The Scent of the Forest and Meadows: How to Bring Austrian Nature Into Your Home

Which is completely acceptable here, given that we are talking about fragrances. To be precise: Austria’s fragrances, and only the good ones, of course, which you would be happy to bring into your home. We’re interested in the scents of Austria that three experts transfer into glasses and paper, so that we can reminisce about fragrant outdoor adventures. Allow us to introduce you to these three fragrance creators and reveal the secrets of how they turn authentic smells into candles and soaps. Julia Schliefsteiner tells us all about the world of natural candles, and Katharina Müllner and Sonja Baldauf let us stick our noses into their soap collections.

Relaxing in your own four walls, looking after yourself, treating yourself – these are all elements of “self-care” that everyone is talking about right now. This most certainly includes olfactory well-being, which we can bring into our bathroom or living room. But why do we enjoy good natural fragrances so much? “Smells enter our nose and go straight to the limbic system of our brain, which deals with memories”, says Katharina Müllner, explaining why the sense of smell is so closely linked to memory. This is also the part of the brain in which emotions are controlled and happy hormones released. 

No wonder the smells of our childhood can remain in our head and nose for decades, and that many of us can’t get enough of the smell of fresh hay, aromatic alpine meadows or the sun-warmed pine forest floor. They immediately remind us of perhaps long-forgotten holidays on the farm, summer camps by the lake or stopping off at a sun-kissed alpine hut. Fragrances bring memories to life, so let’s take advantage of that and enter the maze of past experiences. Perhaps we can use one or the other soap or candle to assist … 

Should you currently not be sat in front of a bubbling mountain stream somewhere in the mountains, then you can beam yourself into that setting – with the "mountain stream" candle. How are fragrances created? Julia Schliefsteiner and her partner have 80 different types of essential oil to choose from, which they use to create the right mixture. "The mountain stream candle is refreshing, energising, and wakes you up, so it’s ideal for the office", Julia explains. Each candle is accompanied by a story, which is intended to transport you into the precious world of fragrances from the moment you read up on it on the website.

Does that work for everyone? "Fragrances are emotional and should convey a sense of well-being, but everyone has their own associations and memories when it comes to fragrances." For Julia Schliefsteiner, for example, it’s the image of her grandparents that comes to her mind when lighting the hay flower candle. "They still used to mow the meadows by scythe and the wonderful smell of the hay would fill the air."

Heart or Head?
So how does the fragrance unfold from a candle? Are time components involved, like in perfume? "There are top, heart, and base notes", the fragrance expert explains. "You detect the top notes first, in particular citrus fruits."

The long-lasting heart note unfolds with herbal scents such as lavender or rosemary. "However, the candle tends to have a more consistent, permanent scent." The conversation with Julia Schliefsteiner draws to an end with a final thought experiment: can you create your own natural fragrance experience at home by lighting several candles in a blend of mountain air, flower meadow, mountain stream, and hay flower? "You can give it a go!" the candlemaker laughs. So there you have it: light the candles, close your eyes, and send your senses on a virtual journey through Austria’s nature – with one or the other personal memory included.

The Stories Behind the Fragrances

Sonja is aware of the connection between smells and memories too, of course. "The stories behind the fragrances and soaps play a big role for me." So what might be behind the Wiener Duft (Viennese scent) soap? The name of the creation made from spring blossoms and grass is intriguing and leads back to the Viennese Laundry Girls who were hardworking women that washed the whites of the upper class every spring around 1800. The laundry was hung up to dry outdoors in the sun in the middle of meadows and blossoming trees.

The delightful scent of the fresh laundry became associated with spring and a Viennese pharmacist captured it at the time. Sonja Baldauf had this fragrance reproduced by her perfumer and "Wiener Duft" has been one of her most popular soaps (and personal favourites) ever since.

Winding Down in the Bathroom

"A little natural spectacle" is how you could describe the daily ritual of washing your hands as the fragrances of the soap unfold. It’s all a question of perspective.

If you follow the trend of mindfulness and slowing down, a fragrance is a particularly good way to take some time out for a couple of minutes; provided it’s made of natural scents as found in the Wiener Seifen soaps.

Why did the solid bar of soap go out of fashion? "Soap factories were located all over the world", says Sonja Baldauf. "They disappeared with industrialisation and were replaced with synthetic liquid soaps. However, natural soaps have been experiencing a well-deserved revival for some time now."

Norwegian odour specialist Sissel Tolaas has been studying the olfactory landscapes of different cities and their specific urban olfactory identities for years. Is it really possible to assign a region to a smell? Sonja Baldauf originally comes from the Bregenzerwald region. What does it smell like there? "It smells fresh, of forest, hay flowers, earth, and incense", she reflects. "I have yet to add this fragrance to my soap repertoire."

Her latest addition is Stille Nacht (Silent Night), a "sophisticated fragrance" as Sonja stresses, "beyond the clichés of gingerbread, cinnamon, and orange." And the expert has a story to go with it too: "It’s about the peaceful time, the anticipation, about lighting candles and unwrapping presents, the rustling of paper, knitted jumpers and leather shoes …" All these scenes are wrapped up in the soap; most certainly in the minds of those who use it. Do they see these Christmas images in their mind’s eye as well as smell them? "Not a given, but not important either", says the soap maker. "It’s about whether the fragrance "takes hold" of you when you smell it."