Beyond the Candles: Behind the Smell

As you light up your scented candle, lay back and relax, you might have wonder at times what is it in our human brain that makes us smell, causes us to like or dislike certain scents, and seems to encourage our general attitude towards our olfactory environments? In other words, what does it really mean to be able to smell?

In the top part of our nasal passages, there are two yellow-tinted patches hosting about five or six million tiny cells, combined. These are our smell receptors, and the number of cells is directly related to the acuteness of our smell. For example, sniffing expert animals, such as dogs, have about 44x more of these “smell-cells.” And although we cannot begin to compare to our canine friends in this regard, sense of smell is an integral aspect of our daily existence.

Inside of our brains, each smell input is registered and processed at two different levels, in two specific centers. Even before the olfactory sensation enters our cerebral cortex, prompting our cognitive recognition of the smell, the limbic system of our brain is engaged and stimulated. The limbic system is the seat of the rawest of human emotion.

In everyday terms, this means that even before you are able to recognize that you smell something, and decide on what that smell is, the fact is that your body has already emotionally reacted to the sensation. In turn, this primary emotional reaction is going to affect the thought processes involved at the higher cortex levels of perception, influencing the thoughts of pleasantness and unpleasantness.

However, the positive and negative perceptions of smell are not entirely emotional-based. Familiarity plays a very important role in whether we find certain smells pleasant or unpleasant. In many studies, people labeled smells as pleasant, when they were able to readily recognize the source of the smell.

Finally, not all smells are created equal, and nor are all “smellers.” Women tend to significantly outperform men in scent acuteness and sensitivity. Also, we know that sense of smell deteriorates with age, beginning as early as late teens. Yet, there is also good news, which is that practice makes perfect even when it comes to smelling. Through continual stimulation, we can both improve our sense of smell and also prevent its decline with age.

So, let’s keep the scented candles burning and give our brains a good workout.

How to Host a Scented Candle Party

Almost everyone enjoys the smell of a scented candle. From vanilla to cinnamon and jasmine, there is a huge variety to choose from, and they all provoke different memories and images for each person who catches their scent. These candles are growing in both variety and popularity, and if you’re looking for a way to have fun at your next gathering, there is no better way than to have a scented candle making party. These candles are fun and easy to make, and even younger people can manage, with adult supervision. If you want to host a candle making party, there are several steps that you need to take in order to make sure it’s a success.

Planning Your Party

The first thing you’ll need to take care of is a little bit of planning. Sit down and ask yourself a few questions, such as how many people you’ll plan to invite, whether or not it will be an adults only event, and what kind of food you’d like to serve. Will people bring their own candle kits, or will you collect money from them and then supply everything? Usually, people will want to pick out their own kits and decorations, so it’s best to let people choose the candles they want to make and provide a few extras, such as spare bottles of scented oils, wicks, and other supplies. Make sure you let people know well in advance about your party so everyone can plan to come. For a bit of extra fun, you can send out scented invitations. 

Setting up the Kitchen

You’ll probably want to eat before you start your candle making, so plan to have something quick and easy so there won’t be too much trouble with cleanup. Have people bring a dish or a dessert so it’s a potluck affair and you won’t spend the whole day cooking before you host the party. Once everyone eats, prepare the candle-making area by spreading out everything you’ll need: the paraffin, scented oils, wicks, and other supplies. There are several different kinds of waxes that people can choose from, including the kind that’s made specifically to be poured into glass containers, soy wax, gel wax, and even wax that produces a kind of sparkly effect when it dries. Set up a kind of production line so your guests can use the stove one person at a time.

Creating the Candles

While each candle-making kit will come with different instructions, there is a basic formula for making scented candles. First, you set the wick into the mold. Next, melt the wax as instructed by your kit and add the scents and dyes. When it gets to the right temperature, pour it carefully into the mold. Repeat to fill in any cracks. Once the candle is cooled, remove it from the mold and enjoy. Scented candle parties are a fun way to get together with friends and make beautiful candles for your home at the same time.