Plants have been central components in ritualistic indigenous physical, emotional and spiritual health behaviours for centuries.

Drawing strongly from the Sudanese female smoke bathing ritual of Dukhan,
(while for beauty, it is also physically healing, used to heal joint problems and arthritis), Menteath uses a variety of plant-based materials to create their unique smoky aromatic oils.

These feature the dark resin extract from juniper, and reflecting Felicity’s Scottish heritage, the malts from our favourite highland smoked whiskey to give our Scottish range of products its smoky scent.

The malts from the whiskey provide nutrients and polyphenols to support a healthier skin complexion by reducing free radical damage from the environment to reduce inflammation and add calmness to reddened skin. 

Alongside the nutritional skin-based benefits of our smoked-scented products, the scented aromas allow greater emotional connection to our ancestral relationship with fire, wood, and nature.

Neuro-Skincare & Improved Wellbeing 

The aromatic and primal scents associated with the smoked skincare products of Menteath, bring about a sense of calm, nostalgia, and connection.

Ritual represents a process of accessing often intense but suppressed emotions or desires so the ritual of applying Menteath products as part of your everyday healthcare also contributes towards a broader psychological, social and spiritual wellbeing.

Knowing that Menteath uses the highest quality ingredients, sourced responsibly and ethically from around the world, you can use these as often as your skin and mind desires conscious free.

Inside Out Approch To Skincare

Indeed, central to the ethos of Menteath’s vision, their products are designed with an inside out approach to skincare - we must focus on the mind and soul as much as we do the skin for true wholistic health and happiness including the sense of being part of a broader social and cultural network.

The Impact of Scent 

Importantly, science and traditional indigenous beliefs and understandings are converging in understanding the importance of scent on human health.

There has been a recognition from ancient times that pleasant aromas can have a positive impact on emotions, well-being, and social integration and behaviour.

There has been a more scientific and systematic investigation of these dynamics which started with the discipline of environmental psychology (exploring the connections between people and their environment) and more recently the specialised perspectives of the emerging discipline of Aromachology, which is the scientific analysis of olfactory effects on mood, physiology and behaviour.

Alongside the related concept of Neuro-Skincare, these disciplines are uncovering the impact of scent on neurological pathways and therefore on physiological and psychological health.