4 Fragrances That Bring in Negative Feng Shui — And Why They Should Be Avoided at All Costs

We all know that the fragrances you use to perfume your home can make or break the ambiance of the space. However, I just found out that the wrong fragrances can negatively impact the energy of your space, too.

Since there are certified Feng Shui fragrances that enrich your home with delicious aromas and good energy, it only makes sense that the opposite exists as well. So, I spoke to the experts and collated a list of four smells you should steer clear of, according to Feng Shui principles.

Plus, they've also provided advice on how to fix these smells and swap them for harmonious scents that promote positive energy. Let's begin.

How Do Fragrances Affect Feng Shui?

"While there are no inherently ‘bad Feng Shui’ scents, there are some fragrances that can disrupt the energy of a space if they don’t match the atmosphere you’re trying to create," says Maxine McKenzie, Feng Shui practitioner and co-founder of Yinteriors.

"In Feng Shui, scent is part of a home’s sensory energy field. It can either support or disturb the flow depending on how and where it’s used. The goal is always to create balance between yin and yang energies. So uplifting, activating scents that offer yang energy might be energizing in a workspace or hallway, but too active for a bedroom that needs to feel restorative and yin."

As for the best Feng Shui scent? Max says that it'll always be down to the fragrance that matches your intention and makes you feel good in your space. "Trust your senses," she says. "They’re your best energy tool!"

Having said that, certain kinds of fragrances tend to overpower a space, leading to a confused ambiance and thereby affecting the Feng Shui. So here's what you'll want to avoid.

Maxine McKenzie

Max McKenzie is a double-qualified Feng Shui practitioner and member of the International Feng Shui Guild. With a 30-year career in brand and marketing, a large part of which was spent with the Royal Institute of British Architects, Max understands how people interact with their environment and how good design can influence behaviour and improve lives. She is also the co-founder of London-based interiors consultancy Yinteriors, dedicated to creating balanced and harmonious residential and commercial spaces. By integrating Feng Shui, color psychology, and design psychology, Yinteriors helps clients optimise their environments to support health, wealth, career, relationships, and overall well-being. The company's name, Yinteriors, is a celebration of the divine feminine (yin) energy, reflecting their philosophy of balancing yin and yang for effortless flow and beauty.

1. One-Note Scents

Niko Dafkos, co-founder of Earl of East, tells me that unbalanced, one-note fragrances are known to bring in negative Feng Shui. So, aside from being one of the winter scents to avoid, it's one to swap off your shelf year-round for better indoor energy.

"A fragrance that is just a singular note can feel static, lacking the depth that gives a fragrance character," he says. "We always try to use scent-layering, combining woods with citrus, or smoke with musk, to create a more considered, atmospheric balance."

You can even use smellmaxxing to blend your one-note fragrances to create a more complex aroma that better suits the mood of your living spaces.

Niko Dafkos

Niko Dafkos is one half of Earl of East, a London lifestyle brand known for its distinctive home fragrances and curated homeware that embrace ritual over routine. Since 2014, he and his partner Paul Firmin have grown the business from a market stall to a thriving design studio with four stores and a global online presence. Renowned for their candles, workshops, and sell-out self care products, Niko blends interiors, ritual, and design in every creation.

2. Overpowering Fragrances

Niko explains that home fragrance should live with a space, not dominate it. And if the scents in your space happen to be guilty of the latter, then chances are that it's interfering with the Feng Shui of your home.

"When a scent is too strong, it can feel intrusive to the atmosphere rather than supporting it," says Niko. "Instead, we would recommend choosing subtle reed diffusers or softly applied home mists that move gently through a room and evolve over time."

The best way to make your home smell good is to choose fragrance notes that flow into each other. This will keep your indoor scentscape from feeling dizzy and heady, instead weaving a story through scent. This new Jardin De La Lune Reed Diffuser from Earl of East and this Cythera Aromatique Room Spray from Aesop are my favorites for scent-sensitive spaces.

3. Persistent, Stagnant Smells

"Damp, mustiness, or the smell of something unpleasant can signal stuck or unhealthy energy, and they’re often symptoms of a deeper issue," says Max. "In Feng Shui terms, these smells drag down the chi."

She recommends investigating why your home smells musty and resolving the source of these scents first. Then you can enhance the renewed, fresh fragrance of the space by lighting your best candles.

Niko also finds that rooms that aren’t regularly refreshed can hold onto unwanted smells, leaving a room feeling heavy. "We are especially advocates of opening windows in the winter for fresh air," he says. "We also use scent as a way to cleanse the space. So, you can try using sage or an incense burner as a cleansing ritual."

4. Overly Artificial Blends

"Artificial scents — especially from plug-ins or heavily perfumed candles — can create energetic and literal ‘pollution’ in the home," says Max. "They may feel overpowering or leave a chemical residue that disrupts the clarity and vitality of a space."

To keep these fragrances from bringing negative Feng Shui, she recommends instead using essential oil diffusers, natural incense, or beeswax candles scented with pure botanicals.

You can also use natural home deodorizers to refresh the scent of your space. Plus, if you want to blend fragrance with intention to create a ritual, beeswax meditation candles are the way to go.

FAQs

How to Choose the Right Fragrance for Feng Shui

Feng Shui master Helen Ye Plehn tells me that the key to finding the right fragrance for the Feng Shui of your space is to use this simple rule from energetic design:

● Stuck or heavy energy = citrus + wood

● Emotional overwhelm = floral + air

● Low motivation = spice + citrus

● Spiritual work = frankincense + lotus + palo santo

"Your body will always tell you the truth if the fragrance is incompatible with your home," she adds. "If a scent gives you a headache, a tight chest, or irritation — it’s not Feng Shui for your energy field, even if it’s popular."

If you're looking for more general scents to avoid in your home, our guide will help you maintain the convivial ambiance in your space.