I went to my first yoga class at the age of 13. Most of it is a blur now, but the last five minutes are as clear as day in my memory.
After we spent an hour flowing through different poses, the wind-down began. We lay flat on our backs, all limbs on the floor in savasana, our eyes closed and bodies still. The instructor guided us to gradually move our awareness from our toes to the crown of our heads, softening each muscle along the way.
As we relaxed, the teacher paced the room with a small, unmarked bottle in her hand. At first, I wondered why she was milling around while we were supposed to be silent. But as her steps grew closer, I heard the soft hiss of a spray nozzle. A split second later, an intoxicating scent filled the air, wrapping me in a serene cocoon so soothing I nearly fell asleep. I felt absolutely blissed-out, like a newborn baby after ingesting a bottle of milk.
For years, I searched for a way to re-create that floating-on-air feeling through smell. I left a graveyard of half-burned candles, spent incense sticks, and failed DIY essential oil blends in my wake as I hunted.
But eventually, I found it. I’ll never know if this mist is the same one my first yoga teacher used, but the fragrance profile is both earthy and fresh, and the feeling it evokes is all the same. Now, sitting proudly on my nightstand is the P.F. Candle Co. Room & Linen Spray in No. 35 Ojai Lavender.
This layered mist has notes of lavender, citrus, and eucalyptus, and you can spray it in the air or on fabric for a relaxing ambiance.
Don’t be fooled by the name of the scent, because it goes far beyond a basic lavender mist. Ojai Lavender has an edge.
The company describes the top notes as bergamot, orange, and eucalyptus, joined by middle notes of lavender, rose, and lily. Rounding those out are base notes of mint and red cedar.
To me, the spray evokes inhaling the scent of a lavender flower in a dewy field, surrounded by fresh, vibrant plants, rather than the usual and arguably boring scent of lavender alone. It’s not powdery or artificial; it’s earthy and alive, like the grass-covered hills of its namesake town in California.
Each evening, a quick spritz transforms my bedroom into a spa nestled in the grassy, rolling hills of some idyllic European countryside.
I’ve always looked forward to going to bed, but I do so even more now that I have this ritual. After putting my phone face-down on the nightstand and letting the ocean waves from my sound machine fill the air, it’s time. If my partner is sharing the bed, he knows that this routine is nonnegotiable—his hand now reaches for the bottle on the nightstand out of habit, an unspoken part of the to-do list.
But this fragrance isn’t reserved for sleep; it’s also my anchor for meditation. Before I fold my legs beneath me and attempt to still my thoughts, I spray the air around me. The aroma seems to center my bustling brain into a slower, more mindful state.
Although research backing aromatherapy as a whole is still quite murky, one systematic review and meta-analysis found that lavender significantly reduced stress levels in some participants compared with a control group. This doesn’t mean it works for everyone, but it seems to work for me.
Some linen mists I’ve tried have overstayed their welcome, clinging to sheets like a permanent odor. Personally, I don’t want my room to smell like something all the time—if it did, the scent would lose its magic. This mist strikes the perfect balance, lingering just long enough for a few minutes of sniffing and then fading away by the time I’m asleep, never sticking around in the morning.
For the same reason, I much prefer this mist to a candle, even in P.F. Candle Co.’s scent of the same name. When I’m intentionally focused on relaxing, spraying the mist roots me in the moment, like an aromatic reminder to chill out.
I hate a mist that leaves my linens damp, but this one is just light enough to truly sink in, leaving no residue behind. The ingredient list consists of water, fragrance oils, and two cosmetic-grade preservatives to prolong shelf life, according to the company. In addition, the company states that these mists “perform best when sprayed directly on bedsheets, linens, pillows, and even clothing, as they’re a body-safe product.”
When I press the bottle’s black tip, a powerful mist comes out, casting a wide net to sprinkle on my bed and fill the surrounding air. I spray a few spritzes above my pillows and on the part of the blanket I cuddle closest to my face. The mist does its job without leaving behind a wet mess.
At 7.75 fluid ounces, the spray also lasts a while; I’m shocked that this amber bottle isn’t empty by now. Even with a few mists every night for the past six months or so, it’s far from finished. I’m not sure how long it will take me to drain every drop, but the spray’s longevity has been impressive, especially for a price of just over $20, and the scent hasn’t faded since that first mist, either.
The last perk, which is more important to me than I like to admit, is how nice this spray looks sitting on my bedside table or dresser. The amber glass bottle and neutral brown label add to the neutral tones throughout my room rather than interrupting, and the look would blend into most bedroom styles.
However lovely a scent is, the American Lung Association does warn against breathing in essential oils, especially for people with underlying respiratory-health conditions. It advises people with respiratory ailments and allergies to dilute essential oils rather than breathe them in directly, and to use them in well-ventilated areas.
This mist does have essential oils diluted in water, but you should still check with your doctor before using a room or linen spray with essential oils if you have respiratory-health concerns.
Wirecutter staff writer Andrea Barnes, who specializes in laundry, points out that the formula contains phenoxyethanol as well as some botanical ingredients, which some people can be allergic to. To confirm that isn’t you, I suggest testing the mist on areas that your face won’t touch—spray it on a blanket and rub it on your skin, for example, rather than gambling with a full-pillow spritz right before bed.
Andrea also warns that some sprays could stain your sheets. I’ve used this mist on a host of different-color sheets, white included, without a stain in sight.
This mist has become an essential part of my sleep routine, but I don’t remember buying it. Most likely, I picked it up from the Brooklyn gift shop where I’ve purchased candles from this home-fragrance brand before.
However it came into my life, I’m endlessly grateful. Some people may argue that $20-plus is more than the product is worth, considering that I could make a similar mist at home with water and essential oils (albeit lacking the preservatives to extend the shelf life). But to me, this mist is worth every penny—it’s the unique scent that I treasure, and it may be more difficult to replicate than it seems, with exact proportions unknown. The long shelf life has proven useful, too.
To be honest, I would love for it to last just a little longer, especially for those nights when it takes me a while to fall asleep. But the bottle is large, and the price is fair, so I don’t feel guilty misting a bit extra if I want more Ojai Lavender.
Scent is highly personal. But for me, this spray’s fragrance profile is close to perfect. I even wish the spray came in a smaller, travel size, since this scent ritual has become integral to my sleep routine. For all of this, I am grateful to my very first yoga teacher, who unintentionally introduced me to my favorite bedtime ritual.
This article was edited by Katie Okamoto and Hannah Rimm.
