Eucalyptus is a well-loved scent for creating a relaxing mood, opening up your sinuses and offering antibacterial properties. To fully understand what eucalyptus smells like, you need to know where it comes from, what medicinal benefits it has and what other scents it pairs well with.
At Homesick, we have several candles and reed diffusers featuring the scent of eucalyptus. Whether you want candles to set the mood for a dinner date or improve the air quality of your home, Homesick has the candle for you.
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Eucalyptus: A Scent Guide
The primary constituents of eucalyptus oil include terpenes, such as cineol, pinene and limonene. But it also contains up to 250 other phytochemical compounds in varying concentrations, depending on the breed of eucalyptus tree.
These aromatic compounds give eucalyptus a minty, camphorous scent that is sharp and highly pungent. Like mint, inhaling eucalyptus opens your sinuses and clears your head. However, the aroma also contains some hints of the forest, which some people describe as sweet and similar to honey.
Hook, a unique variety of eucalyptus, has a citrus scent similar to lemons, as it contains a higher concentration of limonene. This variety, which is a crossbreed of a eucalyptus and citrus tree, is much shorter than other eucalyptus trees. Its leaves have antiseptic properties, which many indigenous people used for medicinal purposes.
Where Does Eucalyptus Come From?
Although many people only know eucalyptus from their essential oil bottles or our Vermont candle, the oil originates from a tree species native to Australia and other southern islands. There are over 660 varieties of eucalyptus, and most grow to a height of about 300 feet. While these trees are native to Australia, they can grow in most temperate climates, and many people around the world grow them for harvest.
The telltale scent comes from the oil in the leaves of most varieties, particularly the Tasmanian blue gumand black peppermint tree. This oil smells not only wonderful, but also has several health benefits. To create the oil, workers dry, crush and distill the leaves.
Australians also use the wood for heating their homes and the bark for paper and in the tanning process.
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Medicinal Properties of Eucalyptus
You can use eucalyptus oil for various medicinal purposes, from wound dressings to soothing a sore throat. Because of this, you can find many products with a eucalyptus oil base, including creams, steaming oils, soaps, candles and throat lozenges.
- Antiseptic
Use creams infused with eucalyptus oils to reduce inflammation, clean wounds and help your body heal. You can also steam with several drops of eucalyptus oil to help your body recover from a throat or chest infection.
- Cough Suppressant
Having a cough isn’t only irritating, but it can also give you a sore throat and make it difficult to sleep. Many cough syrups and chest rubs have eucalyptus to help reduce your cough. Using eucalyptus essential oil in a vaporizer or humidifier or sucking on a eucalyptus candy can also help soothe your cough and clear your sinuses in the process.
- Loosen Mucus
Mucus is a slimy substance that protects against pathogens trying to enter your body. When you get a cold, the mucus thickens which can block the sinuses and lung tissue, giving you a stuffy nose and chesty cough. To help relieve your cold symptoms, inhale steam scented with eucalyptus oil or rub a eucalyptus-based balm on your chest. The oil can help to loosen the mucus, making it easier to breathe and reducing your coughing.
- Reduce Inflammation
Eucalyptus oil also has anti-inflammatory properties. If you have a sore shoulder, rub cream or lotion infused with the oil to reduce inflammation. For those who suffer from cold sores, you can also use some cream to reduce the soreness and help end an outbreak.
Because it helps with inflammation, eucalyptus oil can also help soothe symptoms of arthritis.
- Help with Relaxation
In today’s busy world, many people struggle to relax. Approximately 18 percent of Americans over the age of 18 suffer from anxiety. Besides seeking treatment from a doctor, you can use the scent of eucalyptus to help you relax, and take a few minutes every day for mindfulness or meditation.
Using our Winter Mantel Reed Diffuser, take several deep breaths and allow the eucalyptus scent to permeate your senses. The scent can help you connect with your breath, which can ground you and give you a sense of peace.
- Remove Lice
Lice are parents’ worst nightmare. Traditionally, lice removal methods include combing thoroughly to remove nits, the lice eggs, and over-the-counter and prescription shampoos to kill the lice and stop itching.
However, if you prefer to avoid chemicals, you can treat your child’s hair with a combination of eucalyptus and tea tree oil. Mix 10 drops of each oil with two ounces of olive oil and apply it to the scalp and hair. Let it sit for at least 12 hours before rinsing out.
- Deter Bugs
Mosquitoes are not only irritating, but they can also be dangerous. Mosquitoes carry diseases like the West Nile Virus and Zika Virus, which can cause serious health problems. Even a regular mosquito bite is uncomfortable and unsightly.
However, many of the bug sprays available use DEET or other chemicals that can harm the environment and irritate your skin. If you’re hanging out by the pool and want protection from the bugs without the chemicals, use a spray with lemon eucalyptus oil as a base. At night, light some eucalyptus-scented candles to keep the bugs away and set the mood.
When to Light Eucalyptus Candles
Candle lovers know there’s a time and place for each scent. Like in our Love Letters Candle, rose petals and jasmine are fantastic for creating a romantic mood before a candlelit dinner date, while the warm embrace of apple pie scent in our Grandma Candle brings comfort to people far from home.
Because eucalyptus is such a calming, relaxing scent, the best time to light your eucalyptus candles is when you want to unwind. Our eucalyptus candles are ideal for a long meditation session, during mindfulness exercises and while enjoying a bath.
