The Scent Guide: What Does Lavender Smell Like? (2024)

The Scent Guide: What Does Lavender Smell Like? (1)

Source: Grekov's/Shutterstock.com

Peer out on a field of lavender and you will see a serene landscape of purple waves. And the smell of lavender is quite similar. Restful, serene and floral, lavender is one of the most beloved scents we use today. Its soft purple buds clustered around a tall sprig symbolize grace, calmness and even luxury. Lavender is so synonymous with serenity that it is associated with the crown chakra, known for its spiritual connection.

But what does lavender smell like? In this scent guide, Homesick explores this elegant flower and offers lavender-scented candles that are sure to send you good, calming vibes.

The Many Benefits of Lavender

Due to its calming qualities, lavender essential oils and scents are used in all sorts of products, from beauty products and sleep aids to candles like ours. Furthermore, they are also frequently used in wellness-related spaces such as luxurious day spas and yoga studios. But what makes lavender create this calming effect on us?

The primary reason lavender works so well at reducing anxiety? In a word: linalool. Linalool is the alcohol component in lavender that puts out its unique odor. According to a study published in the Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience journal, smelling linalool produced a strong anxiety-reducing effect, similar to taking a Valium.

It’s not the first time lavender has been studied for its anxiety-reducing effects. Lavender oil, in particular, has always been known for its profound anxiety-reducing effects and the treatment of neurological disorders. However, this direct study of linalool proves how the lavender scent, alone, offers serenity.

So, What Does Lavender Smell Like?

Lavender has a very distinct smell. Once you’ve smelled lavender, you will recognize it instantly. Overall, it has a floral scent, but one that is light and fresh, without being too pungent or overwhelming. It can also have a sweetness to it with herbal, balsamic undertones and notes. Generally speaking, lavender is a milder scent that many find pleasant. However, it can also be camphorous or lend a subtle scent of pine.

Because lavender smells so lovely and offers a stress-reducing scent, it is used in all sorts of self-care products. From lavender-scented candles to lavender-infused Epsom salts you sprinkle in bathwater, lavender is one of the most common scents you will find. You can even find a sprig of fresh lavender on hotel pillows made to lull guests to sleep.

If you love the scent of lavender, candles can carry the scent quite nicely. That’s why Homesick uses lavender in a variety of our candles. Here is a list of our favorite natural soy-based candleswith notes of lavender.

Enjoy the Scent of Lavender in Our Wildflower Candle

Lavender-Scented Homesick Candles

Need to unwind after a long day of work? Or maybe just soothe the weary soul? Explore all our lavender-scented Homesick candles and ignite one whenever you want to relax.

The Wildflower Candle

The Wildflower candle is one of the Homesick candles that offers a sweet and subtle lavender scent. Top notes of lavender, along with jasmine and geranium, transport you to a field of wildflowers as far as the eye can see. Accompanied with grounding base notes of sandalwood and rose, as well as mid-notes of amber and vanilla flower, this candle will send good vibes and a restful aroma to your space. So what does jasmine smell like? Learn all about this scent, too, in our Jasmine Scent Guide.

The Mother’s Day Candle

Another incredible floral bomb is our Mother’s Day candle. With top notes of soothing lavender, bergamot and sage, this candle smells like a bouquet of fresh flowers on the kitchen table. Mid-notes of jasmine and ylang-ylang — two amazing complements to lavender — push the florals even further.

Are you giving the Thank You, Mom candle as a gift? Give your mum a handwritten note to tell her just how you feel. Homesick offers a personal message on the packaging.

What Does Jasmine Smell Like? Find Out in Our Guide!

The France Candle

Parisians are a romantic, relaxed bunch, and it’s easy to understand why. Ignite the Homesick’s France candle and be transported to the lavender fields in the Provence region of France, where violets and purples blanket the landscape. With top notes of vanilla, coffee and butter and base notes of tobacco and musk, it will feel like you’re on a relaxing picnic in the French countryside or sipping a cafe au lait from a bistro in the streets of Paris.

The Scent Guide: What Does Lavender Smell Like? (2024)

FAQs

The Scent Guide: What Does Lavender Smell Like? ›

Lavender has a very distinct smell. Once you've smelled lavender, you will recognize it instantly. Overall, it has a floral scent

floral scent
Floral scent, or flower scent, is composed of all the volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or aroma compounds, emitted by floral tissue (e.g. flower petals). Other names for floral scent include, aroma, fragrance, floral odour or perfume.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Floral_scent
, but one that is light and fresh, without being too pungent or overwhelming. It can also have a sweetness to it with herbal, balsamic undertones and notes.

What does lavender scent smell like? ›

Lavender has a delicate, sweet smell that is floral, herbal, and evergreen woodsy at the same time. It has soft, powdery, or smokey notes as well. Some lavenders have a more medicinal camphor smell that is closer to the balsamic resin scent of rosemary.

