Nothing warms your spirit like the gently flickering light of a scented candle. While candles offer a simple way to create ambiance in your home, they’re not always the most practical fragrance solution for some. Burning candles twenty-four hours a day isn’t always safe as it’s unwise to leave a candle burning just so you can be welcomed by your favorite scent when you walk in the door.
These 6 candle alternatives offer practical and cost-effective ways to bring both fragrance and ambiance into your home.
Reed Diffusers
While scented candles can disperse fragrance for hours on end, reed diffusers offer a much longer-lasting alternative. A 6-ounce reed diffuser offers a fragrance life up to 4 months while a 15-ounce reed diffuser can last as long as a year.
A reed diffuser typically consists of a vessel filled with fragrance oil and thin reeds. The reeds soak up the fragrance through a process known as capillary action and, once the oil reaches the tip of the reed, it evaporates into the air and disperses the fragrance. The key to achieving pure and consistent fragrance with reed diffusers is to use authentic essential oil-based fragrance and natural reeds.
Stovetop Potpourri
If you’re looking for an inexpensive way to fill your home with fragrance, try stovetop potpourri. As long as you maintain proper water levels and moderate the heat, you can enjoy several hours of scent – some might even last for several days.
To make stovetop potpourri, just toss some of your favorite aromatics into a pot of simmering water. Some of the best ingredients for stovetop potpourri include cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, cardamom pods, citrus peels, fresh ginger, pine sprigs, and almond or vanilla extracts.
Room Mist
When all you need is a quick burst of fresh fragrance, a room mist will do the trick. The key to enduring fragrance with a room mist is to anchor the spray onto soft furnishings like drapery or upholstered furniture. Just be sure to test the spray in an inconspicuous location first for colorfastness.
Room mists are great for a quick refresher, but they can also be paired with longer-lasting fragrances from scented candles or reed diffusers. Get started with fragrance layering by pairing complementary fragrances like Fresh Cut Gardenia and Duchess Peony.
Candle Warmers
Can’t get enough of your favorite fragranced candle but hate to see it nearing the end of its burn life? Instead of lighting the candle to enjoy the fragrance, consider using an electric warmer instead. Also known as plate candle warmers, electric warmers melt scented candles from the bottom up to release the fragrance without flame. This preserves the wax to extend the life of your scented candles.
Candle warmers work best with small to medium-sized candles. Shop LAFCO’s selection of 6.5-ounce Classic candles to find the perfect fit.
PURA Smart Device
An essential oil diffuser is great if you like to create your own fragrance blends and swap scents based on your mood. If you’re looking for something a little more hands-off that delivers similar benefits, however, the PURA Smart Device might be the ideal solution.
This plug-in smart diffuser enables you to create a custom fragrance experience at the touch of a button. The device utilizes two interchangeable fragrance vials which can be activated separately or layered together. Program the device using a simple smartphone app to control fragrance intensity in real time or schedule set hours. You can even enable geo-location technology to have the fragrance turn on automatically when you return home and shut off when you leave.
Enjoy your favorite LAFCO fragrances like Chamomile Lavender and Champagne with the PURA Smart Device Set.
Essential Oil Diffusers
Natural essential oils offer a broad array of benefits, especially when used in aromatherapy applications. There are four types of essential oil diffusers: nebulizing, ultrasonic, heat, and evaporative.
Nebulizing diffusers utilize a jet nozzle to create a stream of pressurized air, breaking down essential oils into tiny particles and releasing them into the air in a fine mist. Ultrasonic diffusers create a fine mist as well but work by creating ultrasonic vibrations under water to break up the oil into micro particles.
Both heat and evaporative diffusers work in similar ways by evaporating the essential oil into the air. Heat diffusers can create intense aroma, but the heat can reduce some of the beneficial properties of the oil. Evaporative diffusers use air flow instead of heat, blowing the essential oil through a filter which causes it to evaporate quickly without degrading.
When nothing but a scented candle will do, make sure you get to enjoy your favorite fragrance for as long as possible with LAFCO’s large 30-ounce and 86-ounce, three-wick candles. Crafted from sustainable soy wax with 100% cotton wicks, these candles deliver a clean, non-toxic burn for up to 120 hours.
I appreciate how this article encourages us to think beyond candles for fragrance and ambiance. It’s a reminder that we can create a delightful home atmosphere using various methods and materials. Thank you for broadening our horizons.
Woah, very interesting read! I had not heard of stovetop potpouri before and now I can’t wait to try it. Thank you for sharing such interesting ways to fill our homes with lovely fragrance without shedding a lot of money!