If you have one of our diffusers, you could also use your eucalyptus oil to help you fall asleep if your anxiety makes that difficult. The relaxation properties of the oil can help to slow your breathing and allow you to drift off. Try combining it with a white noise machine to create an ideal environment for peaceful sleep.
Using Eucalyptus in Your Essential Oils Routine
Researchers have created essential oils through the study of aromatherapy and aromachology, which use scents to trigger emotions. While aromatherapy has existed for centuries, originating in ancient Egypt, aromachology began in 1989 at the Sense of Smell Institute. Aromachologists study how smells affect people’s emotions and feelings.
Because aromachology is relatively new, researchers are still learning about the relationships between scents and emotions, but many believe certain scents can trigger specific emotions, like happiness, relaxation, sensuality or exhilaration.
In some ways, this research has led to the essential oils industry, which uses distilled oils from plants and flowers, including eucalyptus, to help reduce stress, increase joy or improve focus.
Besides eucalyptus oil, some of the most common essential oils include rosemary, lavender, lemon, tea tree, lemongrass and clary sage. If you need a pick-me-up, use a few drops of rosemary oil near your temples. It will help wake up your brain, giving you the energy to tackle your work.
If you’re feeling down, whether from personal circ*mstances, PMS or depression, inhaling some steam infused with clary sage oil can lower cortisol levels, improving your mood.
Lavender oil has many healing properties, including antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory and immune-boosting.
Like lavender oil, lemon oil is also antibacterial. Use it to clean your counters or to refresh your skin.
You can use your eucalyptus essential oil for steaming if you have congested airways or as an air disinfectant. For people who suffer from bad breath, swish a few drops of oil mixed with water in your mouth and spit.
Scents to Pair with Eucalyptus
Many candle enthusiasts like pairing multiple candle scents to create a unique smell. Whether you want to have a relaxing, candlelit bath or just want the room to smell nice while you work from home, choosing the right scents is essential.
Eucalyptus is a strong smell, making it hard to match. You can either pair it with another strong smell that offers similar olfactory properties, like peppermint or spruce. Or choose a lighter, calmer smell that will complement it, like lavender, rosemary or sweet orange.
Gifting a Candle
Candles are a fantastic gift for the holidays, birthdays or as a simple, thoughtful gesture. However, choosing the perfect scent for your friend or loved one is sometimes hard since scents are a personal experience.
At Homesick, we have candles that represent all the states, some cities and several countries. If your friend is homesick for their hometown, consider giving them one of our state candles. For friends who dream of traveling the world, choose a candle from their dream destination.
During the holidays, everyone loves scents of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. One of our candles from our holiday selection is sure to get your friends in the mood for winter, hot chocolate and Christmas cookies.
If you’re giving someone a gift just because, or because they’ve recently had a hard time, choosing a candle with eucalyptus in the base can help them relax.
Some people steer away from candles as presents because they don’t know how to wrap a candle. The round shape makes them tricky to wrap traditionally, and using a gift box creates additional waste. You can use the fan method, which involves measuring the exact amount of wrapping paper and pleating the flat top and bottom. Or, if you prefer more extravagant gift presentations, choose the candy wrapper method which has the top twisted around like a candy wrapper.
Candle Safety and Care
Candles can add a wonderful feeling to your home, but it’s important to be aware of their danger. Unfortunately, eucalyptus oil is toxic for pets–and dogs, with their incredible sense of smell, may mistake a eucalyptus-scented candle for a snack. Always keep your eucalyptus candle out of the reach of small children and pets and never leave them unattended.
Many people find themselves disappointed at how quickly their candles burn out. To improve their longevity, there are a few steps you can take. First, trim the wick ¼ inch before lighting for the first time. Keep the pool of wax clear, removing wick trimmings immediately.
Before lighting, check that your candle is not below a vent or near a strong air current which could cause it to burn unevenly. You should also only burn your candle for a maximum of three hours at a time to avoid tunneling. Trimming the wick before each lighting can help your candle burn more evenly.
When you’re ready to blow out your candle, use a candle snuffer if possible. This prevents hot wax from splattering, which could injure you or damage your furniture. Wait until the candle jar has completely cooled before touching it. If you need to move it quickly, wear oven gloves to protect your hands.
Following these tips can help improve your candle experience and lengthen the lifespan of your favorite candles.
Stock Up at Homesick
Founded in 2016, Homesick’s goal is to bring you closer to the places, memories and people that matter most to you through the power of scent. Every candle we create has meaning, and we work with many people to ensure the scent delivers the feelings we want. At every step in the manufacturing process, we check with the experts to ensure our scent combinations are working.
We always hand pour all our candles in the USA, and every candle has 100 percent cotton wicks embedded in a natural soy wax blend. We don’t use any toxic chemicals and guarantee our candles are free from plastics, parabens, lead, synthetic dyes and phthalates.
At Homesick, we are passionate about preserving our environment and don’t allow animal testing for any of our products. We also encourage our customers to recycle and reuse our glass jars, whether for storage, crafts projects or drinking glasses.
Whether you’re looking for a candle or a diffuser to remind you of your childhood, celebrate the holidays or take you back to the scents of your home state, you can find the perfect scent for you in one of our 200 products.
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