Mauie Flores

I believe that different scents can affect our moods. There are scents that are calming and there are those that wake all the other senses up. For me, there are certain scents that bring back memories. Like when I remember my grandmother when I smell even the faint scent of a roll of cigar. Or when I remember the place we lived in when I was little when I smell the scent of ylang-ylang flowers in the air. Scents are indeed powerful.

I am such a fan of aromatherapy. I have oil burners positioned in different parts of our home where I burn essential oils depending on the effect I want to have. I only mix two to three drops of essential oils with water and it's enough to last for two hours. You can do this at home, too.

Basically, I recommend that you have bottles of these:

• Lavender - Burn lavender oil before going to sleep to relax and calm the nerves. This is not recommended for pregnant women and people suffering from low blood pressure since the scent can induce blood flow.
• Citronella - Burn citronella oil from late afternoon until night time to ward off mosquitoes.
• Eucalyptus - I burn this oil when my nose is clogged. It's like inhaling Vicks.

You won't need to buy all essential oils at once. Start with two or three and build your collection as time goes by. You can also mix different essential oils. Don't be afraid to experiment. Lastly, just enjoy the experience!