The Emotion Evoking Power of Scent

November 12, 2020

Our memories, and thus are emotions, are directly connected to our sense of smell. Waking up to deeply warm and hearty scents of roasting coffee beans may bring alongside it a sense of serenity and calm. The wafting scent of freshly baked dough and chocolate chips may bring along with it the care-free happiness of childhood weekends filled with baking. Opening the door after a long day and being greeted with a sombrous and slow cooking crock-pot meal may bring back nostalgic memories of childhood and lost relatives. The passing aroma of a stranger’s perfume may bring back memories of your mother’s signature smell. Scents are undeniably powerful.

Not to get technical or anything, but anatomically wise, your sense of smell is literally connected to your emotions and memories. Everything you smell is first processed through a system called the olfactory bulb that then sends it off for further processing within the limbic system of the brain. The limbic system contains two very important structures that deal directly with your concepts of emotions and memory, the amygdala and the hippocampus. So basically, smells undeniably play a pertinent role in the formation of your memories and the emotions associated with them. Ultimately, this is why a certain meal may make you feel nostalgic, and classic Christmas scents may get you into the celebrating mood. With every scent comes a memory and an associated emotion that your brain begins to replicate.

With this new knowledge, you can start using it to your advantage and curating the scents that you want to associate with all kinds of events in your life. One of the most important, being the scent of home. After a long trip away from home, opening the door and being met with the smell of your own house instantly relaxes your entire body with a sense of familiarity that it brings along with it. The smell of home is something no one can forget and something that is unique to every household, so why not take the time to curate your perfectly unique scent of coming home. This is where natural candles, and companies such as TLC, can help. With TLC’s attentive focus on curating unique and elegant scents, every hand poured soy candle produces an aroma that is unforgettable. Meaning, that your early morning bean-roasting can have its own scent, cookie baking can be filled with a different aroma, and your quiet evenings sipping wine can be characterized by a sophisticated scent. But most importantly, you can pick out a candle that will become your new sense of safety, the new scent of your home. The scent your children will be eager to smell after they have grown up and left the house. With a candle, you can personally curate the scent of the most unforgettable aspect of your life, and TLC hopes to be the one to help you do this. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your nearest wick trimmer and newest TLC candle, and beginning burning the scent of life into your home!

-Kenzington Baxter, Guest Writer

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