Did you know that smell is the strongest of the senses and is best able to influence brain activity? Olfactory bulbs are part of the limbic system and directly connect to the areas of the brain that process emotion and learning. This is one of the reasons why so often something that we smell will trigger a memory or remind us of something or someone.
Many scents have anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and using them in an environment where there are a lot of people can help to keep germs at bay. A simple inhalation of an aroma can cause many changes in the body including activating the immune system, affecting blood pressure and stimulating digestion.
Some of my personal favourite smells that help me relax is coffee first thing in the morning, making me realize just what a great invention it is. A boxer puppy has just recently become part of our family. The smell of a puppy makes me melt and enter another world of comfort and love. The smell of recently cut grass and the air just before it rains is heavenly. Freshly baked bread and bacon cooking lets the taste buds come alive. Lastly the smell of the sea just seems to clear the mind and offer a sense of gratitude for being alive and healthy.
Popular scents that you can easily incorporate into your life
Citrus
Bergamot, a type of refreshing orange, has been shown to relieve anxiety and improve sleep quality. Lemon has calming and clarifying properties that are helpful when you’re feeling angry, anxious or run down. Lemon also has antiviral and antibacterial properties and can help fight sore throats and colds by boosting the body’s immune system and improving circulation.
Lavender
Lavender has incredible calming properties that help control emotional stress by offering a soothing effect on nerves and can relieve nervous tension and depression as well as treat headaches and migraines. Lavender is regarded as the most popular essential oil for soothing sleep and increasing drowsiness.
Jasmine
Jasmine a sweetly floral scent, is also used to calm nerves, but this oil is commonly used as an anti-depressant because of its uplifting capabilities that produce a feeling of confidence, optimism and revitalized energy. Research shows jasmine improves sleep quality and cuts down on restless sleeping, as well as increasing daytime alertness.
Vanilla
The sweet scent of vanilla is appealing to many people, and it has a long history of use for relaxation and stress relief. Vanilla can have sedative effects on the body. It can reduce hyperactivity and restlessness, quiet the nervous system, and lower blood pressure. It also appears to help relieve anxiety and depression, resulting in both relaxation and an uplift in mood. If the smell of cookies baking relaxes and soothes you, vanilla might be a scent to try for sleep—without the calories!
To get the most out of these oils add them to your bath about an hour before bedtime. Use a diffuser; they are very effective in dispersing your favourite oil. If you are feeling creative make your own mist by adding 4-5 drops of essential oil to a half a cup of water. Spray this on your linen or under a pillow.
There are a few other scents that are worth mentioning mainly because we often take them for granted.
Pine
According to a Japanese study, participants who went on a walk-through pine forests reported significantly lower depression and stress levels. The research also discovered that anxious subjects had a greater feeling of relaxation after indulging in the scent. Use that as an excuse to get the whole family out of the house
Baby Powder
Baby powder makes you feel calm because it can induce the primal nostalgic feeling of childhood, where you felt safe and secure.
The scent of a loved one
The scent of a boyfriend or wife can trigger that ‘in love’ feeling; a feeling that our brains find soothing because of its familiarity. Travelling partners often keep an item of clothing close at hand as a comfort and special reminder.
Baked goods
Baked goods can induce a state of relaxation because you’re smelling something that is familiar, safe, secure — and obviously delicious!
Cucumbers
This aroma is said to reduce anxiety and induce relaxation, because the scent takes you back to your childhood (a less anxiety-ridden time of life) where picnics and get-togethers were more common.
Suntan lotion and jet fuel
Scents you associate with travel, like the smell of suntan lotion and jet fuel, can often trigger a relaxed state, since they remind you of vacation, where you’re relaxed.
Why not join one of our perfume making workshops at perfumepower.co.za/events, to discover which fragrance oils help you relax.