IncluScent

05/22/2026

We highlight an amazing shop called Shop Made DC located at 325 Morse St Northeast Suite 4 in Washington, DC. We showcase how this venue brings together local vendors from DC under one roof, offering unique finds and supporting small businesses. We invite you to explore what your local community has to offer, with doors open 11 AM - 7 PM Monday - Friday, 10 AM - 7 PM Saturday and 10 AM - 6 PM Sunday.

05/22/2026

We highlight an incredible pop-up shop called DC Pop-up located at 1155 Dahlia Street Northwest in Washington, DC. We showcase how this venue brings together local vendors from DC, Maryland, and Virginia under one roof, offering unique finds and supporting small businesses. We invite you to explore what your local community has to offer, with doors open Thursday through Sunday from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

05/13/2026

Stop scrolling for just a second, sis. Read the room, and then… read your body.

Who taught us that we had to be completely depleted before we were allowed to be "productive"?

We’ve all heard the lies. We’ve been told we can “rest when we’re dead” or that our worth is tied to how many items we can cross off a never-ending to-do list. We’ve been conditioned to romanticize the burnout, the hustle, and the grind—even when our bodies are screaming for a pause.

But here is the truth we’re reclaiming at IncluScent: Rest isn’t a reward you earn after a 60-hour work week.

Rest is your birthright. 🕊️

Our ancestors fought, prayed, and sacrificed so that we could finally have the peace they were so often denied. When we choose to slow down, we aren't being "lazy"—we are practicing rest as resistance. We are honoring the original design. You weren’t created to be a machine; you were created to be a masterpiece that actually gets to *enjoy* the life you’re building.

For me, the shift starts with a small ceremony. When I light one of our wooden wick candles and hear that soft, rhythmic crackle, it’s more than just a beautiful scent filling the room. It’s a boundary. It’s a signal to my nervous system that the "hustle" ends here and my ceremony of softness begins. 🕯️✨

Grounded luxury isn’t about a price tag—it’s about the permission. Permission to be still. Permission to be silent. Permission to simply *be*.

You are so much more than what you produce, and you are worthy of the pause.

**If you’re ready to reclaim your rest and trade the hustle for healing, we’d love to have you in our circle.**

Click the link in our bio to join our email community for more rituals, rest inspiration, and a little soul-care delivered to your inbox. 🤎

**Tell me in the comments:** What is one way you’re giving yourself permission to be soft this week? 👇🏾

04/17/2026

04/15/2026

The Lie of the "Finished" To-Do List

Have you ever noticed how the world tries to trick us into believing that rest is a reward we have to earn?

We’ve all heard the phrases, the ones that equate "the grind" with greatness. Maybe you’ve even said them yourself: "I’ll sleep when I’m dead" or "I’m just not built to sit still." We wear our busyness like a badge of honor, checking off boxes until our eyes burn and our backs ache, all while waiting for that magical moment when the work is finally "done" so we can finally breathe.

But here is the hard truth we’re unlearning together: The work is never done. The emails will keep coming. The house will need cleaning again tomorrow. The world will always ask for more of your magic, your labor, and your time.

If you wait until everything is finished to find peace, you’ll be waiting forever.

At IncluScent, we believe that rest isn't a luxury for the lucky few—it is your birthright. We weren’t created simply to produce, to hustle, or to be tools of productivity. We were created to create, to connect, and to enjoy the life we are living. Our ancestors were denied the softness of a slow afternoon; today, choosing to be still is a profound act of "rest as resistance."

It is an honoring of the women who came before us and a gift to the woman you are right now.

When you light one of our wooden wick candles, let the crackle be the signal to your nervous system that the "shift" is over. You are more than your output. You are worthy of a grounded luxury that doesn't require a justification.

Let’s commit to reclaiming our time, one slow evening at a time.

If you’re ready to prioritize your peace and join a community that celebrates the art of the pause, we’d love to have you in our inner circle. Join our email list for soulful reflections, ritual inspiration, and a first look at our latest artisan scents.

