Our Journal
From thoughtful tips on fragrance and home living, you’ll find guides on how to enjoy our products, the stories behind our fragrances, and glimpses of life on our island home. Our journal is where we introduce you to the team behind Essence of Harris and share the inspiration that shapes everything we create.
Journal
Candle Care
All of our candles have been made with the utmost precision and care to ensure that they burn evenly for you. However, the following ‘candle care’ tips will maximise the length of time they will last and give our valued customers the best experience possible from each candle. Get the most from your candle…. The first time you light your candle, it is best to let it burn for at least 3 hours, to let it burn completely so you have an even 'meltpool' across the width of the glass. Due to the fact that wax has a 'memory', it means that each time you light your candle after this the wax won't ‘tunnel’ i.e leave wax around the edges/burn unevenly. We know our candles smell fantastic, however you should not let your candle burn for more than 4 hours at a time as this can cause the wick to form ‘mushrooms’ on the tips and soot to form making the wick unstable. Take care of your wick… We advise trimming the wick down to approximately 1/4 of an inch after each burn. This prevents the flame becoming smoky and adds a much longer life to the candle. Candle burning safety… Here at Essence of Harris we care about keeping our customers safe when using our products, so here are a few candle burning safety tips for in the home: Keep candles out of any draughts and also ensure they are not too close to a heat source, both of these factors can cause the flame to smoke and burn unevenly. Always display candles on steady heat resistant surfaces and also make sure they are not placed too closely to any flammable materials such as curtains. Once your candle has been extinguished and cooled, remove any charred pieces of wick to prevent a smoky flame when it is next lit. It is obviously never a good idea to leave a burning candle unattended- especially around children, one can never be over cautious when it comes to an open flame. We hope this has been helpful, but if you have any questions please feel free to ask us! Send us an email on info@essenceofharris.com and one of the team will get back to you shortly. And lastly, if you’d like the chance to be featured on our social media, tag us in your pictures of you enjoying your products with @essenceofharris. Enjoy your candle calm!
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Natural products that will leave your skin glowing? We've got you
Let’s be honest, our skin can often get forgotten about. In the midst of life’s everyday chaos, it can be difficult to uphold a skincare routine and remember your various oils, toners, cleansers and serums- and the list of instructions that often come with them. We get it! And so when designing our bath & body range, we wanted products that we could pick up at the end of a long day and just let the relaxation soak in. No frills, no fuss- just soothing, natural products which would leave our skin glowing. That ethos led to our ever popular range of hand & body lotions, hand washes and bath & shower gels, which you can enjoy in the scents of Seilebost (Black Pomegranate), Losgaintir (Bergamot, Coconut & Vanilla), Horgabost (Lemongrass & Ginger) and now our NEW addition, Huisinis (Pink Pomelo). - But, sometimes it can be reassuring to hear from other, like minded people when choosing your go-to products. So have a read of what other Essence of Harris customers have to say about our bath & body collection: - “I have sensitive skin but it doesn’t react at all and it’s absorbed so fast and lasts for hours and hours.” Sarah, Seilebost Hand & Body Wash “Absorbed beautifully and the scent lasted for hours. Gorgeous scent. I kept smelling my hands!” Linda, Losgaintir Hand & Body Lotion “..the fragrance lingers it is strong without being overpowering. I will be buying this again. I have sensitive skin, I have had no problems with this.” Isobel, Horgabost Hand & Body Wash “the wash feels lovely on the skin and doesn’t leave it dry.” Fiona, Seilebost Hand & Body Wash “It’s the best lotion I’ve purchased in a long time and I use it everyday! I absolutely love the fresh Lemongrass Ginger scent- it’s the best thing I brought home from my trip to Scotland!” Ruthie, Horgabost Hand & Body Lotion - - AND with our recent launch, you can now try the ever popular Huisinis fragrance in the form of hand wash, lotion and bath & shower gel- letting your skin absorb the beautifully sweet scent of Pink Pomelo and allowing your mind to relax with it’s calming qualities. - - So if you want to give your skin some well-deserved attention, why not try any of our bath & body products; they’re all hand poured here on Harris, using natural ingredients, and have been designed to leave your skin glowing!
