Our sense of smell can completely shift the way we feel, so this is a fun aspect you can play with in your home environment to create a sanctuary that nurtures and inspires you!

I love the simple ritual of lighting candles when I come home at night.

It helps shift my mindset away from any stress in the day and into a space of winding down and relaxing for “me time”.

I love having my candles ready in my chosen spaces, with the scent that matches the season, or my current life needs. All I have to do when I come home is use the lighter to release the beautiful aroma!

On my desk and next to my bed, I love a diffuser that I use essential oils in. There is something about the steam I find so relaxing and it’s so easy to change the oils to suit my mood on the day.

One of the big differences with iKOU, is we don’t just create scent to change the way the room smells, we blend to CHANGE THE WAY YOU FEEL.

We do this through incorporating essential oil benefits and the principles of Aromacology (the study of scent and the way it makes you feel) into all our blends.

The blends we create are for all the most common needs.. De-Stress, Rest, Inspiration, Heart Healing, Happiness and more.

Each one uses carefully selected oils researched to shift the way you feel and transform your mood.

Have your candles placed where you know you can enjoy them most

Create a ritual

Choose your mood to match the season or your lifestyle

NEW! "Breathe Wellness" 

Essential Oil

A diffuser emits the essential oils into the room using cold steam, making them a safe option next to the bed or in an office. 

Easy to change your choice of oil every day!

NEW! "Ground & Balance" 

Essential Oil

We are often creatures of habit when it comes to scent.

I highly recommend (even though you have your favourites), before choosing your scent for the day, ask yourself how you are feeling.

Then ask yourself how you would LIKE to feel.

Choose your scent according to what bridges that gap.

To choose by mood on the day means you need to have a variety of scents ready to choose from. It’s that same as dressing according to your mood and the weather.

One day you might feel like wearing comfy, worn jeans and a cosy jumper, the next a girly summery dress with heels!

YOU CAN ONLY MATCH YOUR MOOD WHEN HAVE THE COLLECTION TO SELECT FROM!

I highly recommend everyone have a little candle and essential oil cupboard or drawer, so you can choose what you need on the day.

There is no right or wrong choice when it comes to the medium we choose for distributing scent throughout the house.

Each brings a different feeling and functionality, so choose what works for you.

Here's the low down on the Pro’s & Con’s to help you choose what method works best for you:

Benefits- Beautiful ambience with the flame, creates a visual atmosphere along with the scent.

To consider: You do need to stay nearby for safety and keep out of reach of kiddies and pets.

They like to be burnt for minimum 3 hours for maximum burn time, so take a little more maintenance.

PROS: You cannot beat the ambience of a real candle! You can also save on electricity and de-stress at the same time! Best areas to use: Anywhere you want ambience. (Just be mindful of safety) Bedroom, lounge room, dining area, work desk.

Benefits - They effortlessly distribute a beautiful scent throughout the room without you doing anything.

To consider: On their own they are not as strong as a candle, as a candle releases scent when lit in a fresh burst. You also don’t get the sense of ritual you do when bringing a candle or diffuser to life by your action of lighting or adding the oils.

PROS: The space will always smell good! 

Best areas to use: Spaces you want a continual gentle aroma, your entry foyer, beside your bed, your work desk, spare room, living areas.

Benefits - You can diffuse the scent for as long or short a time as you want, safely and quickly. The diffuser also turns itself off when finished. And you receive negative ion and air purifying benefits!

To consider: You will need a power point where you are using this.

PROS: Wellness meets sensory mood benefits. 

Best areas to use: Work space, next to bed, living areas.

Benefits - Instant scent burst without any waiting time or preparation.

Can use to mist in the air or onto fabrics.

Best areas to use: Bedding, lounge and any areas you want to quickly refresh.

Have you ever thought about what you are inhaling when you have a candle lit in your room?

Did you know that the majority of candles on the market are made from "Paraffin Wax". Paraffin is a by-product of kerosene, a petrochemical.

The fumes from paraffin candles has been examined by the Australian Government’s National Occupational Health and Safety Commission (NOHSC) They recommend exposure limits of 2 milligrams of paraffin fume per cubic meter, over an eight-hour period for health safety.

An 8 hour paraffin tea light will hold up to 20,000 mg! This means to be safe, if you are in a 3x 4 metre square room, and you are burning 2 paraffin tealight candles, you will need to evacuate that room in under 3 minutes!

And just because you see candles described as "Soy Candles" doesn't mean they are "Paraffin-Free". There is no legality around using the term "Soy Candle", so you could still be burning a paraffin candle with a component of soy without even realising you are inhaling a petro-chemical.

iKOU labels proudly give you the assurance that we are "100% Natural Plant Wax", and "Paraffin-Free".

We pour our candles in the World Heritage Listed Blue Mountains, using sustainable natural waxes, pure cotton (metal-free) paper cored wicks, and offset our production with solar & wind power.

So now you can feel good, both about enjoying your favourite iKOU candle blend (and it's essential oil benefits), AND knowing you are giving a gift to your health as well!

We love creating our blends for you.. We hope this inspires you to make home fragrance a part of your daily routine!

x Naomi

WATCH OUR VIDEO FOR HOME FRAGRANCE & CANDLE BURNING TIPS:

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Naomi Whitfeld is the Founder & CEO of iKOU. 

Her passion for inspiring others to live a life of Wellness & Joy shines through in everything she does.

As an intuitive Aromatherapist, Naomi incorporates Mind & Body benefits into all she creates, believing we respond best when we treat as a 'whole".

Winner of the Telstra Business Womens Award for "Entrepreneur of the Year", Naomi has a particular interest in supporting busy women to enjoy rituals of self-care on a daily basis.