MANUAL
Hand
SKILLS IN Scent-ualitu
Harness the power of smell to help you relax // EMILY JOHNSON
A few squirts of lavender vanilla pillow spray helps Sarah Hockel, Overland Park junior, to sleep.
Fragrant flora often possess therapeutic qualities that you can easily attain after a little lesson in the science of scent. Aromatherapy can be relaxing, energizing, arousing or healing depending on the combinations of scents, techniques and products.
Choosing the right combination for your situation requires understanding how different scents affect you, as well as considering your personal preferences.
Smell is a powerful sense, and different scents have unique ways of influencing our behavior. David Holmes, professor of psychology, says scent is strongly tied to feelings and memories. A boyfriend's cologne or girlfriend's perfume may inspire comfort or desire, whereas a whiff of that cheap tequila you chugged outside the bar may incur nausea.
The way smells affect us is also based on
individual taste, which is often influenced by factors such as gender and culture. Local aromatherapist Joan Clark says some cultures are permeated by spices or earth tones. She says her male clientele tend to use earthy smells such as sage, while women prefer feminine, floral scents such as jasmine. These things determine what unique smells each of us is attracted to.
"People are realizing the power scent has to make us happy," Clark says. But many scents can do much more than conjure up memories or a pleasing aroma; their natural qualities can alter our mental state and stimulate physical wellbeing.
There are four methods of using aromatherapy: diffusion into the air, ingestion, skin application and smell. When you smell a certain scent, it sends signals to your brain and causes your body to react.
Rachel Thomas, Bath and Body Works employee, says the company's aromatherapy collection is separated into four main categories:
sleep, stress-relief, sensuality and energy. The categories are based on lavender, peppermint, vanilla and citrus, respectively.
These common scents are widely associated with such specific properties, but some plant extracts have multiple advantages depending on their use and combinations.
Clark says her clients love the versatile lemon eucalyptus oil, which lifts feelings of depression. When combined with peppermint and lavender it cases headache pain, and if mixed with pine it clears sinuses. Rosemary and basil make invigorating massage oils, as well as provide mental clarity. Citrus scents are not only energizing, but also uplifting when you're in a bad mood.
You can obtain the benefits of aromatherapy from a plethora of different products, such as body washes, oils, lotions, perfumes, room sprays and candles. But before you buy or apply, take into consideration your personal preferences and the effects of the scents you are sampling.
Photo illustration by Jerry Wang
Ready to relax. Scents can trigger pleasant memories, promote relaxation and lift your mood on rough days. Need a pick-me-up? Try rosemary and basil for mental clarity or surround yourself with citrus to clear your head.
AROMATHERAPY 101:
10 ways to treat yourself to a scent-ual experience
1. Smooth on a soothing lavender-based lotion after a warm shower and before bed, or spray a lavender-scented linen mist on your pillow at night for sweet dreams.
2. Give yourself or someone who deserves it a relaxing scalp massage. Massage therapist Desirée Schumacher of Salon Di Marco & Day Spa, 733 Massachusetts St., recommends using lavender oil and focusing on the temples and the back of the head and neck.
3. Wash your feet with an exfoliating peppermint scrub to ease tension after a stressful day, and follow with peppermint lotion.
4. Warm up and chill out by sipping a steaming cup of chamomile or peppermint tea.
5. For a welcome wake-up during her morning shower, Bath and Body Works employee Rachel Thomas uses an energizing citrus-scented body wash. For added oomph, employ matching shampoo and conditioner.
6. Ladies, nab the nose of a hot date with a sexy spritz of vanilla-infused perfume.
7. Men, light some vanilla-scented candles to set the mood for a romantic evening.
8. If you suffer from nasal congestion or feel a cold creeping up, sniff an inhaler that contains lemon eucalyptus or pine oil to clear up your sinuses and safeguard against sickness.
9. Spray some rosemary-infused air freshener for increased mental clarity as you study for midterms or write that research paper.
10 Burn citrus-scented candles as you prepare for your night or day to enstill positive feelings.
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