Frequently Asked Questions
Why can't I smell my wax melts after a couple of hours?
Smell plays an important role in how we experience an environment. Who doesn’t want their kitchen to smell like fresh baked apple pie or their bedroom to smell like a tranquil spa? A home filled with our favorite scents makes it feel more like home.
So why does that delicious candle smell amazing when you first start burning it but, after a couple of hours, it no longer smells? It doesn’t mean it is a bad candle or the maker skimped and only put fragrance in the top layer of wax. It means you have gone nose blind.
What Is Nose Blindness?
Nose blindness (also referred to as sensory adaptation) is when the olfactory system becomes immune to a smell that’s stimulated the brain for an extended period. We spend plenty of time in our home and we quickly become used to the smells within—both good and bad.
Our sense of smell is achieved with a combination of odor receptors in our noses and the olfactory section of our brain’s limbic system. Odor particles hit the receptors, which send a signal to our brains. This is then interpreted by the brain as the sensation of smell.
When a new odor is introduced in our environment, our noses and brains work hard to identify the odor and respond to it. After all, our senses exist to keep us alive and healthy. However, very quickly after noticing a new smell, our receptors dull themselves to that scent. We can still detect it, but it is much more muted. If we experience a smell for a long time, it becomes increasingly muted. Eventually, it reaches a point that we do not notice it anymore. This is nose blindness.
How can we reset our nose?
Despite the name, nose blindness is not typically permanent and is not a medical issue. It is a separate phenomenon than entirely losing your sense of smell. Most people experience at least some amount of nose blindness. Although it can be problematic, this condition is a natural part of how our brains operate. Our senses of smell have adapted this way for a reason;
it would be overwhelming. Nose blindness is rooted in our need to ignore some information so our brains can concentrate on the important stuff.
But when we want to continue smelling those luscious fragrances in our home, there are some things we can do to reset our nose.
- Get out for a while. Leave the house for a bit. Go outside to get some fresh air, go to a friend’s house to experience new smells, go do some shopping, or even just going to work. While out, your nose is focusing on different smells so when you return home, your favorite scents are ‘new’ again. (Or, you will know it is time to change the kitty litter.)
- Get some exercise. One way to try to get your nose working again is to get more blood flowing. Perfumers, for example, sometimes run up and down the stairs to wake up their noses to scents they’ve gotten used to.
- Coffee beans. You might already know this tip from seeing jars of coffee beans sitting out at perfume counters—the coffee is there to smell between each scent to reset your olfactory senses and experience each one afresh. Don’t always have a bag of fresh roasted coffee beans available? No problem, there is another solution: smelling your own elbow. It’s so smart because not only do you always have one handy if you have elbows, you are always performing olfactory habituation to your own smell, so your elbow creates a perfect baseline.
- Mix it up. Since the basis of nose blindness is becoming accustomed to scents after extended exposure, it follows that we can help avoid nose blindness by rotating our favorite scents frequently. For example, I have multiple wax warmers throughout my house. I have different scents in each area so I am resetting my smell in each room. Similarly, I alternate between my wax melts and candles. I run the warmers for 4-5 hours per day. I then light one of my candles. I mix up my scents often enough that I don’t have a lot of opportunity to become nose blind. That is the beauty of wax melts; they are more affordable than candles when you want to change scents regularly.
A final comment is that quality counts. Products made from low quality ingredients really do lose their fragrance quickly; it isn’t your nose, it is the product. There is a lot of chemistry in making wax products that involves temperatures, molecules, loads, binding, etc. You get what you pay for and you simply aren’t going to get the same ‘scent throw’ from a $2 big box store off the shelf wax melt as you will from a product made from professional high grade ingredients, crafted in small batches to ensure quality.
What is the difference between Fragrance Oils and Essential Oils?
When it comes to creating fragrance, the possibilities are endless. Below is some information about Essential Oils (EO) and Fragrance Oils (FO) and the differences between them.
Essential Oils are natural and derived from herbs, flowers, and plants. However, not all EO's are created equal. Don't be fooled by the words 'organic' or natural. What matters is the grade of the EO.
Pros
- Natural
- Often tolerated by individuals with fragrance sensitivity
- Can create blends for more complexity
Cons
- Fewer fragrance options
- Expensive
- Breaks down in heat and therefore, not good for use in wax products
- Some can’t be used with certain health conditions and can be dangerous to pets
Fragrance oils are synthetic. They’re created with a mix of aroma chemicals, natural ingredients, and extracts. Just one fragrance oil can be made up of 40-80 materials – luxury perfumes are often made with 5 times that number. Like EO's, not all FO's are created equal. We only use FO's that meet the standards developed by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) and the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM). None of the FO's used in our products contain phthalates or known carcinogens and have been identified as safe to use in both wax and body products.
Pros
- Fragrance possibilities are endless
- Stable in wax products and can provide both cold throw and hot throw
- Skin safe and can be used in soap, lotion, bath bombs, and more
Cons
- Synthetic
- More likely to irritate individuals with fragrance allergies
Do you have a storefront where I can pick up my order instead of paying shipping?
No, we do not have a storefront. However, we will arrange free delivery within Charlotte, Collier, and Lee Counties (Florida). In checkout, use discount code LOCAL to ensure shipping fees are not charged. We will reach out to you to arrange delivery.
Don't wax melts melt during shipping?
Yes, they certainly do. That is why we only send shipments Monday - Wednesday during the summer months. We apologize for any additional delay but this policy is to prevent our products from sitting in a warm facility or truck over the weekend. We also pack shipments to maintain temperature control as much as possible.