Lavender is like a miracle anti-stress, sleep aid drug.  Our ancestors have known this for hundreds (perhaps thousands) of years and yet a lot of people simply refuse to believe that something natural can have such a profound effect on the human body.  I am a big believer in this scent for relaxation and as an aid to help induce sleep.  I have used it for years and I know that it works well for me.  I am sure the web is full of scientific treatises on how and why it works, but what I am interested in here is discovering if Nippon-Kodo managed to capture the scent with their Morning Star Lavender.

It is a very good sign that fresh from the box the scent is lightly herbal, slightly minty, fresh and clean.  This stick would work perfectly well unlit and in a small container on your nightstand.  That isn’t to say that the scent is strong.  Far from it.  Like most Morning Star incense the scent is delicate and pure and never overpowering.

Once lit the stick is a bit more perfume-like but still fresh, clean, lightly herbal and oh so slightly minty.  It doesn’t smell exactly like fresh lavender from the garden but it is a remarkably good presentation of the scent just the same.  Besides, there are so many varieties of lavender in the world that I can’t possibly say with authority that it doesn’t smell just like fresh lavender from the garden.  It does however, smell very nice.  It isn’t distracting or overpowering and is free from the slightly bitter notes I have found in some lavender offerings in the past. Overall it is a very good scent and proves once again that Nippon-Kodo knows exactly what they are doing.

You can begin to relax and sleep better here.