body reacts to it, and often creates an emotional or even physical response to it. When we burn candles, use incense, or spray aroma at home, we intentionally send these signals to our brains, and we can use them to our advantage.
Here are 8 ways we can use scent to improve our daily lives:
Scents with certain profiles can have a boosting effect on our mood. A better mood doesn;t just help us to feel brighter, it helps us to see things more clearly and even extends the time we can be productive.
The essence of sunshine in an incense stick is a particular favorite during the long, cold winter months. Uplifting citrus and fruity notes create an atmosphere that encourages your goals, instead of going back to bed. A popular scent for boosting mood, Sunshine Wild Berry Incense uses the power of olfactory memory to start your day off with positivity.
Shooting Star Wild Berry Incense
A herbal and citrus blend of energy and hopefulness, Shooting Star Wild Berry incense is a great pick-me-up scent when your day needs a boost. A sweet and fruity aroma with depth from creamy vanilla and sandalwood, this positivity-fueled blend can help you to turn your day around.
It’s becoming harder and harder to truly relax, even when we’re at home. Daily stressors and constant connectivity can leave us with racing thoughts and worries well past bedtime. Incense has always been used to create calm and improve sleep and we certainly need it more than ever today.
A gentle, floral incense designed for ultimate calm and relaxation, Satya Meditation Incense is a great choice for mindfulness, or simply clearing and calming your thoughts. Blended with the aim of being at one with the universe, this is a heavy hitter when you just need to chill.
Focused on harmony and balance, Yin-Yang Wild Berry Incense features notes of deep musk, sensual leather and creamy vanilla for a neutral and relaxing scent that doesn’t wander into floral territory. A balance of masculine and feminine aromas, this calming scent is perfect for group settings or times of solitary deep, quiet relaxation.
Scent can have a huge effect on our ability to concentrate, stay focused, and commit information to memory. Energizing scents blended for focus can help you stay on task.
A blend of bright citrus, calming jasmine, and uplifting apple, Clarity Wild Berry Incense uses deep and earthy notes of amber and musk to ground this mood-boosting scent. Finished with hints of rose water for comforting care, Clarity encourages confidence and boldness, encouraging bright thinking and focused work.
The slightly minty aroma of fresh rosemary has been used for millenia for uplifting the spirit and energizing the mind. Satya’s Rosemary Incense uses the fresh, herbal benefits of rosemary to create a scent that keeps the mind engaged and ready to be productive.
Energies can start to feel heavy, almost stuck inside your home and ancient cultures felt that too. Some people actively perform cleansing rituals as part of their routine, and others just want to purify the air after a bout of ill health or life changes. For thousands of years, incense has been a go-to method for clearing up the energy in homes and getting ready for a new, positive future.
A traditional go-to for cleansing negative energy build-up from a space, object, or aura, Satya White Sage incense creates a thick, cleansing smoke, ideal for smudging ceremonies and spiritual work. A brighter, more uplifting scent than its green counterpart, white sage has an energizing aroma that quickly moves old, musty smells out of a room. Purifying the air as it floats, white sage is traditionally a popular choice to burn for encouraging better health.
Sage and Santo Wild Berry Incense
Perfect for cleansing and renewal, Sage and Santo Wild Berry Incense is a special blend of herbal scents known for purifying and encouraging new, positive energies. Rolling cleansing white sage and palo santo with fresh pine and rich sandalwood, this spiritual blend is a great choice for clearing space, cleansing energy, and recharging crystals.
Read more: Cleansing Your Crystals with Incense: The Best Scents to Try
Meditation and prayer is some of the most sacred time in our lives, but it gets harder and harder to switch off the mind from daily stresses. Incense with deep grounding and spiritually healing scents can focus your attention while clearing your mind. This time is special. Create a scent profile to match it and get your mind and body on the same page.
