Supportive lavender-scented bubbles
Sharing some tips about essential oils whilst trying to relax.
Disclaimer: I wrote this newsletter about three weeks ago, but didn’t feel like publishing it at the time. Now, reading through it again, it felt sweet, so I decided to share it with you after all. Sending love from Copenhagen airport, as I’m on my way back to Belgium. - M
This newsletter was not planned. The inspiration to write came to me whilst taking a hot, steamy shower. I was zoning out under the water and reading the details of my new lavender-scented shower gel. This gave me the idea to write about how olfactory experiences can help you relax, which I guess I was desperately trying to do at the moment.
As this platform also serves as some kind of a diary-like outlet, I figured I would write something without thinking about it too deeply. There are two interesting newsletters in the works and coming up soon, so maybe it’s nice to balance them out with a “relaxed” little Antwerp life update and hopefully some useful tips on how to help calm a mind on overdrive.
Olfactory art and synesthesia
Wondering about the effects scent has on the brain has been a theme lately, as I have been doing research regarding olfactory art and synesthesia as well as reading about some known artists who have worked with perfume.
Drawing major inspiration from luxury glass artist René Lalique as well as Antwerp-based olfactory artist Peter De Cupere for my autonomous work, I dragged home a huge pile of books from the school library and have been like an excited puppy while diving down this rabbit hole of glass and scents. What interests me most is how scent could affect a piece of art you witness, as olfactory elements are often used to somehow manipulate or enhance an experience. I’m still figuring out the theme for my work, but at the moment I’m simply glad to be doing research and writing some random thoughts down. However, the clock is ticking, time is running and I have been stressing out about everything.
Ideas for my project have been changing from making a label for a bottle to printing images onto glass. Then, there’s this idea of re-creating images a friend of mine imagined while smelling a certain perfume. This is when I started to research synesthesia, as she is lucky to be a part of the 4% of people in the world who experience it. Synesthesia is a phenomenon that causes sensory crossovers, such as tasting colors or feeling sounds. It’s super interesting. She smelled a perfume I gave her and was able to see colors and images which I will try and recreate soon. Thank you, Esther, as you are now possibly my muse for my upcoming work.
Stressed out regards
Life in Antwerp lately could be described as exciting and dreamy but pretty tiring, stressful, and fast-paced at the same time, to say the least. I’ve fully booked my weeks to the brim, as I’ve been traveling this month multiple times to The Netherlands, mainly to enjoy good company and also to get to know my new colleagues and workplace. I’ve hopped for a week to Spain with the whole photography department, worked on an assignment over there, as well as consumed way too much tapas.
Exciting and motivating travels for the upcoming summer and autumn regarding my photography are in the process of planning which are not letting me settle down, but now, finally, I'm pausing everything to go for a longish trip to Finland for Easter, which includes a little twirl in Lapland.
Sounds like a true girl on the go, jet-setter life which I am grateful for, but I have to admit that I would like to find some time to relax, unwind, and breathe rather sooner than later. Traveling and keeping myself busy has been a distraction for me and my stressed-out, worried mind, which, I think, is slowly catching up to me.
The stress of running all over the place and being pretty stressed shows with me not being able to sleep properly or calm my mind, and feeling overwhelmed very easily. Emotional ups and downs have also colored my days, making life interesting, not only for me but for everyone who is within a 10-meter radius of my presence. For example, there were happy tears on a Sunday while laughing, soaked in the rain, then sad tears the following Monday while eating soggy fries at a frituur after a failed drawing class and some miscommunication.
Surprisingly, some scented experiences have helped me calm down. Dear Eric’s long hugs which smelled of Dirty Heaven by Borntostandout. Burning incense while at home, as I’m in love with this new combination of musk, cloves, and bergamot. Candle-lit showers (a concept I have adapted from my friend Karla) then lathering myself in this new lavender shower gel and finally moisturizing every bit of skin in lavender body oil. Aromatherapy at its best, don’t you think?
Essential oils and aromatic tips
Aromatherapy, essential oils, and calming scents were introduced into my life on one of my trips to Sri Lanka with my family ages ago. In Galle, a city in the southern part of the island, you can find one of my favorite places on the planet, the Japanese Peace Pagoda. U-huh, you should Google it. This is where I first enjoyed the smell of incense, which was burning very strongly, mixed with the sweet scent of fresh Jasmine flowers which were brought to different altars at the temple. I have never sensed calmness like that in any other place I’ve been to. At the temple, you overlook the sea from this huge and sparkly clean marble terrace. It is tranquil and dream-like and hard to explain how beautiful it is. Mind you, I was a bored teenager the first time I went there and felt these feelings nevertheless, so the beauty and relaxation hit deep.
Then, years later, diffused essential oils became a thing (for me) when I was working as a showroom assistant at a PR company, Sugar Helsinki. I loved mixing different drops of oils and making new scent cocktails in the mornings for the showroom. Ultimately this led to me getting a diffuser for my tiny home in Punavuori at the time. I have the same little diffuser here in Antwerp and I’m using up my cinnamon essential oil now, wishing I had some calming ones I could mix up for the evenings.
Smelling relaxing incense, or essential oils has a true, calming effect on us, as smell is the only sense connected directly to the emotional part of our brains. Our sense of smell is pretty powerful, as it can help us condition our minds to reduce stress. My nose and brain seem to be out of order for now. Relaxing scented oils are often used in baths or showers, or mixed into scrubs and massage oils, which I will be doing every day as I get back to my sauna-spa routine in Finland.
When mixing and matching different oils for the diffuser at work those days, I read about the effects some oils are supposed to have and figured I would share some of the “recipes” with you.
The essential oil shopping list
For relief from anxiety and to calm the nerves, the best essential oils to use are lavender, rosemary, jasmine, basil, chamomile, vetiver, and clary sage. (Not necessarily all together, but some blended such as lavender + a bit of vetiver could work well.) To add something more uplifting to the calming oils you could add citrus notes such as bergamot or lemon or grapefruit.
Peppermint, lemongrass, and eucalyptus add some energy to any scent cocktail as well. All these help with headaches and should help you calm down a bit (especially rosemary).
Lavender is said to be used in the treatment of insomnia, depressive feelings, menstrual cramps, anxiety, and anti-fatigue. The scent feels like home, as Mum has had lavender-scented sachets in our closets forever. I also enjoy lavender milk tea, which I will be bringing back with me to Antwerp. Feeling cheeky, I will also admit I’ve once tried smoking a spliff that had dried lavender in it amongst other odd (and legal) things. It was pretty calming. However, I’m not recommending it here. Don’t smoke, kids.
While doing research for these essential oil tips I loved reading how basic herbs have known abilities to heal our bodies and mind. You can get these scents as essential oils, too. Parsley helps with digestion, chives are antibacterial, and mint heals headaches, and relieves nausea. Fennel helps reduce bloating, thyme boosts the mood and I didn’t know basil helps with pain. I will think of all of these traits when I smell all of the herbs at my grocery store next time while shopping.
In need of a holiday…
However, I don’t want to travel for it. I am dreaming of an Antwerp staycation, or making my apartment more hotel-like by buying new linen and big pillows plus making everything smell of lavender. Staying in bed all day is something I hope to do once I’m back from my Easter break.
I am ending this random newsletter with a memory from Sicily where our Airbnb had fresh lavender growing outside and it smelt amazing and calming in the mornings and evenings. My cheap shower gel doesn’t have the same effect but I’ll try and pretend.
Love,
M