Candles, Calm, and Menopause: How Scent and Light Can Ease the Transition
By Nicole Peters Devis, SaFiSpa Editorial Team
In the soft glow of a candlelit space, many women navigating menopause are discovering more than ambiance, they’re finding relief and ritual in one simple act: lighting a candle.
A Life Transition Reconsidered
Menopause—defined as 12 consecutive months without a menstrual period, typically occurring between ages 45 and 55, is a physiological transition that often arrives without ceremony but leaves a noticeable mark. For many women, it brings with it hot flashes, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, and a kind of mental fog that lingers at the edges of daily life. The symptoms, while common, can feel unrelenting and, at times, quietly destabilizing.
I speak not only as a writer but as someone who is living through this. The first signs crept in slowly, restless sleep, a shorter fuse, a mind that felt just a beat out of sync. By the time the night sweats arrived, I found myself awake at 3 a.m., staring at the ceiling and searching for something to hold onto. After consultations with my gynecologist and a women’s health specialist, I learned what I had suspected: this was menopause, and it was very real.
What helped, unexpectedly, was ritual. I began ending my evenings by lighting a soy candle infused with lavender and sage, small gestures that offered no cure but a momentary sense of control. In the soft flicker of candlelight, I found a quiet I hadn’t felt in months. It wasn’t just the scent or the glow. It was the pause, deliberate, calming, and, in its own way, restorative.
According to Mayo Clinic, systemic hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is the most effective treatment for severe symptoms, especially when started within the first years of menopause onset or before age 60. Benefits include relief from hot flashes, prevention of bone loss, and improvement in mood and sleep. However, HRT carries risks such as blood clots, stroke, and increased incidence of breast and endometrial cancer, especially for prolonged use or older women.
For women seeking alternatives or complements to HRT, non-hormonal medical treatments such as low-dose paroxetine (marketed as Brisdelle) and newer drugs like Veozah (fezolinetant) offer promise. A recent FDA approval of fezolinetant showed significant reductions in hot flash frequency, with careful monitoring of liver function advised.
The Science of Scents
Beyond pharmaceuticals, aromatherapy is being revisited by researchers as a supportive strategy.
A randomized controlled trial of 132 postmenopausal women found that inhaling a blend of lavender and bergamot essential oils twice daily for 12 weeks significantly reduced menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes and insomnia. In another clinical study, lavender inhalation alone yielded significant improvement across sleep, mood, and vasomotor symptoms.
A meta-analysis in Essential Oils for Clinical Aromatherapy concluded that lavender inhalation activates GABA pathways, reducing anxiety and improving sleep sciencedirect.com+1pure.qub.ac.uk+1. Clary sage, too, proved promising—reducing cortisol and boosting serotonin in one 2014 trial .
Candlelight and the Circadian Clock
Lighting plays a pivotal role in sleep hygiene. Researchers have found that blue light from screens suppresses melatonin, whereas the warm, yellow-red glow of candles has little impact. Universities such as Washington and Harvard emphasize that evening candlelight can help preserve natural melatonin rhythms, an advantage for women facing menopause-related insomnia.
🧪 Integrating Effective Treatments: From Hormones to Holistic
A well-rounded menopause support plan may include both conventional and complementary approaches:
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Hormone Therapy (when appropriate): Mayo Clinic reports that starting HRT before age 60 offers symptom relief and bone health benefits, with reduced serious risk when closely monitored (1)
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Non-Hormonal Rx:
FDA-approved medications like low-dose paroxetine (Brisdelle) and fezolinetant (Veozah) have shown measurable relief from vasomotor symptoms like hot flashes, particularly for women who can’t or don’t wish to use hormones.
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Soy Candle Rituals: Natural soy-based candles infused with essential oils release aromatic compounds cleanly, preserving fragrance integrity. When paired with candlelight, women benefit from both olfactory and circadian support without synthetic fuel by-products.
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Aromatherapy & Rituals:
Essential oils like lavender, bergamot, clary sage, and peppermint—when inhaled or diffused through soy candles—can help reduce anxiety, improve sleep, and ease mood disturbances. These are supported by randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses.
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Lifestyle & Nutrition:
Bone-strengthening exercise, calcium and vitamin D, mindfulness, and CBT are all evidence-based strategies to reduce anxiety, enhance sleep, and support long-term wellness.
