If you’ve ventured into the delightful world of candle making DIY, you understand that the essence of a candle is much more than just wax and a wick. Essential oils derived from flowers are the secret ingredients that transform an ordinary candle into an aromatic piece of calm-inducing art. Here’s a bouquet of the 10 best essential oils from flowers to ignite your candle creations with natural fragrances.
Introduction to Aromatic Crafting
Candle making is a craft that dates back centuries, often earning its place in various rituals and ceremonies. Modern candle makers, especially those who cherish the do-it-yourself approach, seek to infuse their wax creations with scents that can tell a story, evoke a mood, or simply create a warm, inviting atmosphere.
Enter essential oils – pure, concentrated essences extracted from plants via distillation or other methods. For those looking to make their own candles, these oils can spell the difference between a good candle and a deeply personal, signature piece. Whether you’re a seasoned crafter or a novice, choosing the right essential oils amplifies your candle’s appeal and provides therapeutic benefits.
1. Lavender Essential Oil
Benefits: Lavender is heralded for its calming and relaxing properties. It’s the go-to fragrance for destressing and unwinding after a long day.
Scent Profile: Sweet, floral, and herbaceous notes with a slight woody undertone.
Candle Making Uses: Lavender not only scents the air but also repels insects. Ideal for creating a serene ambiance in bedrooms and meditation spaces.
2. Rose Essential Oil
Aromatherapy Benefits: Known to balance the endocrine system and lift the spirit, rose oil brings a sense of tranquility and well-being.
Blending Options: Combines beautifully with any floral, citrus, or woodsy note. Experiment with different ratios to create a unique blend.
Candle-Making Techniques: Adding dried rose petals can enhance the visual appeal, although bear in mind it might affect the burn.
3. Jasmine Essential Oil
Fragrance Notes: Intensely sweet with a hint of fruit, jasmine creates a rich and exotic ambiance, perfect for a romantic or nurturing atmosphere.
Properties: Jasmine is believed to have aphrodisiac qualities and is a great mood enhancer.
Creative Uses: Infuse wax with jasmine overnight for a strong scent, or use the oil sparingly for a subtle effect.
4. Chamomile Essential Oil
Soothing Properties: Often used to promote sleep, chamomile’s warm and apple-like scent can turn your candles into bedtime rituals.
Pairing Suggestions: Blend with lavender for a potent relaxation mix or with citrus for a bright yet soothing candle.
Crafting Tips: Since chamomile can be an irritant, ensure you use a very small amount in your candles or opt for chamomile-infused oils.
5. Ylang Ylang Essential Oil
Exotic Aroma: Known for its powerful scent, ylang ylang infuses a heady, floral essence with a sweet, traceable scent.
Mood Enhancement: Great for mood elevation and stress reduction, ylang ylang is often used in perfumery for its staying power and exotic allure.
Incorporation in Candle Projects: Use sparingly, as too much ylang ylang can overpower other scents. Great for enhancing the depth of a blend.
6. Geranium Essential Oil
Floral Scent: Geranium offers a strong and robust floral aroma with notes of rose, making it ideal for creating a slightly herbaceous candle.
Therapeutic Effects: Balancing and uplifting, geranium is commonly used to ease nervous tension and stress.
Application in Candle Making: Use a few drops in a kilo of wax for a noticeable yet not overwhelming scent.
7. Neroli Essential Oil
Citrus-Floral Fusion: Neroli provides a rich, complex scent that is simultaneously floral, citrusy, and slightly bitter, adding a unique character to your candle.
Calming Influence: Renowned for its ability to ease anxious thoughts and promote relaxation, neroli oil is expensive but worth its weight in gold for candle making.
Ways to Include in Candles: Pair neroli with lavender or chamomile for a peaceful and delicate aroma profile.
8. Peony Essential Oil
Sweet Fragrance Profile: Peony brings a fresh, sweet, and slightly powdery scent to the mix, reminiscent of fresh flower bouquets.
Blending Ideas: Combine with a touch of citrus or a clean note like pine for a more complex yet balanced fragrance.
Methods for Enhancing Candles: Consider layering peony with other florals to create a garden of scents within one candle.
9. Gardenia Essential Oil
Intense Floral Aroma: Gardenia offers an unmistakably strong and sweet floral scent, perfect for those who crave the heady aroma of spring blooms all year round.
Benefits: Gardenia’s aroma is believed to have a calming effect, making it suitable for enhancing the atmosphere of peaceful spaces.
Techniques for Using in Candles: Due to its potency, a little goes a long way with gardenia – use with caution in blending.
10. Sandalwood Essential Oil
Woody Scent Characteristics: Although not a flower per see, sandalwood’s warm and creamy wood scent can be a perfect base note for floral aromas.
Blending Possibilities: Mix with patchouli, rose, or jasmine for an earthy, floral blend that is both soothing and grounding.
Tips for Candle Customization: Balance the sweet notes of floral oils with the earthiness of sandalwood for a well-rounded fragrance.
Conclusion
Experimentation is the essence of the DIY candle-making experience. Each of the oils listed above brings a unique aspect to your craft – a different twist, nuance, or note that can turn your candle into a one-of-a-kind piece. Remember, the key to successful candle crafting lies in discovering your favorites, understanding their nature, and blending them harmoniously to create a synergy that’s more than the sum of its parts.
Indulge in your creativity, and above all, have fun. Your candles are not just silent companions in your daily rituals; they are your voice, speaking volumes through the language of aromas.
Happy candle making!
FAQs
What essential oils smell like flowers?
Essential oils that emit a floral scent include Lavender, Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Neroli, Peony, and Gardenia. Each of these oils has a unique aroma that ranges from sweet and delicate to rich and intoxicating, reminiscent of a walk through a blooming garden.
What essential oils are made from flowers?
Essential oils made from flowers include Rose, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang, Chamomile, Geranium, Neroli, Peony, and Gardenia. These oils are extracted directly from the flower part of the plant, harnessing the pure essence of each bloom.
What are the best essential oil flavors?
While “flavors” is a term more commonly associated with food, in the context of essential oils, the most cherished “scents” or “aromas” might include Lavender, for its calming properties; Peppermint, for invigoration; Lemon, for its cleansing qualities; and Sandalwood, for grounding. The best aroma depends on personal preference and the desired effect.
What are flower oils used for?
Flower oils are used for various purposes, including aromatherapy, perfumery, holistic healing, and skincare. They can lift the mood, reduce anxiety, promote relaxation, and even offer anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefits. In candle making, they add not just fragrance but also ambiance, transforming the feel of a space with their natural aroma.
