The 12 Best Aromatherapy Candles for Anxiety & Stress Relief
In the world we live in today it can be easy to feel stressed, or even anxious. While some may have these feelings more than others, I think we can all agree that stress and anxiety are not fun emotions.
The good news is, there are several ways you can ease your mind and help yourself feel better.
Along with online therapy, I’ve found aromatherapy candles to be helpful in my journey of anxiety relief. Candle scents are a great way to provide a relaxing atmosphere after a stressful day, or lift your mood on a bad day.
As you’ll see throughout this post, aromatherapy can be great for your mental health. Here are some of its benefits.
Let’s dive into a list of some amazing candles for stress relief and then we’ll discuss scents to look for when candle shopping!
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12 Best Candles for Stress & Anxiety
It’s time to take a look at what the best aromatherapy candles are. I’ve got a list of the best non-toxic candles from seven different makers and small businesses. I’m sure that by the end of this post you’ll find the right candle for your relaxation routine.
Thistle Farms featuring Hope & Courage Candles
The Hope candle is a soy wax candle that features lavender and lemon scents, while the Courage candle features notes of Palo Santo & Ylang Ylang - also a soy candle. They both have a burn time of about 25-28 hours.
The Courage candle gives off feelings of confidence and strength, while the Hope candle feels like a new dawn approaching.
Thistle Farms is located in Nashville, Tennessee and have been changing the lives of women since 2001.
This nonprofit social enterprise is passionate about helping women survivors recover and heal from prostitution, trafficking, and addiction.
When you buy a candle from them you are helping Thistle Farms provide a safe place to live, a meaningful job, and a lifelong sisterhood of support to these women. Thistle Farms candles range in price from $20-$32.
Serene Candle from Slow Made
This Serene Candle is made from coconut wax and features a number of different essential oils that help promote relaxation.
Those essential oils are lavender, chamomile, rosemary, & sage.
You’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of this candle for about 45-50 hours of burn time. Slow Made candles can be purchased for $28.
Slow Made is a company based in Chicago. Their candles are handcrafted and hand-poured in small batches. In each of their candles you’ll find a cotton wick, renewable and vegan coconut wax, and pure essential oils.
They are all about living the slow, more intentional life based around sustainable and ethical living.
This is one of my personal favorite candles for relaxation! Be sure to use my code HONESTCONSMER for 10% off your Slow Made purchase.
Lemongrass Eucalyptus from Fontana Candle Co.
The Lemongrass Eucalyptus candle from Fontana Candle Co is fresh & invigorating.
This pure blend of steam distilled Lemongrass and Eucalyptus has a touch of relaxing Lavender for a non-toxic spa-like experience at home!
This candle features a stronger scent and a burn time that varies depending on the size you decide to purchase. Fontana Candle Co.’s clean candles range from $14-$30.
Fontana Candle Co. candles are made with clean ingredients such as beeswax, coconut oil, and pure essential oils.
Their candles feature wood wicks which their supplier sources the wood from the United States from Forest Stewardship Council Certified mills.
For every $100 Fontana Candle Co. spends on wicks, their supplier plants a tree with Trees for the Future, making the wood wick an eco-friendly and sustainable option.
Fontana Candle Co. candles are MADE SAFE® certified which confirms that a household product is free of any and all toxins known or suspected to harm human health, animals, or ecosystems.
Spinster Sister Co featuring Alpine Meadow & Relax Candles
The main scents of the Alpine Meadow candle candle are wildflowers and earthy greens, while the Relax candle smells like lavender and rose. Both of these soy wax candles are certified cruelty free, come in recyclable packaging, and are chemical free.
Bring the fresh scents of nature into your living room, or wherever you are in your home with a calming candle, or two, from Spinster Sister Co. Their candles range from $18-$24.
Spinster Sisters Co.
This company started in 1993 with the founder, Kelly Perkins, making homemade soap and skincare for herself and as gifts.
She started selling her creations at craft fairs and has now grown to sell them at retailers like Whole Foods and Krogers, while also expanding her product selection.
The Spinster Sisters stay committed to being as sustainable as possible, and are even on a mission to go plastic free.
Bright Endeavors featuring Lavender Sprig & Rose Vanilla Candles
The Lavender Sprig candle features lavender and fresh cut grass scents, while the Rose Vanilla candle has rose, currant, amber, and vanilla scents. Both of these scents are a great way to get your mind off the stress of the past or future to keep you grounded in the present moment.
Bright Endeavors
These two candles are made of soy wax and come in two different sizes.
The four ounce tin has a 20 hour burn time, while the eight ounce tin can burn for 25-30 hours. Then there is the signature glass size that can burn for up to 40 hours! Bright Endeavors candles range from $10-$26.
Bright Endeavors, based in Chicago, work with their parent non-profit company, New Moms.
This organization helps set young moms up for success by giving them a fully paid, 16-week job training program working at the candle company. The proceeds from each candle purchased goes to support these moms.
Lavender Sage Candle by Candelles
This Lavender Sage soy wax candle is a delightfully earthy and floral fragrance. When you need to wind down after a long day at work (or from the kids!), grab a bath and light this candle.