Does everyone like the smell of lavender? ›

So whether different reactions to smells is a result of nature, nurture, or a little of both, it does seem that some people love the smell of lavender whilst others absolutely hate it.

Why is lavender scent so popular? ›

Naturally Calming

Its soothing scent has been proven to promote relaxation and reduce stress levels. Many individuals turn to lavender essential oils, hydrosols or products distilled or infused with lavender to create a tranquil atmosphere in their homes or during self-care routines.

How does the smell of lavender make you feel? ›

Lavender has a long history of calming and soothing, relieving stress as well as promoting sleep. Research in recent years has found that it not only helps lower blood pressure and ease anxiety but also reduces mood swings and depression.

Is lavender an old lady scent? ›

Unfortunately, due to its gratuitous overuse as a perfume by specific female age groups, lavender lost most of its appeal and was widely considered an "old woman's smell".

Is lavender a masculine or feminine scent? ›

Historically, lavender has been grown commercially in Britain for its precious perfumed oil for centuries and is renowned for its quality. Today, lavender is fast becoming a true unisex ingredient in the world of perfumery.

What is the most loved smell in the world? ›

Vanilla may be the world's most popular scent, but you'll find these five scent categories anywhere you run off to.

What is the most attractive scent to humans? ›

Vanilla is a universally popular scent that both men and women wear. There is something seductive and playful about the sweet smell. The vanilla aroma is comforting and attractive at the same time. In one study in 2017, researchers presented almost 400 participants with 66 odors at two different concentrations.

Is lavender a seductive smell? ›

LAVENDER - Known for its relaxing and soothing qualities, this scent effortlessly creates an intimate ambiance while instilling a sense of nurture, and romantic readiness.

Which is the best smelling lavender? ›

The most fragrant Lavender plants are the Lavandin (Lavandula x intermedia). Several cultivars of English Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) are also prized for their delightful scent. Lavandula x intermedia, also called Lavandin, is a hybrid cross between Lavandula angustifolia and Lavandula latifolia.

What does lavender smell symbolize? ›

Lavender flowers represent purity, silence, devotion, serenity, grace, and calmness.

Is lavender scent good for you? ›

Reduces pain and inflammation: Research has shown that lavender essential oil can help reduce headache pain. Helps with mood, anxiety and depression: “Lavender is known for its ability to calm the nervous system, lift the mood and even lower blood pressure,” says Dr.

Why do some people hate the smell of lavender? ›

While, conversely, a negative association with an aroma can actually block your neuro-receptor response. Perhaps a caretaker in your early childhood wore the scent of lavender oil and was abusive in some way and you've developed a negative association with the scent of lavender.

How do you describe the scent of lavender? ›

Lavender has a very distinct smell. Once you've smelled lavender, you will recognize it instantly. Overall, it has a floral scent, but one that is light and fresh, without being too pungent or overwhelming. It can also have a sweetness to it with herbal, balsamic undertones and notes.

What does lavender scent do to the brain? ›

Lavender essential oils exert their calming effect through various proposed mechanisms, such as GABA receptor inhibition, the reaction of linalool with glutamatergic NMDA receptors, inhibition of serotonin transporter (SERT), antagonizing the NMDA receptor, inhibiting tension-dependent calcium channels, and affecting ...

How fragrant is lavender? ›

Not all Lavenders are highly scented. Some varieties are wonderful as accent plants but have little fragrance. Others might not look as spectacular but exude a rich perfume.

Is lavender scent good? ›

Lavender smells good due to its complex combination of aromatic compounds, which create its distinctive and soothing scent. These compounds include linalool, linalyl acetate, and camphor, among others, which contribute to lavender's floral, herbaceous, and slightly sweet aroma.

Is lavender a good body scent? ›

Its flower and oil have a popular scent and are also used as medicine. Lavender contains an oil that seems to have calming effects and might relax certain muscles. It also seems to have antibacterial and antifungal effects.

Does lavender make your room smell good? ›

Boil lavender on the stove to make room scents.

Lavender water room scents can make your house smell fresher and like lavender. You can use dried lavender or lavender essential oil. Place water and the dried lavender or lavender oil in a pot. Bring the pot to a boil on the stove.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

Last Updated:

Views: 5892

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Merrill Bechtelar CPA

Birthday: 1996-05-19

Address: Apt. 114 873 White Lodge, Libbyfurt, CA 93006

Phone: +5983010455207

Job: Legacy Representative

Hobby: Blacksmithing, Urban exploration, Sudoku, Slacklining, Creative writing, Community, Letterboxing

Introduction: My name is Merrill Bechtelar CPA, I am a clean, agreeable, glorious, magnificent, witty, enchanting, comfortable person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.