Read more: The Best Incense Scents for Meditation and Mindfulness
One of the most widely used incense scents for meditation, this scent is the best selling incense in the world. Using a deep, but not “flowery”, floral base, blended with grounding sandalwood and sweet frangipani petals, this classic incense clears the mind, relaxes the body, and turns meditation into a more spiritual event.
Frankincense Wild Berry Incense
An ancient tradition and biblical in nature, frankincense has always been set aside as a scent for prayer and ritual. This sweet yet woody resin just smells special, helping to focus your mind on the beauty of the world and encouraging a mindset of gratitude. Setting time apart to burn frankincense during prayer and meditation signals to your brain this time is sacred, helping you to switch off from external influences and take an inward journey.
The air in your home can get stale very quickly. Old food smells, smoke odors, and a build up of dust can give your space the kind of signature smell you’d rather not have. Incense is a traditional and fast way to freshen your space without needing a full deep clean. Burn when guests are on the way over for a quick fix, or after regular chores to leave a fresh lingering odor.
Bringing the great outdoors into your home, this crisp blend of pine and fresh balsam mix with hints of uplifting rosemary and grounding cedar to change the vibe of your space in minutes. Energizing, clean, and great for a day of laundry and scrubbing, this finishing touch makes your home burst with forest energy, without the overpowering scent of cleaning chemicals.
Tranquility Wild Berry Incense
A popular choice for clean, fresh, and calming air freshening, Tranquility Wild Berry Incense clears out old and musty odors quickly, replacing them with a light fragrance that lasts all day. A blend of earthy sandalwood and woody notes, hints of zesty lemon and fresh lime make this scent a perfect choice to revive a space.
Read more: Transform Your home for a Staycation with Aromatherapy
Achieving your goals depends on changing your habits. But anyone who’s ever made a resolution knows it’s not quite that simple. New habits should be made as pleasant as possible, to reduce your brain's resistance to them, and stacking them with other sensory habits can increase the chances of meeting your targets.
New habits are practical and need grounding energy to see them through day after day. Sandalwood is an earthy, woody, and warm aroma, long-used by ancient cultures to signify special events. By grounding your energy and intentions with sandalwood each day, your new habits are rooted in physical action and emotional connection, making you more likely to stick to your new routine.
Luna is a unique scent among incense. It doesn’t belong to any one category. Both uplifting and soothing, the creamy orange and magnolia base of this scent give way to hints of exotic musk and gentle floral notes. This dreamy scent is the perfect choice for new habits and goals, as a dream-encouraging aroma you won’t already associate with other parts of life. Your goals deserve special attention. Give them a special scent.
Self care should be a non-negotiable to truly feel your best and show up as yourself. But it can be hard to find the time and budget for big changes. Luckily, self care doesn’t need big gestures. It is forged in the small moments and intentional acts of focusing on your needs. Burning incense is a quick and affordable way to carve out a little time and space for yourself, using scents blended for comfort and made to encourage the best version of you.
Self care needs to be intentional, yet so many people resist it for fear of feeling “selfish”. The unique and love-filled embrace of rose incense wraps your body and mind in the self care you deserve. After feeling the benefit of doing something small just for you, this traditional scent will become a regular reminder that we all need some me-time.
Satya Spiritual Healing Incense
Satya Spiritual Healing Incense is made with self love in mind. Most positive change begins with healing and the journey can feel much more comforting with a signature scent for this important work. Journaling, therapy techniques, and forgiveness work can help us to move on from past wounds, while spiritual healing incense can help to set the stage for spiritual calm.
Scent is a powerful ally and that’s why people still use it successfully after thousands of years. There’s a scent for everything, with relaxing aromas helping us get better sleep and stimulating scents that help us keep up with modern demands. We can even deepen our prayer and improve our healing journeys with scents that stimulate comfort and introspection. And you can create your very own toolkit of scents at Nothing But Scents. Stop by our online store to create an incense toolkit made just for you.
Comments will be approved before showing up.