[Link: Sign up for the IncluScent Newsletter here]

What’s one thing you’re letting go of today to make room for a little more rest? Share with us below. 👇🏾✨

02/20/2026

It’s Friday. Which means it’s almost time for something most of us forget we’re allowed to do:
Rest without a plan.
Not rest as a means to productivity (“I’ll rest so I can be more efficient Monday”).
Not rest with a to-do list hovering in the background.
Just... rest. Existence without output.
This weekend, I’m lighting Sanctuary—the white sage and lavender blend that signals to my nervous system that it’s safe to exhale. I’m reading something that isn’t “useful.” I’m letting my hands be still.
What does rest look like for you this weekend? I’d love to hear in the comments.

02/16/2026

I want to share something simple that’s been helping me actually rest. Not just stop moving—but let my nervous system settle.
It takes five minutes. You don’t need anything fancy.
Light a candle. Watch the flame catch. This is your transition—the signal that you’re moving from “doing” mode into “being” mode.
Take three deep breaths. Inhale for 4 counts. Hold for 4. Exhale for 6. (The longer exhale activates your parasympathetic nervous system—this is science, not woo.)
Put your phone somewhere you can’t see it. Even five minutes without a screen resets something in your brain.
Do nothing productive. Let your thoughts come and go. Stare at the flame. This isn’t wasted time. This is your body remembering that safety doesn’t require constant vigilance.
That’s it. Five minutes.
If this resonates, try it tonight. Let me know how it feels. Sometimes the smallest rituals carry the most weight.

02/15/2026

I’ve been thinking about where the guilt around rest comes from.
For Black Americans, it’s not just cultural. It’s historical. It’s structural.
After Reconstruction, sharecropping was designed to ensure one thing: continuous labor with no real way out. Work was measured by sunlight, not hours. Sunup to sundown. Every day. Debt cycles meant you couldn’t leave even if you wanted to.
Domestic workers—90% of whom were Black women at the time—were deliberately excluded from the 1938 Fair Labor Standards Act. No 40-hour cap. No overtime protections. Many lived in employers’ homes and were never truly “off the clock.”
Pullman Porters worked 400 hours a month before qualifying for overtime. It took 12 years of organizing just to win the right to 240-hour months.
Rest wasn’t stolen. It was legislated away. Designed out of reach.
So when you feel guilty for resting? That’s not a personal failing. That’s generational programming. And you have every right to unlearn it.
Sources: Smithsonian NMAAHC, A. Philip Randolph Pullman Porter Museum, National Domestic Workers Alliance

02/13/2026

Meet Sanctuary—our signature candle, crafted for those moments when you need a soft place to land.
The scent: White sage meets lavender. A combination chosen with intention.
White sage has been used for centuries in cleansing rituals—to clear energy, mark transitions, and create sacred space. Lavender is one of the most studied aromatics in wellness research, known for its ability to reduce cortisol and promote calm.
Together, these notes don’t just smell beautiful. They signal to your nervous system: it’s safe to soften now.
The details: Poured with clean-burning coconut wax. Lit with a wood wick that crackles like a tiny fireplace. No paraffin. No petroleum-based ingredients. Because your sanctuary should be free of toxins.
The invitation: Light Sanctuary at the end of your day. Let the crackle be your reminder that you’re transitioning from “doing” to “being.” You don’t have to earn this moment. It’s already yours.
Shop Sanctuary: https://incluscent.com/products/sanctuary-candle-10-oz-white-sage-lavender

Our bestselling Sanctuary candle in a longer-lasting 10 oz size. White sage, lavender, cedar & clove. Hand-poured for rest, ritual, and creating your soft place to land. Some spaces hold you the moment you enter. This candle creates that space — and lets you stay longer. Sanctuary is the exhale at...

02/11/2026

I want to tell you how IncluScent started. Because it’s not a story about having it all figured out.
I spent 15+ years in IT, certified, the whole thing. It was a career that looked impressive from the outside but felt like running on a treadmill that kept speeding up.
Then, 18 days after my 45th birthday, I was laid off. And in the silence that followed—somewhere between “What now?” and “Who am I without this title?”—I realized something uncomfortable.
I had forgotten how to rest.
Not sleep. Not collapse from exhaustion at the end of the day. Actually rest. The kind where your nervous system settles. Where you’re not mentally calculating what you should be doing instead.
IncluScent came from that remembering.
Every candle I pour is for the overachievers. The ones who need permission to pause. The ones whose ancestors worked so hard that rest became something to feel guilty about.
I’m Sherri. I’m 45. I’m building this business one candle at a time. And I’m so glad you’re here.