With January well underway, you might have felt the cruel grip of seasonal depression, the effects of Blue Monday or the come-down after Christmas. It's common to feel slightly down at this time of year with cold, dark mornings still hanging around and little to look forward to. Spring seems a million years away, and so does your next pay cheque.
It's so important this time of year to reset and take some time to check in with your mental health. If you're feeling the weight of this season, fear not, you're not alone. At Beauty Base, we can help ease the burden on your mental health with wellness products and fragrances that will relax, calm and invigorate you. Certain scents can help trigger chemical releases in your brain to help relax or bring you joy so you can focus on yourself.
Discover the best wellness products and fragrances for mental health in this guide!
Table of contents
- A brief introduction to aromatherapy
- Wellness products
- What fragrances will improve your mental health and wellness?
- What smell makes people the happiest?
- What perfume makes you happier?
- What perfume is best for mental health?
A brief introduction to aromatherapy
It's no secret that fragrances and aromas profoundly affect your brain chemistry, nervous system and mental well-being. Your brain registers fragrances and closely links them to your memory and emotion. As a result, this is why when you smell a particular scent, it can take you back to a specific memory of a place or person, whether positive or negative.
Aromatherapy is the holistic practice of using fragrances to create calming and healing effects on the mind and body. For example, using essential oils to calm or relax the mind. Find out which fragrances are best for mental well-being in the next section.
Wellness products
Is perfume a wellness product?
As well as feeling like a luxury gift, either as a treat to yourself or a thoughtful gift to a friend struggling, perfume is 100% a wellness product, particularly if it contains aromas that help improve your mental health.
Other wellness products
Other wellness products could include luxury skincare. Taking care of your skin with high-quality products is an act of wellness.
Alternatively, you could use bath products, such as bath bombs, bath salts, bubble baths and bath oils with calming or invigorating scents to improve your wellness.
You can also use products like candles, wax melts, incense, pillow mists or room fragrances to use scent to alter your mental health and improve your wellness.
What fragrances will improve your mental health and wellness?
Everyone experiences fragrance differently because people have different experiences and associations with different smells.
However, some agreed fragrances evoke a collective response, often due to societal norms. For example, a citrus smell will evoke feelings of cleanliness and freshness as it is used in many home cleaning products.
Here are the primary fragrances to look out for in your wellness products that evoke particular emotions to help improve your mental health.
Fruity fragrances
Fruity fragrances like citrus scents such as lemon, grapefruit, bergamot, orange and lime can have an uplifting, energetic and stimulating effect on your mood. If you're feeling sluggish during dark January days, a whiff of citrus can be the perfect pick-me-up.
Marine musk
Scents derived from the sea, such as sea salt, can evoke a sense of calm and tranquillity for busy minds. Marine aromas can transport people to the clean and fresh scents of nature and bring the sense of peace and freedom that you can only get from the coast.
Woody aromas
Characterised by rich, earthy scents, woody aromas include fragrances like sandalwood, cedarwood, patchouli, birch and vetiver. These earthy scents evoke feelings of being cocooned and safe, leaving the wearer feeling grounded, deeply rooted or tapping into an inner strength. Vanilla can also provide similar feelings but with a sweet softness. These scents are ideal for battling mental exhaustion during challenging times.
Floral scents
Floral fragrances are not just for spring; they can uplift and bring calm during the winter. Bring spring forward with the smell of fresh blossoms and bouquets to bring a sense of peacefulness, calmness and nostalgia with the knowledge that spring is just around the corner. With so many floral scents available, find one that best resonates with you, from clean white flower scents like jasmine, magnolia, white iris and neroli to more tropical scents like ylang-ylang and herbaceous scents.
Fougère fumes
Fougère fragrances include scents like lavender, geranium, vetiver, bergamot and oakmoss. From the French meaning of 'fern', the scents in this category are deeply connected to nature, evoking anxiety relief and soothing the mind like when you're at one with nature or in the great outdoors.
What smell makes people the happiest?
Each person will have a specific scent that will trigger happy feelings. Whether it reminds them of a happy time or improves their mental health, every person is different. However, here is a list of some of the most common scents that evoke happy feelings.
Citrus
The fresh and uplifting aroma of citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and grapefruits increases energy and a sense of happiness.
Lavender
Known for its calming properties, many people find lavender relaxing, soothing and pleasant. Lavender leaves people feeling calm and happy and relieves stress.
Vanilla
People associate the sweet and comforting vanilla scent with warmth and happiness, creating a cosy and inviting atmosphere.
Freshly cut grass
Freshly cut grass is synonymous with the great outdoors, evoking positive memories of nature and sunny days for many people.
Baked goods
The aroma of freshly baked cookies, bread or other goodies can trigger feelings of comfort, nostalgia and happiness.
Rosemary
Known for its culinary uses and invigorating and refreshing scent, rosemary can promote a positive mood.
What perfume makes you happier?
If you associate any of these scents with happy feelings, why not invest in a perfume with these scents? Let it carry you through challenging mental health days and help improve your well-being.
Citrus
Nothing is more citrusy than the Notebook Citrus & Green Tea Eau De Toilette. Reach for this tantalising fragrance if you need energising, awakening or a pick-me-up.
Lavender
Yardley English Lavender Eau de Toilette is the perfume for you if the scent of lavender from the English countryside fills you with joy. The distinctive and fresh scent will lift your spirits even in January.
Vanilla
Along with other scents and notes, the Ariana Grande Mod Vanilla Eau De Parfum contains vanilla notes in the back, creating an unforgettable perfume for those who adore the sweet aroma.
Freshly cut grass
If only you could bottle the smell of freshly cut grass. Well, it's been done! The Elizabeth Arden Blue Grass Eau de Parfum captures the Riviera countryside and the beloved horse country with the light and fresh scent of picked grasses from the fields of Grasse, France.
Baked goods
Along with many other warming and subtle aromas, the Valentino Born In Roma Uomo Yellow Dream Eau De Toilette contains an unexpected gingerbread accord to help evoke those happy smells of home baking.
Rosemary
The Versace Eros Flame Eau De Parfum combines many noble and elegant ingredients that enrich and enhance one another, including wild rosemary.
What perfume is best for mental health?
If you're looking for perfumes to help improve your mental state, start using the scents in a routine to create a positive association with the fragrances.
If you're struggling with anxiety, use a perfume with lavender, chamomile, vanilla and sandalwood as the primary scents. Lavender and chamomile are soothing aromas that promote relaxation and reduce stress and anxiety. Sandalwood can have grounding effects on your mind and provide stress relief. The warmth of a vanilla perfume can create a cosy and inviting atmosphere if you're feeling anxious in a particular place.
If you're experiencing bouts of depression, citrus perfumes can help boost your mood and energy levels. Jasmine can have a calming and uplifting effect on the mind. And if you associate rose scents with a positive memory, a rose perfume can also be mood-enhancing.
Wellness products at Beauty Base
Scents and fragrances can have a profound effect on your mood. Why not use them to improve your mental well-being during a dark and dull January? Use scents you have positive associations with to boost your mood or relax you after a long day.
Whether you use luxuriously scented skincare, perfumes that remind you of a happy memory or bath and shower products to relax and unwind with calming scents, discover the power of aromatherapy among the wellness products at Beauty Base today!
Shop fragrances for men and women in our perfume collection. Or, incorporate skincare for your face and body into your wellness routine enriched with invigorating or calming fragrances.
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