SWEET SCENT-SATION // serenity candle with healing crystal

This year is one of personal changes for me.

In the past two years we’ve renovated our house, sorted out the back garden and I’ve rediscovered my passion for the gym. Now it’s time to address the final piece of the puzzle – my own wellbeing.

I’d been experiencing increasing anxiety for the past couple of years – not so bad that I couldn’t function, but enough that it was seeping into my daily life. I’d never had it before, so it took me a while to even realise what it was – I had this constant underlying worry something was about to go wrong and I just wasn’t my usual positive self.

So this year I’ve made a pact to put myself higher up the totem pole. For me, that means taking little moments for myself. I’ve started by creating a relaxing space at home. I’ve always adored scented candles, as they’re such a simple way to instantly lift your mood.

Fragrance is so evocative – our sense of smell links straight to our emotional brain, helping us recall happy memories and releasing chemicals that make us feel content and relaxed: studies have even shown that scented oils and candles can help reduce feelings of fear and anxiety.

However, I’m super picky about which ones I use, as I like my candles to have a natural, genuine scent – florals that take me back to my Grandad’s prized rose garden, citrus scents that remind me of oranges picked straight from the tree.

Serenity Scents and Lifestyle is a family-run business tucked in the Chiltern Hills, Buckinghamshire. From a charming 17th-century cottage, founder Karen Davis blends natural soy wax and the finest fragrance oils to create gorgeous, hand-poured candles. 

Karen first came up with the idea for her range four years ago.

‘I’ve always been convinced of the healing power of crystals and, like many, I love being surrounded by candles – scented or otherwise – for the relaxing sense of wellbeing they bring,’ she explains. ‘One evening the idea of combining the two in order to create a lifestyle brand popped into my head… but stayed firmly on the back-burner as family life and the day job took priority.

‘Losing a good friend last year gave me the kick up the backside I’d needed: he was always one of the first to tell me to stop procrastinating and talking about ‘one day I will…’ and just get on and do it… so I got on and did it! I turned my cottage kitchen into an apothecary, banished the family and set about blending, pouring, sniffing and perfecting.’

She used vegan-friendly, eco-soy wax, meaning her candles were manufactured from renewable sources, and were 100% plant-based, sustainable, biodegradable and free from petroleum, pesticide and herbicide residue.

After many months many months testing ingredients, techniques and fragrances, her first first candle collection was ready. But these candles didn’t just smell divine – with scents including Pear & Freesia, Sweet Orange & Chilli Pepper, and Rose & Neroli – each one contained a carefully chosen crystal, with its own healing attributes.

The Pear & Freesia ‘Calm’ candle was embedded with a Blue Howlite crystal. This turquoise-coloured stone is thought to calm anger, reduce tension and anxiety. Its soothing energy is also believed to still the mind, making it the perfect crystal to aid sleep and meditation.

I’ve been lucky to recently try the ‘Peace’ scented candle with a healing crystal of White Snow Quartz: as it melts it fills the room with the delicate scent of rose petals and bitter orange blossoms – two of my absolute favourite fragrances – while the soothing stone is thought to promote mental clarity and patience, bringing you greater inner peace. Bliss! 

Visit SERENITY SCENTS & LIFESTYLE to view their range of nine delicious fragrance combinations.