MY FAVOURITE HOME FRAGRANCE PICKS

As someone who suffered from eczema as a child, I’ve always been somewhat aware of possible irritants in hand creams and other beauty products, as well as the toxicity of day-to-day household cleaning products. There wasn’t much of a choice back then other than a homemade white vinegar and baking soda concoction, but now there is so much more to choose from. My nose became very attuned to “natural” fragrances compared to synthetic, so big brand washing powders were swapped for scentless varieties until a new wave of more naturally fragranced detergents hit the market.

Next up was home fragrances. When synthetically scented candles in all manner of scents — usually based around desserts — became the rage in the ‘90s when I was a teen, I became hooked (it was like sniffing Strawberry Shortcake dolls but on fire!). This until I began to associate them with headaches, and same for the plug-in fragrances that followed and the room spray aerosols that preceded them. I’ve actually got a headache now just thinking about them.

Getting into friends' cars with a number of pine or otherwise scented trees was enough to make me turn green and wind down the windows in winter. In my twenties I got into essential oils and oil burners, better and pretty (thanks to the ambience they created), but still your average tea light isn’t the best for indoor air quality. At some point I got introduced to aromatherapy fans and then the super chic looking aroma diffusers which puffed out the essential oil in plumes of mist. But these required electricity, remembering to turn them on and off and water and essential oil refills — oh, and distilled water at that, unless you wanted a hard water limescale build up to mess up your machine in due course (Londoners take note).

So I was delighted to see the super simple and old school reed diffusers make an appearance — first in spas and hotel receptions and then for sale across the board. They are simplicity itself, just wooden reeds half plunged into essential oil blends that naturally diffuse the scent in the room. They last for months and give you a constant scent for your house, which is not too strong, barely there just as it should be. And if you want a bit of a boost (because guests), just turn the reeds over. Had enough? Take the reeds out, cap the bottle and come back to it when you’re ready. Plus reeds are either biodegradable or recyclable and you can reuse the bottle for whatever you fancy in the future, even making your own oil blends!

Land & Water Reed Diffuser

A mandarin and mint diffuser for those craving a fresh scent. It’s made in Britain and suitable for vegans.

Clean Reserve Rain Reed Diffuser

This one is cleverly designed to remind you of the scent of rain showers. The reeds are both replaceable and recyclable, and this product is 100% vegan and cruelty-free and made from sustainable ingredients.