Aroma Therapy

I am going to be blogging some book reviews for Thomas Nelson Publishing, and I am in the middle of my first read. It is a book called This is Your Brain on Joy written by Dr. Earl Henslin. (Review coming later.) But today I was struck with a great idea that I wanted to pass along to you.

Dr. Henslin writes that “… of all the senses, smell hits the brain first…In fact, the olfactory nerve fibers run a path directly to the limbic system—the mood center of the brain—bypassing the run around that the other senses go through.” So if you want to provoke emotions, smell is the quickest way to do it. Baking bread reminds us of grandma’s house and nurtures warm fond memories. Gingerbread makes us think of Christmas; certain perfumes may remind us of our mother, and on and on it goes. Good smells make us feel happy.

No wonder I am completely enamored with fragrances! They make me feel happy! A month ago I tested all of the perfumes in my Mary Kay inventory. Mary Kay carries two types of perfume, the less expensive Eau de Toilette, and the Eau de Parfum Fragrances.   My most favorite fragrance was the Exotic Passion Fruit Eau de Toilette, but I really loved all four of these less expensive perfumes. (Warm Amber, Simply Cotton, Exotic Passionfruit, and Sparkling Honeysuckle)

Each fragrance sets a different mood, so I like a little variety to choose from. Sexy, pretty, or sassy…hopeful, endearing, bold… They all have a different effect. And for me they provoke positive emotions, aroma therapy at its best.