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Best summer fragrances
Stuck at the office and dreaming of warmer destinations? Not to worry! We’ve been researching this season’s go-to fragrances so you can surround yourself with the refreshing, energising scents of summer. A spritz of citrus, notes of florals floating through the air and the uplifting scent of sea salt are all on this season’s list to help you to get that ‘holiday-mode’ feeling 24/7. Have a look at our top picks for this summer season: Pomelo Bottle up the scent of summer with the beautifully sweet, juicy smell of Pomelo. A firm favourite for those sunshine months, Pomelo’s light and zesty tones means that it fills any home with that refreshing summertime feel. Our Huisinis range combines the scents of Pink Champagne and Pomelo to bring sunshine right to your doorstep! Citrus Did you know that citrus scents are proven to boost and energise your mood? Both the perfect ‘pick me up’ for those damp UK summer days, and the ideal addition to any home for those holiday BBQs and ‘get togethers’ with friends. Light, breezy and beautifully sweet- citrus scents are one of our definite favourites for this summer season! Have you tried our Lemon Grass & Ginger scent? Find our Horgabost range here. Coconut Is there anything that feels more summery than the scent of coconut? All you have to do is close your eyes, breath in that soft, exotic scent and you’re instantly transported to a Caribbean beach- you can almost feel the sun against your skin! As well as smelling delicious, the scent of coconut has been proven to reduce stress and anxiety which is exactly the kind of calming mindset you want for those relaxing summer days. Our Losgaintir collection with it's subtlety sweet scents of Bergamot, Coconut and Vanilla is sure to help you drift off to an exotic paradise! Ocean scents Take your senses straight to the beach with the scent of fresh sea salt air. There’s something so calming about being close to the coast; the sights, the smells, the feel of the refreshing sea spray on your skin. If you’re looking out of your office window and dreaming of dipping your toes into the breaking waves, you need to surround yourself with scents of sea salt, samphire, marine and driftwood. We can help with that with both our Mara range (Samphire and Sea Minerals) is designed to replicate the scent of the Hebridean coastline. - SO, even if it's pouring outside and you're pining for warmer climes, you can get into that summertime mood with the help of your favourite fragrances by your side. Whether you're into florals, citrus or dark, richer scents- find what works for you and enjoy your fragranced-filled summer months!
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Reed Diffusers and how to get the best out of them...
What are reed diffusers and how do they work? Reed diffusers are extremely popular in home fragrance right now. They are very simple to use; reeds are inserted into a glass bottle or glass jar of scented diffuser oil, the reeds soak up the scent and emit a pleasant aroma around your home - easy! Unlike candles, reed diffusers are flame free and do not require any heat. They disperse scent into the air naturally. No flame means no soot and more importantly, no risk of fire! This makes reed diffusers a more practical scent solution for some homes. What reeds do we use in our diffusers? We use natural fibre reeds which are innovatively designed for a high-performance fragrance throw as the fragrance is diffused along the entire length of the reed. The reed has a porous structure that provides a controlled rate of fragrance release. How long do reed diffusers last? There are many factors that contribute to how long the oils last. Air conditioning, heating, closed doors, open doors, dehumidifiers, etc. However, we have found that our 175ml diffuser oil should last for approximately 4 months, but ultimately this will depend on the temperature of your home. Can I top up my diffuser with a different scent and use the same reeds? Once reeds have been used for a certain scent, you cannot use them for another scent. The scent that is already absorbed into your reeds will mix with the new scent and could produce undesirable scent combinations, so we don’t recommend doing so. I have topped up my diffuser, do I need new reeds? If you have topped up your diffuser with a refill and the reeds are completely saturated, or if they are no longer diffusing/giving off scent, they may have become clogged with dust. Best thing to do is to replace them with new reeds to get the scent rolling again. We suggest doing this after your first refill has finished, time wise that should be about 6 months of use from one set of reeds. My reed diffuser doesn’t smell as strongly as it used to even though there’s still plenty of oil in the bottle. What can I do? You could try flipping the reeds, this simple re-positioning can help to give the diffusion process a little boost. However, don’t flip them too often as the more often you flip your reeds the faster the oil will disperse. You could also give the bottle a very gentle “swirl” or two, this can also help to blend the ingredients of the oil and strengthen the scent. OR As we mentioned previously, overtime the reeds become completely saturated and can become clogged with dust. If you still have oil in the bottle and flipping the reeds doesn’t seem to help, consider replacing your reeds.
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