Personal Needs: Scent is One of Them

Naturalness and comfort are the keywords of recent trends, and products that can cater to more personal needs are becoming hits. As consumers, we won't buy something unless it moves us. We buy because we want to experience small moments of delight every day, like "Wow, what a lovely scent!" or "Wow, this feels so good on my skin!" Our living environments are all different – perhaps we stay up late, enjoy reading, or cherish our bath time. Each person, out of a hundred, has a hundred different living situations, tastes, and preferences. I believe the key to a product becoming a hit lies in how well it can be tailored to these personal aspects.

Take aroma candles, for example. While a rose scent is undeniably pleasant, and most people would agree, there are also those who say, "I prefer blackberry." Recently, products that cater to such specific needs are increasingly available.

Scent is Essential for Your Skincare Routine

Skincare is a ritual to beautify oneself. It's like lifting yourself up like a princess, casting a spell, saying "You're so cute, so beautiful, become even more so." But what if your room is filled with the odors of daily life? If it smells of snack foods or cat food, your motivation will drop. You won't become beautiful that way.

Conversely, what if your room were filled with your favorite scent? Comfort enhances everything. In other words, by lighting an aroma candle and elevating your mood while you care for your skin, its effects can be doubled or even tripled.

This is something young women are beginning to realize. Aroma candles can be a bit pricey, but they burn for a long time, and they're certainly different from the ¥250 candles we used to buy at drugstores. Made with natural ingredients, they don't have that cloying, perfume-like quality. Most importantly, they offer 'healing.'



For me, aroma candles are a travel essential. In overseas hotels, I always light a candle in my room. Even after returning to Japan, whenever I light that candle, memories of my travels come flooding back. Scent stimulates the cerebrum, so it becomes linked with memories. We remember the scent of a lover we adored for ten or twenty years, and encountering that scent in a crowd can trigger a flashback to that time. Emotions and scents are that closely connected, which is why journalists and those with a keen aesthetic sense have long realized the necessity of scent as a foundation for skincare.

Find Your Favorite Scent to Beautify Both Mind and Body

Nowadays, there are so many different aroma candle scents available. Just the ones I brought today, I'd say there are about five or six types. This candle from 'Aromatherapy Associates' has a geranium and jasmine scent. It's a favorite of mine, a blend of floral and calming notes, with a slightly androgynous impression.

This is a 100% soy aroma candle from a London brand called 'Timothy Han.' When you burn a candle, it usually produces soot, but this one doesn't. It's a very eco-friendly product. The scent essences are mainly citrus notes like orange and grapefruit, but it also contains cloves, giving it a warm aroma. It feels very personal.

An even more personal scent is 'Moscow Mule' from 'MEMO.' It contains blackberry and vodka shot. The subtle hint of alcohol in the sweet and sour notes is something I really love. It's my absolute favorite right now.

Discovering scents like these makes me incredibly happy. I'm sure you feel the same way. Find your own favorite aroma candle and enrich your skincare time.



Lately, more people are visiting aroma clinics. I receive prescriptions myself, and they offer a variety of options. Scents are prescribed to address various concerns such as menopause, depression, or oily skin. If I'm feeling a bit unwell today, I'll add one or two drops to a mug and inhale the rising steam. This helps to alleviate the discomfort. The power of scent is truly remarkable.