Well – there’s new scientific proof of what has been believed for centuries – certain scents really do reduce stress. Nice, eh? Here is an excerpt from the UPI press release from July:

“Japanese researchers have confirmed what many aroma therapists have long advocated — the scent of plants like lemon, mango, lavender reduce stress.

The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, found certain fragrances alter gene activity and blood chemistry in ways that can reduce stress levels.

Akio Nakamura of the Technical Research Center at the T. Hasegawa Co. in Kawasaki, Japan, and colleagues note that people have inhaled the scent of certain plants since ancient times to help reduce stress, fight inflammation and depression and induce sleep.

Aromatherapy, the use of fragrant plant oils to improve mood and health, has become a popular form of alternative medicine today, Nakamura said.”

According to the article, lab rats were exposed to stressful situations – and some rats inhaled Linalool (a natural scent believed to have a calming influence) while the other rats didn’t breathe the Linalool. Those that inhaled the Linalool “returned stress-elevated levels of neutrophils and lymphocytes — key parts of the immune system — to near-normal levels.” Pretty cool!

We at Garden Girl have believed this since the beginning – that’s why we so carefully chose our blends of either energizing or calming essential oils for our shower gels and body lotions. Check them out if you haven’t tried them. There’s one for every mood!