Aromatherapy & Stress Relief

While a lot of people may doubt the efficacy of smells on moods, they only have to examine their own reactions to such things as coffee, bacon, spring flowers and other scents, to realize that the sense of smell opens up a whole new path to influencing the mind, and the way it works.

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Aromatherapy is basically the introduction of specific scents, with the purpose of creating a reaction, generally one of relaxation. It works partly on association, between images and memories of the person using the therapy and the fragrance they have chosen, but mostly it is related to chemical actions and reactions between the smell and the brain.

Scents are interpreted differently by individual brains, but studies have shown that lavender increases alpha waves to the rear of the brain, resulting in relaxation. (Even in Victorian times, ladies bathed their temples with lavender "water" as a cure for headaches.) The smell of jasmine affects the front portion of the brain, and can bring heightened awareness.

Every essential oil has a complex chemical formula, with as many as 100 ingredients that include things like alcohol, ketones, esters, terpenes and aldehydes. How the formula is weighted, figures largely in its effect on the individual, hence the need to choose a blend that is specifically directed towards relieving stress, and even creating your own blends to find the key ingredients or fragrances that have the most beneficial effect on you.

Aldehydes and esters in particular, are known for their calming and sedative properties. These can be found in typical sources of lemon smells such as lemon grass, lemon balm and citronellas, as well as camomile, lavender, bergamot, and clary sage.