The effect of fragrances on your mood and health

Smelling a delightful aroma is always a pleasure. We have always associated smells with specific situations. The smell of fresh rain, the smell freshly baked bread and the freshly cut roses given by that special loved one. The most delicate of our five senses, it affects our mood and well being not yet completely understood by science.

Since ages gone by people have been using various types of fragrances and aromatherapy benefits to spice up their life and those around them.

Our sense of smell can be used as a very powerful tool. Consider the fact, that we are capable of distinguishing somewhere around 10,000 different smells! When we inhale different scents there smells travel along our olfactory nerves which are located inside our nose and then move up into the area of our brain that is responsible for controlling our moods, as well as our memories and even our ability to learn. This segment of our brain is known as the Limbic System and when it receives stimulation it starts to release natural endorphins, neurotransmitters and other chemicals that tend to put us in a good mood, there is a lot of power in using essential oils for emotions.

The use of essential oils in particular date back nearly one thousand years.

The Chinese may have been one of the first cultures to use aromatic plants for well-being. Their practices involved burning incense to help create harmony and balance.

Later, the Egyptians invented a rudimentary distillation machine that allowed for the crude extraction of cedar wood oil. It is also thought by some that Persia and India may have also invented crude distillation machines, but very little is known The Greeks learned a great deal from the Egyptians, but Greek mythology apparently credits the gift and knowledge of perfumes to the gods. The Greeks also recognized the medicinal and aromatic benefits of plants.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, perfume starting being considered an art form, and it was more clearly defined as its own field.

During the 19th century, perfumery remained a prosperous industry. Women would have their jeweler create a special bottle to hold their treasured perfume. The 19th century also was important scientifically as major constituents of essential oils became isolated.

During the earlier part of the 20th century, a French chemist by the name of René-Maurice Gattefossé became interested in the use of essential oils for their mediciGattefossé is credited with coining the term aromatherapy in 1928 within an article where he supports the use of using essential oils in their whole without breaking them down into their primary constituents use. We can douse ourselves in expensive perfumes yet how do we make sure that our homes smell great too.

A large amount of research has thrown up that the perception of smell consists not only of the sensation of the odors themselves but of the experiences and emotions associated with these sensations. Smells can evoke strong emotional reactions. In surveys on reactions to odors, responses show that many of our olfactory likes and dislikes are based purely on emotional associations.

The mood-improving effects of pleasant smells may not always work to our advantage: by enhancing our positive perceptions and emotions, pleasant scents can cloud our judgment. In an experiment in a Las Vegas casino, the amount of money gambled in a slot machine increased by over 45% when the site was odorized with a pleasant aroma.

Vanilla fragrance makes you calmer. A study at Tubingen University in Germany showed that vanilla fragrance reduced the startle-reflex in both humans and animals. The animal results indicate that the calming effects of vanilla may be due to some more essential property of the fragrance than the ‘positive childhood associations’ usually invoked to explain its universal popularity with humans.

Experiments have shown that exposure to pleasant fragrances significantly enhance performance on work-related tasks. In particular, ‘arousing’ fragrances such as peppermint, which increase alertnOne Japanese company uses citrus scent to stimulate its workers at the start of the day, floral scents to boost their concentration in the late morning and early afternoon and woody scents such as cedar and cypress to relieve tiredness at lunchtime and in the evenings, have been found to improve performance

A majority of people tend to seek out professional massage therapists or visit an expensive health spa for their aromatherapy sessions. Even though this is a great way to experience aromatherapy if you can afford it. It is much cheaper and fairly easy to learn how to do aromatherapy right in the comfort of your own home. There is not much you will need. The basic elements needed are some candles, the essential oils of your choice and maybe bath oils. You will also need a burner or diffuser. To get the best results possible, you should find a quite and comfortable place to relax in your home for your personal aromatherapy session!

- You can use essential oils for bronchitis treatment, some useful bronchitis essential oils are Cedarwood, Lavender, and Peppermint.

There are a variety of ways to fill your surroundings with the pleasant aromas of essential oils.

They can be added to humidifiers, vaporisers, the molten wax of a candle, the dish of a diffuser (mixed with water), or even combined with water in a spray bottle.

Simply add a few drops of your favorite oil, or see our recipes below for some helpful suggestions:

Recipe for a fresh, clean smell in the air:

Recipe to induce Sleep:

Recipe for a Spicy aroma:

Romance is in the air:

Steam Inhalation (not recommended for asthmatics):

Place a few drops of essential oil into a bowl of very hot water. Lean over the bowl (approximately 8 inches from the water, or choose a comfortable distance for you), and drape a towel over your head.

Inhale the steam deeply for 5-10 minutes, (again, the length of time should be determined by your comfort level), remove the towel from your head, and blot the moisture from your face.

Hint: Once you are finished, leaving the bowl and its contents out in the open will continue to release the healing steam and aromas into the air, so don't be so quick to dump it down the sink!

Recipe for Cold & Flu using Steam Inhalation: