Sixteen Candles was one of the coming-of-age comedy genre movies that existed during the Brat Pack Days. If you don’t know what that is or means, don’t worry ‘bout it… if you’re interested in candles and aromatherapy healing, you’re in the right place.
And if you haven’t seen the 80’s classic movie, the Actress Molly Ringwald played the slightly quirky and embarrassed teenager who had a crush on the most popular boy in the school.
Her family forgets her 16th birthday around the planning of her sister’s wedding and all kinds of family chaos. With her signature pouty mouth and rolled eyes typical of teenagers (…remember those rebellious years?), her character, Samantha, says it all in this one line… “this is the single worst day of my entire life.”
Because when you’re a teenager everything is so magnified and important.
…Long story short, the movie has a sweet ending that includes birthday candles.
You and I have long passed our sweet 16th birthdays, and have created so many memories since. Whether yours was uneventful or memorable, you’ve survived.
And you can choose to live each day like a happy birthday if you’re doing and being well.
I was able to relive my fond memories by bringing out these bright cotton candy pink, white, sunny yellow, and navy blue candles, that have special meaning to me. They’re the ones you can find at the dollar stores. They were also the ones I saw on many kids’ birthday cakes.
…maybe you have a similar or favorite birthday memory that brings happy nostalgia feelings?
As an adult, you can make your own great memories, and that’s something to celebrate. One way I do regularly in joy and celebration is with scented candles that create a happier mood.
Scented candles can be healing for your soul. The light’s warmth and the aromatherapy effects, positively affect your mind and moods. Candles are powerful and healing. They can define a practice in a special way. You could be meditating, journaling, or just creating a new room atmosphere.
Sixteen Candles
These are my favorite balancing sixteen candles, that are easy to find online or at stores, and come in all shapes and sizes. There’s also one called “Birthday Cake” that smells like yellow or vanilla cake batter (similar to Christmas Cookie), but I think that candle is retired.
- Sand + Fog candles Limoncello
- Sand + Fog Mango Tangerine
- Yankee Candle Christmas Cookie
- Yankee Candle Vanilla Cupcake
- Yankee Candle Juicy Citrus and Sea Salt
- Yankee Candle Belgian Waffles
- Yankee Candle Sugar & Spice
- Yankee Candle Tangerine
- Yankee Candle French Vanilla
- Yankee Candle Pumpkin Pie
- Village Candle Orange Dreamsicle – orange and vanilla candles have special powers over anxiety. If you don’t smell them or they’re sickenly sweet then it’s a good indicator that you’re Vata balanced overall at the moment… or if you never liked those scents, that’s not your natural dosha.
- Yankee Candle Fresh Cut Roses
- Yankee Candle Lemon Lavender
- Yankee Candle Mistletoe
- Yankee Candle Balsam and Cedar
- Yankee Candle Sparkling Cinnamon
“Continue reading” for more aromatherapy option ideas and some photos of my personal, fun favorites 🙂
Other Aromatherapy Options
If you’re sensitive, candles can bother you. You could opt for soy candles. They can be more limited in scent selection, and slightly more expensive. I’m sensitive to air scents, and neither kinds bother me so maybe it’s a minor concern for you also.
You could find other aromatherapy options, such as infusers or safe mist sprays that create light scents.
Infusers can be modern looking decorations for a room. You usually see them with twigs that sit in a pretty glass jar or ceramic container, as decoration in the bathroom. With infusers, you can get delicate light, layered scents over pungent ones compared to say, potpourri (what they had back in the Sixteen Candles/80’s days).
Infusers don’t pose harm to allergies like strong sprays, and incense (that can be compared to smoking inhalation). Some people grew up with incense and the church papers incense that they use in formal churches. They’re okay in large, open spaces, but I wouldn’t recommend for a home.
What you could do instead as another option, is add a few drops of aromatherapy oil to your humidifier.
Personally, I prefer pure scents so I keep jars and bottles close to me. These are the fun things I have on my desk now.
Peppermint oil – for headaches and nasal congestion
Vaseline rosy lips
Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange perfume roller ball
Sand + Fog Limoncello candle
J.R. Watkins lemon cream shea butter
These items change for me, but they are nice ‘lil mood lifters.
I also like to keep a navel orange by my desk. I like how they are almost perfectly round and they have the truest orange color. They also are sweetly fragrant, but never cloying like some artificial perfume scents.
As they ripen, they deepen in color and sweet fragrant scent. When you’re ready to eat the orange, they’re juicy and full of Vitamin C (on the mission of good health).
Besides natural foods and desk items…
Cleaning supplies are scents you can also consider. They can stir up a healthy mind-body. Even your laundry detergent scents play a role. You may like or not like traditional cotton linen scents… I’ve heard some people like to use the brands and scents they grew up with.
I opt for newer products where they have limited editions and citrus-y or white tea blend scents. They didn’t have those when I was growing up, and now we have many green product options.
Plant-based non-toxic cleaners are essential for your long-term health and are better for the environment. I like the Method brand (lime and sea salt). There are many options (another simple reason to be celebrating!).
And keeping with today, one scent that you may be familiar with if you’ve been practicing yoga for years, is the scent that you may have experienced when you went to a yoga class. When you walked in the door, you may have subtly smelled the calming scent.
But you definitely would remember if towards the last bit of class, when your instructor may have come around to your mat and sprayed over you a lavender scent in your final resting pose for the class. They may have used a lavender spray you can spray on your pillows, mat, wrist, etc. (like the one in the photo just below).
Lavender spray is calming and stress-reducing. It’s one of the best-bathing salt and bubble baths you can have to relax. Just something to keep in mind next time you’re out shopping for pampering and self-care products.
Also in the photo, are a few of my other favorites (pleasant-scented of course) that I like to have with me. As Vatas, we love having options.
I use one Rosebud salve tin for my dry cuticles especially in the winter, and another tin for my lips because I love it so much. Similar to Vaseline, you want to be careful not to go beyond the borders of your lips (nice note to self), because these products can clog your skin pores. But they do the trick for moisture.
If you have ever been to a European facial, your facial person (or esthetician) can see the effects under the magnifying glass when they’re cleaning out your pores.
So I’ve learned not to skimp on face products. My routine includes using a Fresh brand lip balm to drench my lips once a day if I’m heading out.
If you get dry lips often as I do, I’ve found this balm the better choice and the original balm has SPF (you absolutely need to put on an SPF 15 or higher on your lips and face before you leave the house). The lip balm has a subtle caramel light brown sugar scent that’s similar to the lip scrub that they started their brand with.
If it’s hot outside, the aluminum tin that the balm is embalmed in keeps from melting fast. That’s important and if you’ve ever left your lip balm in your car parked outside on a hot day facing the sun, you know what I’m talking about! My sister isn’t reading this, but she knows all too well my love for this brand (I should be a brand ambassador 😊). Anyway…
…Then at night, I like Burt’s Bees Pomegranate that sits on my nightstand. You can buy it anywhere like CVS or grocery stores, and it’s far less expensive for regular use. Plus you don’t need the SPF at night.
So there you have it, my aromatherapy and scent faves (all inspired by Sixteen Candles)! ♥ ♥ ♥