BPD Candle

This candle is my artistic interpretation of how Borderline Personality Disorder might translate into a scent — a sensory portrait of its complexity and depth. It is not created specifically for those living with BPD, but rather for their loved ones, as a way to foster empathy, connection, and deeper understanding. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Emotions Matter, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing social support, raising awareness, and improving healthcare systems for individuals with BPD and their families.

The Base Notes: Contradictory Foundations

The foundation of this metaphorical fragrance would be built on contradiction itself. Imagine the earthy, grounding scent of petrichor - that beloved smell of rain on dry soil - but with an unexpected sharpness. This represents the deep human need for connection and stability that underlies BPD, mixed with the jarring reality of emotional chaos.

The base would contain:

Geosmin - that earthy, almost metallic compound that humans can detect at incredibly low concentrations

Copper wire accord - representing the raw, exposed feeling that many with BPD describe as "walking around with no skin"

Ozone - the sharp, sweet-pungent scent that precedes storms, symbolizing the anticipation and dread of emotional turbulence

The Heart Notes: Intense Emotional Swings

The middle of this fragrance would be where the true intensity lives. It would shift and morph constantly, never settling into one stable scent profile. One moment it might smell like vanilla and roses - representing the capacity for deep love and joy that people with BPD possess. The next moment, it would transform into something metallic and overwhelming - capturing those moments when emotions become "all-consuming" and feel like "drowning in emotion".

Key characteristics would include:

Unstable sillage - the scent trail would be unpredictable, sometimes barely noticeable, other times overwhelming everyone in the room

Layered complexity - multiple contradictory notes playing simultaneously, like experiencing "spiraling downs and soaring highs" within hours

Hypersensitive projection - amplifying and reacting intensely to other scents in the environment, much like the emotional hyperreactivity characteristic of BPD

The Top Notes: Beautiful Yet Overwhelming

The opening of this fragrance would be deceptively beautiful - perhaps bergamot and jasmine - representing the charm and magnetism that many people with BPD possess. But these notes would be applied with an intensity that makes them almost too much to bear, reflecting how even positive emotions can feel overwhelming when experienced at "full volume".

The top notes would include:

Concentrated floral essences - beautiful but so intense they border on suffocating

Electrical accord - representing the "storm brewing inside" that people with BPD often describe

Crystalline sharpness - capturing the clarity and intensity of emotional experience

The Olfactory Experience: Complex and Challenging

This hypothetical fragrance would be what perfumers call "challenging" - not because it's unpleasant, but because it demands your complete attention. It would be:

Impossible to ignore - much like how BPD affects every aspect of a person's life

Constantly evolving - shifting between beautiful and overwhelming, never quite settling

Emotionally evocative - triggering strong reactions and memories in those who encounter it

Misunderstood - often judged harshly by those who don't understand its complexity

The Longevity: Persistent but Treatable

Like BPD itself, this fragrance would have exceptional longevity - it would linger and evolve throughout the day, sometimes softening into something more manageable with time and the right conditions. With proper care (therapy, support, understanding), the harsher metallic notes might gradually give way to the more beautiful underlying florals, though the complexity would always remain.

Information and Important Notes