Personally, I began receiving monthly vitamin D injections from Nurse Jacqueline at Hunter Wellness Spa in Franklin Square, NY, after my doctor identified a deficiency. While they weren’t a cure, I noticed a clear boost in my energy levels and mental clarity—especially during the winter months when fatigue and low mood were most intense. It became another piece of the puzzle in helping me feel more balanced and supported.
🌿 What About Supplements?
While many over-the-counter supplements are marketed as menopause relief solutions, the Mayo Clinic emphasizes that most do not consistently outperform placebo in controlled studies—and some may cause side effects or interact with other medications. It’s essential to consult a healthcare provider before beginning any supplement regimen.
Common Supplements: Benefits & Risks
| Supplement |
Potential Benefit |
Risks / Concerns |
|
Phytoestrogens (soy, red clover, flaxseed) |
Plant-based estrogens, may modestly reduce hot flashes for some women |
Mixed clinical results; possible hormonal effects |
| Black Cohosh |
Traditionally used for hot flashes |
Inconsistent evidence; rare risk of liver toxicity
|
| Ginseng |
May improve mood or energy |
No evidence for hot flash relief |
| Vitamin E |
May ease mild hot flashes |
High doses may increase bleeding risk
|
| Dong Quai |
Traditional Chinese herb |
No clinical evidence; may interact with blood thinners
|
|
DHEA (hormone) |
May help with vaginal dryness
|
Long-term safety not established
|
| Evening Primrose Oil, Wild Yam, Kava |
Popular in wellness circles |
No proven benefit; Kava may cause liver damage
|
In short, while some women report relief with natural supplements, science remains cautious. The placebo effect is real, and what works for one may not work—or be safe—for another. Guidance from a trusted health provider is key.
Soy Candles as Dual-Mode Relief
Soy candles enhance menopause support in two scientific ways:
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Steady release of therapeutic aroma: Soy wax burns cooler than paraffin, preserving the integrity of essential oils.
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Natural lighting effect: The gentle flicker avoids blue-light interference with sleep cycles, while activating calming parasympathetic responses.
Women interviewed report using these rituals nightly, lighting a lavender soy candle post-bath while journaling or meditating, and observing fewer bouts of insomnia, stress, and mood swings.
Candles as Companion
In the modern science of scent and light, candles offer more than ambiance, they provide therapeutic benefits grounded in research.
A 2024 study in Behavioral Neurology showed that inhaling lavender-soy candles for just 20 minutes significantly reduced heart rate, blood pressure, and stress, while promoting a relaxed emotional state (1)
“Bright short-wavelength light (blue) has the strongest effect on lowering melatonin, whereas the dimmer long-wavelength (yellow and red) light from a campfire or a candle… has very little effect,” explained researchers from the University of Washington’s circadian studies group epi.washington.edu+1anatome.co+1.
This means candlelight helps preserve melatonin production in the evening, crucial for menopausal women facing sleep disturbances.
Additionally, essential oils contribute measurable benefits:
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A clinical trial found that lavender and bergamot inhalation significantly reduced vasomotor symptoms and improved sleep in menopausal women (1)
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A comprehensive review confirmed that inhaled lavender oil activates GABAergic pathways to lower anxiety.
Dr. Hana Tisserand, cofounder of the Tisserand Institute, affirmed the psychological impact of scents:
“Inhaling essential oils can quickly stimulate our bodies to influence our emotions through olfactory receptors... creating a grounding and soothing effect.”
Together, the gentle amber flame and therapeutic scent work in harmony, quieting the nervous system, supporting parasympathetic activity, and easing menopausal symptoms naturally.
Ritual, Reclamation, and Relief
Menopause is increasingly framed not as a pathology, but as a stage of life to embrace and honor. Candles, light, rituals support women emotionally and physiologically.
At SaFiSpa, we believe candles do more than create ambiance, they help restore balance. For many women navigating the emotional and physical shifts of menopause, lighting a candle becomes an act of self-preservation. It’s not just about scenting a space, it’s about reclaiming calm, honoring the body’s rhythm, and creating a ritual of control in moments that feel anything but predictable.
Explore our collection of soy-scented candles and experience their grounding, restorative benefits, crafted to support you through every season of womanhood.
