Suchitra Krishnamoorthi’s range of candles heal, detoxify, treat anxiety, insomnia and even depression, apart from helping in weight loss too.
by The Diarist | thediarist@themetrognome.in
There are stranger things in the world, we suppose, than candles that do more than help us finish dinner when the lights go off. What if we told you that there are candles that help one lose weight? Or moisturise the skin? Or banish that nagging headache? Or even help soothe anxiety and loss of confidence?
Actor, singer, painter and now the founder of The Candlelight Company, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi came out with a range of candles in August this year that combined colour therapy, feng shui, chakra healing, mantra and aromatherapy with candle making. “In short, it is candle therapy. I have always had a keen interest in the natural sciences as a holistic alternative to allopathy. I have also loved making candles as a hobby. So, I simply combined my interests and created candles that promoted wellness,” she says.
“Two years ago, I was facing a lot of ups and downs in my life. At that time, I started seriously researching and studying essential oils and their healing properties. I had always been interested in properties of essential oils and how each has a different role to play in healing the body,” she explains. She further honed her skills and knowledge after studying the subject in France and England last year. “The perfume and essential oil industry in France is the biggest in the world,” she says. “But the most interesting bit is that they import all their oils from India and Indonesia!” she exclaims.
The candles, if her claims are to be believed, have surprising healing properties. For instance, there is a candle that nourishes dehydrated skin as one sleeps, and is made of cocoa, mango and kokum butters, plus beeswax and jojoba. Another one claims to help insomniacs sleep (made of valerian, lavender and other sleep-inducing essential oils), while others cure headaches and even the common cold. But Suchitra’s favourite one is the candle that alleviates anxiety. “A close friend of mine developed techachardia after she lost her father. She took about 50 of the anxiety candles from me, saying that nothing else worked for her,” she says, adding that her own chronic insomnia was cured after breathing in the aromas of root oil.
She explains how essential oils work on the system and how it is helps healing. “Sensory preceptors in the brain that have millions of olfactory nerve cells go to work when you breathe in scented air. Tiny cilia fibres on each cell have receptors that have different shapes to fit different scent molecules. The nerve cell then relays the scent to the brain where the limbic system associated with emotions is stimulated. That’s how it works.”
If this sounds intriguing, check this out, too: there are also candles that protect the home from pests, candles that put one in a sensual mood, candles that help students concentrate on their studies better, and candles others that help boost one’s self-esteem and confidence.
While her friends showed support by “buying in bulk” right from the day she launched the company, Suchitra has already found a big champion for her candles abroad – Deepak Chopra, a world-renowned mind-body healing pioneer and writer. “Whether you desire sensual delight, tranquillity or healing, Suchitra Krishnamoorthi’s candles will take you there,” he says. Back home, her ex-husband, director and writer Shekhar Kapur is also a user. “But he has warned me to give people specific instructions about their usage. There’s no point lighting up the sensual candle and staying up horny all night, when you actually wanted to have a relaxing sleep!” she laughs.