This 16 oz soy wax candle has a burn time of 80-120 hours and features relaxing notes of lavender, fern leaves, lime sage, pepper, moss, ginger, pine, musk, & patchouli.
Candelles is a family owned soy candle company in the northeast mountains of Pennsylvania.
This brand focuses on small batch production, eco-friendly products, and providing a quality, hand-poured candles.
Candelles candles feature an all natural soy wax blended with only natural, phthalate-free fragrance oils, no additives at all.
5 Benefits Of Aromatherapy For Stress and Anxiety
Aromatherapy is described as, “the therapeutic use of essential oils and other plant materials to improve a person’s health, mood, and energy.”
There is a lot you can do with aromatherapy when you know which natural essential oils to use. It can be applied topically, inhaled, mixed in bath water, and diffused into a vapor.
Here are some of the benefits of aromatherapy when it comes to using it for stress and anxiety.
Aromatherapy has a calming effect
Aromatherapy can help relax the body/ eases pain
Aromatherapy can provide sleep relief
Aromatherapy can decrease levels of cortisol
6 Relaxing Candle Scents That Are Perfect For Relieving Stress
Now that we’ve seen the potential benefits of essential oil aromatherapy candles, it’s time to move on to the different scents. With all of the various scents it can be hard to discern which ones do what.
In this section I’ll be breaking down the different scents that can help ease your stress and reduce anxiety. These are the scents you’ll want to look for when candle shopping.
Lavender: When you think of calming scents I’m sure lavender is one of the first scents you think of. It’s great to use if your stress and anxiety are keeping you up at night. Lavender essential oil is one of the more relaxing scents. This is due to it having a sedative effect. Purchasing a candle that contains lavender essential oils would be perfect to put in your bedroom to help you relax before bedtime.
Sandalwood: This essential oil comes from the East Indian sandalwood tree. The anxiolytic properties in this earthy essential oil can help soothe your anxiety. It’s perfect to use after a hectic day when your mind is overwhelmed.
Clary sage: The stress hormone is no match for this essential oil. Clary sage is a great essential oil for relieving stress because it decreases the cortisol levels in your body. It can also act as an antidepressant in some cases.
Lemon: If you need a break from all the stress and could use some positive energy, a lemon scented candle could do the trick. This essential oil and its mood boosting properties can also help enhance your attention level, concentration, and cognitive performance. That makes it a great candle for the home office or anywhere you need to be calm and productive.
Rose: Roses aren’t just for looking beautiful in a vase, it can also help your body relax in the form of essential oils. Rose oil can help ease anxiety, especially around pain. It can help with menstrual pain and has even helped lower the anxiety of women in labor. Next time you need a mood boost and are wanting a relaxing ambiance, get a candle made with natural rose essential oil.
Ylang ylang: This essential oil is similar to lavender because it provides a sense of calm, but Ylang Ylang doesn’t make you tired. It can even help decrease your blood pressure. It’s perfect for when you want some relaxing time to calm your stress, but you want to be present.
How To Know You Are Buying A Candle With Clean Ingredients
Now that you know the benefits of aromatherapy candles it’s time to start shopping right?
Not so fast, before you start picking out your next candle you may want to determine if that anxiety and stress relief candle you are wanting is made from clean, natural ingredients. Many candles are actually toxic, but here are some tips for making sure your candles are non-toxic.
Fontana Candle Company recommends that you look at three things to determine if a candle is non-toxic. They are the price, the scent, and the wax. If the candle is cheap, brightly colored, and has a strong scent, it’s most likely toxic. Unfortunately, lot of candles you will find at name brand stores tend to be toxic.
To find a natural candles that ease your stress and anxiety you’ll want to look for a few different ingredients. As far as wax goes, author and podcast host, Sophia Ruan Gushée, recommends buying a candle made of soy wax, beeswax or coconut wax. Try to look for candles that say 100% soy wax (or one of the other waxes listed) because if not the wax can be mixed with toxic ingredients.
You’ll also want to make sure the candle has a 100% cotton wick or responsibly sourced wood wick to avoid any toxic chemicals and heavy metals.
Lastly, you want to make sure you aren’t getting a candle that includes the word “fragrance” anywhere. Instead you’ll want to get a candle made with 100% pure essential oils, which is what we’ve been discussing throughout the article. Usually when the candle includes fragrance it is synthetic fragrances, not natural.
Candles are one of the best ways to set the tone for a room. They are also an effective way to shift our emotions, bring mental clarity, and boost our mood.
If you are feeling stressed or anxious, try picking up one of these candles for yourself. You may find that relaxation is just one sniff away.
Meet the Authors
Industry Research by:
Kelly Clark is a freelance writer, who also runs her own blog Budding Joy.. When she’s not writing you can find her listening to music, reading, and diving into more sustainable living topics, especially surrounding self care and eco-conscious beauty. Learn more from Kelly on LinkedIn or Instagram.
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Emily Waddell is the founder of The Honest Consumer. She has always been passionate about business for good and has a Bachelor of Science in Social Entrepreneurship. She currently lives in Seattle where she practices imperfect sustainability. When she’s not writing, Emily enjoys supporting small businesses, clean eating, ethical fashion, and practicing slow living.
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