6 Wellness Benefits Of Aromatherapy

Scents don’t just make you smell good and fresh. They also offer these six benefits to your health & wellness.

Even if we don’t admit it, our sense of smell plays an integral role in our memories and emotions. Smelling something sweet, savory, or unpleasant can trigger specific memories and feelings since the smell passes through our olfactory bulbs. These glands are connected to our amygdala and hippocampus. It may sound like rocket science, but these parts of our brains are responsible for memory and emotion. Scents, indeed, are powerful things.

Since the sense of smell is crucial for our brain function, aromatherapy -- the art of using different scents to promote health and well-being -- is one way many people utilize scents for their wellness. If you’re interested in how scents can play a role in your health and self-care.

There are six benefits of aromatherapy, check them out below:

Reduces Stress and Anxiety

A handful of studies have shown that using essential oils may help relieve stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression. The relief may be due to the soothing effect of the scents and aromatherapy massages. Some scents you may try are lavender, rose, bergamot, and chamomile. If you don’t like applying oils to your skin, add a few drops to your potpourri bowl, oil burner, or air humidifier.

Using an air humidifier relaxes and helps one to have better sleep.

Boosts Energy

Scents also boost energy and perhaps productivity as well. A 2013 study revealed that peppermint extracts boost brain function, concentration, and performance. The same study also found that peppermint helps decrease exhaustion. Residents of PHirst Park Homes in Tanza may use peppermint oil or fragrance to enhance their energy and prevent burnout from working from home. 

Helps Relieve Pain

Oils can provide relief for joint pains, stomachaches, headaches, and sore muscles. Eucalyptus, peppermint, and turmeric are suitable oil scents for massages. While further research is needed to prove that smelling the scents helps relieve pain, a 2016 research article stated that aromatherapy has a more significant positive effect on reducing pains than placebos or control treatments. It is best to consult your doctor before using essential oils as pain relief to see if you are allergic to the ingredients.

Improves Sleep

Are you tired of losing sleep and tossing and turning at night? The right scent might just bring you to la-la land. Scents such as lavender, bergamot, chamomile, and ylang-ylang aren’t just perfect for making your bedroom smell good, but they also help you sleep better. Add a few drops to your air humidifier before you sleep to diffuse the scent all over your room. You may also apply sleep-inducing lotions and creams as these reportedly lull you to sleep. 

May Relieve Sinus Problems

Since essential oils and air humidifiers go hand in hand, using them together may help you breathe better during dry and cold weather. If you’re suffering from allergies and dry throat, adding some citrus or mint scents to your air humidifier may moisturize your nasal canal and throat, relieving you of your discomfort.

May Aid in Hormonal Balance

Women who experience polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) may use aromatherapy to relieve pain and balance their hormonal levels. A study by the Neuro Endocrinology Letters highlighted the benefits of essential oil exposure in balancing hormones and managing menopause symptoms and low estrogen levels. Scents you may use for these problems are sage, geranium, and thyme.

Using aromatherapy to experience wellness may seem far-fetched. But based on several studies showing that scents offer these six benefits, you might want to consider getting a few essential oils, scented candles, and a diffuser to experience zen and wellness.