Using Common Scents to Improve Health

By: Linda Halcon, Ph.D., M.P.H., B.S.N., R.N.

Contrary to common belief, there is much more to aromatherapy than beauty products and candles. In fact, essential oils extracted from plants can be used to influence mood or emotion and for other medicinal purposes. They can be applied by inhalation or topically.

When we inhale and smell essential oils, these complex mixtures of organic chemicals affect parts of the brain that involve emotional responses and memory and those parts involved with cognition and connected to the autonomic nervous system (heart rate, breathing, etc.). One of the ways scents can evoke emotions is through memory association. For example, the smell of lavender can be very pleasant if your grandmother wore lavender and the relationship with her was good. On the other hand, that same scent may create feelings of stress and anxiety if memory associations are unpleasant. Inhaled molecules from essential oils also can affect body systems after they enter the bloodstream through the lungs. Essential oils also are applied topically, their components reaching the bloodstream after diffusing through the skin.

In the case of essential oils (or aromatherapy), you need to understand how the various oils work and what effect you are trying to achieve in order to safely and effectively include them in a plan of care. Each essential oil has its own unique composition that includes about 100 separate chemicals; thus it is impossible to generalize about aromatherapy effects. Each one is different.

Research has been conducted to test how essential oils affect mood and cognition when inhaled. For example, peppermint oil (Mentha piperita) has been shown to have stimulating properties that can help to reduce fatigue, and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is another essential oil that can improve mental clarity. Citrus oils such as mandarin (Citrus reticulata) and sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) tend to provide an uplifting effect. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) on the other hand, tends to be relaxing and has been used to reduce mild to moderate anxiety.

Clinicians and researchers at the University of Minnesota and in other Twin Cities’ health care settings are testing and using essential oils. In pediatric practice, inhaled ginger (Zinziber officinalis) and spearmint (Mentha spicata) oils are used to reduce nausea. Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is used to reduce agitation and promote relaxation and sleep. Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) is used topically to treat wounds as well as bacterial and fungal skin conditions. These natural botanical products are relatively inexpensive, and many could be promising low cost treatments with few identified side effects.

But remember, although essential oils are natural, that does not make them less potent or harmless. They should not be ingested. Just like any drug or medication, make sure to use these oils with care, and consult a provider who is knowledgeable about essential oils with any questions or concerns.

Linda Halcon, Ph.D., M.P.H., B.S.N., R.N., is director of Graduate Studies in the Center for Spirituality and Healing and associate professor and department chair in the School of Nursing.