Posted on September 4th, 2022.

The pandemic, which triggered an unprecedented health crisis, also brought in its own set of emotional challenges. Fear, anxiety, and higher stress levels were the order of the day and people struggled to cope with confinement from the world outside, the pressure of managing jobs and household tasks, and a rapidly mutating virus. Many of us were forced to re-evaluate our life choices. Trying to slow down to connect with the self—once considered a luxury—became a must for many of us. There was increased demand for feel-good products for uplifting the mood—wellness candles, also known as aromatherapy candles, being one such product.

LIGHT UP

Made from essential oils or plant-based perfume oils, which emit an aroma and help reduce stress, these candles with healing properties became sources of warmth and tranquility. Rupal Shabnam Tyagi, aromatherapist and founder of Wikka India, says: “Candles are more than just a piece of décor. They have multiple health benefits. We are familiar with healing through fragrances and how it can trigger responses in the brain. Wellness candles have become an essential part of the healing journey. They emit scents that act as anti-depressants.”

Lifestyle brand, MASIC Beauty, launched in 2021, makes wellness candles. The concept came out of their CEO and founder Malvika Sitlani’s undying love for scented candles. An influencer, Sitlani had drawers and drawers dedicated to scented candles. She still does. “To me, candles are wellness in a jar,” she says.

CURE ALL

Having a bad day? Feeling blue? Trying to clear your head? Name a concern and there is a candle to address it. If lavender is the aroma candle for relaxation, then lemon orange helps uplift the mood. If looking for some sound sleep, then Beauty Sleep (from MASIC Beauty), a coconut and lime-based fragrance with middle notes of pineapple and jasmine, can do wonders. “The subtle hints of musk balance the sweetness and create the perfect environment for a good night’s sleep,” says Sitlani.

The restorative benefits of essential oils have long been used in beauty and healing. Wellness candles, which are made from concentrated aromatherapy oils, are only adding to this. As Mamta Gupta and Vidhi Gupta, co-founders of Zariin, a jewellery brand with a holistic line of wellness products, point out, “For long, candles have symbolised many things—illumination, light, prayer, spirit, festivities and ambience. Today, lighting a candle is also a form of self-care.”

The demand for wellness candles has particularly gone up since the onset of the pandemic, with more and more people pausing to qualify their lives with enhanced mindfulness, joy and self-love.

MORE THAN LUXURY

Zariin has gone a step further and introduced a range of wellness candles for each of the Zodiac signs. Amalgamating the healing qualities of gemstones and aromatherapy essential oils, in a base of soy wax, these are not your one-size-fits-all products but customised to each Zodiac sign. The Sagittarius zodiac candle, for example, uses neroli essential oil and blue topaz natural gemstone, and has therapeutic benefits.

The pandemic may have given an impetus to the trend of wellness candles, but they are here to stay and serve a reminder that we need to pause and connect with ourselves.

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