The importance of aromas in the home. Interview with Montse Nart from Shizen'na
It teaches us how to use essential oils to bring serenity, energy and well-being to our spaces.
When we enter the home, the smell is the first thing that greets us, beyond the furniture or the colours of the walls. Aromas can awaken memories, transmit serenity or fill us with energy, becoming an invisible but powerful element that transforms any space into a personal refuge. Just as visual decoration brings beauty, natural fragrances complete the harmony and add well-being and comfort to those who live in the home.
What is aromatherapy and how can it improve your home?
Aromatherapy, which uses essential oils to promote physical and emotional health, can transform home environments according to the needs of the moment: creating relaxing atmospheres to reduce stress, energising fragrances to revitalise you, or purifying scents to improve air quality.
With a history dating back to ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians, Chinese and Greeks, aromatherapy developed as a spiritual and healing technique. Over the centuries, the practice has evolved into the modern aromatherapy we know today, with science recognising the therapeutic properties of certain essential oils. It has grown in popularity due to the interest in natural methods of improving physical and emotional well-being.
Benefits of aromatherapy at home
- Reduction of stress and anxiety: Oils such as lavender and chamomile are known for their calming properties, ideal for relaxing body and mind after a stressful day.
- Improved sleep quality: Scents such as jasmine or bergamot can promote deeper rest, creating a more restful sleep routine.
- Air purification: Essential oils such as eucalyptus or lemon have antibacterial properties that help to clean the environment, improving indoor air quality.
Shizen'na: natural scents for your home
Shizen'na (自然な) means "natural" in Japanese. This company uses pure essential oils, without synthetic components, to respect the environment and offer products that clean and purify the air in a natural way. Shizen'na is born with the conviction that a better world is possible, and its contribution is based on a deep knowledge of nature and the benefits that plants, flowers and citrus fruits bring us, through their pure essential oils. The diffusion of these essences cleans and enriches the air we breathe in enclosed spaces, in a completely natural way.
The team behind Shizen'na
With a firm respect for the environment, Shizen'na prioritises sustainability, social awareness and, above all, love as a driver of collective well-being. Its head of scent design, Montse Nartcombines his passion for nature with a background in international marketing and textile printing. Thanks to this experience, she creates pure scent collections, inspired by the relationships between the environment, colours and the specific functions of each fragrance. Montse works with natural essences that not only attract with their scent, but also captivate with their palpable energy.
The project also has Jordi Castelletwith more than forty years of experience in the textile sector, who leads the business area, managing the visibility and communication of the benefits of essential oils through digital media.
With this dedication and commitment to nature, Shizen'na transforms spaces into unique sensory experiences, helping to turn every home into a true haven.
Interview with Montse Nart
To better understand the aromatic world that inspires Shizen'na, we spoke to Montse Nart, the aromatologist and perfumer behind each creation. With a unique connection to nature, Montse shares how her passion for aromas began, what inspires her creative process and what little rituals bring her wellbeing at home. From the indelible memory of her first fragrances to the intimate moments of creation in silence, Montse transports us to a universe of sensations where each scent tells its own story.
Here you have the questionnaire we asked her, so you can get to know her way of living and feeling fragrances better.
Tell us about yourself and your work. Where did your vocation come from?
Ever since I was a little girl, I used to stick my nose everywhere. I have been attracted to smells for as long as I can remember. They have been and continue to be a fundamental pillar in my life.
"There is not one essential oil for everyone. There is an essential oil for each of us".
What do you find most satisfying about your work?
It gives me satisfaction to create emotions and to see how people enjoy themselves through the most primal sense we have. Above all, it fills me up to see children get excited when they smell, because you feel that you awaken something good inside them.
What is your creative process like, what are your sources of inspiration, any particular music while working?
It is not every day that you can create. You need calm, good music and a lot of connection with the oils. It is a moment of meditation, simplicity and humility before this gift that nature offers us, which are the oils.
The synergy comes from within me, just as a composer of music looks for tuning and emotion, I do it with the scent that captivates me at that moment.
I associate scents with the colours of nature, so I try to create a synergy where the whole aromatic palette I use is integrated in perfect harmony.
Favourite colour, book, film and record - in that order! ;D
My favourite colour is magenta. A favourite film is "Amelie", it's full of subtleties and the more you watch it, the more you enjoy it. Music... I like Sting, the harmony in his voice.
Is your home a reflection of who you are? Tell us what it smells like, your favourite corner, your favourite decorative object or piece of furniture, if you treasure a collection... And if you have a pet, introduce it to us!
My house is full of neutral colours; it is minimalist but warm at the same time. It doesn't have a fixed scent, I play with fragrances according to the moment. If I'm with a blanket and a book, I prefer a warm, woody scent; in the morning, after airing and cleaning, I like a citrus fragrance. I am also influenced by the season.
My favourite piece of furniture is a designer chair that my friends gave me when I got married.
I collect rare oils that I have collected over time and on different trips.
If you could buy anything right now and take it home, what would it be? Anything!
I don't usually buy things; I would buy a trip and take home the memories, the experience and the learning of all that a new country has to offer.
A great plan at home always includes...
My husband and my children; anything I do with them, with or without company, is a great plan.
Do you have a signature dish?
I love salads, all kinds of salads.
Where is your favourite place in your city and abroad?
Girona is a beautiful place; I love the Jewish quarter.
I have a soft spot for Japan, a country that has been through so many natural disasters and suffered two atomic bombs. It is admirable how it has bounced back each time with humility, resilience and a strong sense of community. It is a very dual country between the good and the bad, but I always keep the positive side, which captivates me.
Anything you want to tell us that we haven't asked you, speak now or forever hold your peace!
It has been a pleasure to share this little moment with you.
