AROMATHERAPY

I’VE JOKED THAT when I was first in school studying nutrition, I felt like the freak in the corner talking about aromatherapy. I remember thinking all my classmates were there to learn just the conventional stuff like organic chemistry and medical nutrition therapy, and I felt out of place because I was interested in complementary and alternative treatments. I’d been introduced to the use of essential oils in a volunteer position at an integrative HIV clinic, and even before then, at home, so it made total sense to me that scent impacted mood, energy, and cognitive function. When I was in high school and preparing to take the SATs, for example, my mother gave me a Ziploc full of cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil. “To help you focus,” she explained. She instructed me to sniff them while studying and then to bring a similar bag with me on the day of the exam.

So what is aromatherapy, exactly? Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils of flowers, herbs, and trees to enhance your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.⁹

Essential oils are generally used by inhaling them or diluting them and applying them to the skin. Diffusing an oil so the scent can fill a room or space like a car (try it—it’s lovely) is a popular way to enjoy aromatherapy. Different oils may be more suited to different applications.

The olfactory (smell) system has been shown to be involved in mood, behavior, and cognitive function.¹⁰ Have you ever been in a cab or in line at a store or in an elevator and found someone’s perfume so unbearable you felt anxious and couldn’t wait to get out? On the flip side, have you ever walked into someone’s home and felt immediately at ease because it smelled pleasant or familiar? Are there certain scents that trigger strong memories or feelings for you? That’s your olfactory system at work.

We can use aromatherapy to help shift our mind-set, alleviate stress, and improve our cognitive function, too. I spoke with Ryan Smith, founder of New York City’s 5 Point Acupuncture, who uses aromatherapy in his practice as well as in his own self-care routine. “Self-care is where the oils really shine,” he said. He finds them especially useful for stress management, promoting restful sleep, supporting healthy digestion, and as a part of a proactive health care routine that assists in reducing toxic load and helping the immune system function optimally.

Here are a few easy ways to start:

• Lavender has been shown to be effective for helping ease anxiety, stress, and depression as well as insomnia.¹¹

• Peppermint oil has been used for treating digestive issues, pain, headaches, and the common cold. If you’re someone who’s prone to tension headaches, this can be a good one. It’s also been shown to help boost memory and cognitive function.¹²,¹³

• Grapefruit and Lemon essential oils have both been studied for their potential to boost mood.¹⁴ They each have a nice, cheerful smell that’s a good way to brighten a chilly or dark day.

• Rose oil has also been studied as a potential mood-booster¹⁵ and has been shown to help promote feelings of relaxation.¹⁶ This is a great one if you’re feeling wigged out and overwhelmed.

• Rosemary is another great one for promoting focus. Studies have shown it to have a stimulating effect on cognition.¹⁷

When asked to narrow it down to a top three, Smith recommends lavender, peppermint, and lemon. “Together they provide such a broad base—it’s almost like a Swiss Army knife. You’ve got a central nervous system relaxant, a stimulant, and a detoxifier.” Another one he loves and uses frequently is frankincense for fostering a sense of calm, stabilizing mood, and gently relieving fatigue.

Start with a few and see what you respond to. Smith stresses that it really is worth paying more for the good-quality varieties. Start with a few and see what you respond to. He lets his patients smell a bunch of oils, and the one that they become “obsessed with,” as he puts it, signals that there is something in that oil they need and are responding to. In my own life, I keep lavender oil on my bedside table to dab on my wrists every night to help me chill out. On days I’m working on a big project and need to focus, I diffuse peppermint or rosemary oil. When I’m sad, grapefruit is my go-to. I use blends with rose in them when I want to feel calmer and happier. A combination of citrus and vanilla are what I turn to when I want to feel more upbeat but calm.

We’ll get more into this later, but there are other scents that you can also use as part of a cleansing ritual to clear stale or negative energy. Also know that if essential oils just aren’t your thing, you can enjoy similar benefits with scented candles, creams, cleaning supplies, and the like. Tune into what you like and why you like it.