Is there really anything to aromatherapy? Have any doctors or scientists looked into aromatherapy? Once you find out what aromatherapy can do for you, you’ll be checking out all the cool scents out there.
Many people use aromatherapy to create a sense of calm or to change their mood. You can actually evoke very specific physical and emotional reactions with scent. This is because the sense of smell is so primal; when you smell something, a very primal space in your brain reacts without you putting alot of thought into it. That’s why you skrink back at the smell of hair burning or come closer when someone smells familiar.
One of the most trusted of the aromatherapy studies shows that lavender has a very powerful affect on you physically. Lavender actually calms you physically by lowering your blood pressure and slowing your heart rate. Many massage therapists use lavender essential oils in their lotions, oils, and to diffuse in their offices. Many geriactric units are starting to use lavender to calm and soothe dementia patients. Another proven scent is geranium; it also relaxes the body is a similar way to lavender.
When studying aromatherapy, scientists have discovered yet another powerful aromatherapy tool: peppermint. It has been determined that peppermint enhances your ability to focus, increasing your alertness and mental clarity. In one study, kids who chewed peppermint gum while taking tests performed better than students who chewed any other flavor gum.
A lot of people use grapefruit essential oil because it is supposed to work as an appetite suppressant. Another fun thing about grapefruit essential oils was discovered in a study evaluating men, scent, and age–apparantly men think women who smell like grapefruit are younger than those who wear other scents.
However, not all aromatherapy products work the same. Your body won’t have the same response to a synthetic product as an essential oil. High grade essential oils are more effective than low grade oils. For best results, buy a 100% natural, high quality essential oil and mix it into lotions and a base oil, such as almond oil.
