Smells Good! Aromatherapy Does Not Need to Be New-Fangled, New Age, or Expensive

Ever lived near a bakery? Boy, does bread smell good as it comes out of the oven. Just the mere thought of the smell of freshly baked bread makes me smile; it is powerful stuff, indeed.

Or have you ever lived near stables, an abattoir, or a bull ring? The acrid odors of urine, blood, or feces repulse us as strongly as the warm, fresh smell of bread makes our mouths water. While we can learn to live with acrid smells if we have to, they still retain a metallic and unpleasant taste (yes, I wrote taste; this is bass-ackwards, though, since much of our perception of taste is actually supplied by our olfactory "factory").

Think for a moment about the smells you love: the baby (how did they get that same captivating baby-smell on all them little'uns?), freshly laundered clothes, that first cup of Java in the morning, wood smoke on a frosty night, cinnamon and pine needles at Christmas, blooming jasmine and honeysuckle, a new book.

What smells do you remember from your childhood? Last time I was in Ireland my cousin and I recalled the scent of Parma Violets someone used to give us on Saturday afternoons over at Nana's house; suddenly, I was back in the hallway at Number 65, and could smell the linoleum, the woodwork in the passageway, coats hung on hooks along the wall.

It is an interesting exercise; olfactory memory is strong for us because the sense receptors (in the nostrils) send information from the olfactory bulb (a clearing house for smell reception) directly to two centers in the brain simultaneously: to the limbic system (which says "Yay! it's a smell!") and also to the neo-cortex (the part of the brain where we do all that thinking and whatnot, as Winnie-the-Pooh might have said, had he ever thought about it), where memories are accessed and analyzed.

Some facts.

• Aromatherapy does not consist of "good scents" used to promote healing or health.
• It is the essential oil contained in the plant -- the chemical derived from the plant (from the flower, seeds, or elsewhere) -- that is purported to be the therapeutic element.
• This chemical (in the oil or solution) is ingested, or applied to the skin (whether by massage or other method), or brewed in a tea.
• The essential oils can also enhance the above applications simply by smelling good.
• There does not appear to be any scientific research confirming the efficacy of using essential oils to promote healing--proponents of the treatments tend to use anecdotal--rather than peer-reviewed quantitative or qualitative--evidence to suggest the benefits of aromatherapy.
• Tea Tree Oil has been found to kill the bacteria present in staphylococci and streptococci. So has gin.
• There is no doubt that a good massage, in pleasant surroundings, with soft music perhaps in the background, will make you feel good. In the same way, pleasant smells will relax rather than tense your muscles. Ever watched people in a dentist's waiting room?

• Here are some of the advertised benefits of aromatherapy oils (a selection of products in no particular order claim the following results): "Lends a slight sense of euphoria - perfect for unwinding after a stressful day," "Freshens and sharpens the mind, making it more alert," "Promotes elimination of toxins, helps tone and firm the body," "Facilitates deep relaxation," "Designed for sustained intellectual power and focus," "Ideal to rid the atmosphere of smoke and heavy odors," "Helps open the lungs and clear respiration," "Helps open higher energy centers," "Promotes circulation and encourages elimination of excess fluids." For a full listing of the products, visit Aromatherapy: Making Dollars out of Scents, where a doctor assesses some of the products available.

With the above caveats firmly in place, it is nevertheless relaxing to use the scents in oils or incense appropriately. I keep a lavender spray for my pillow because I like the smell -- and it isn't the smell itself that helps me drift off to sleep, it's the fact that I'm cozy and comfortable and relaxed, and the lavender spray certainly helps rather than hinders.

I have two dogs and a cat, so incense, essential oils, and the lavender spray are useful around the house. I keep a little bottle of peppermint oil by the cooker, and I like to open it and have a good sniff sometimes, just to enjoy the clean scent. (I used to try this with a tube of toothpaste, but somehow always ended up with paste up my nose.)

I wear patchouli oil because I like the scent, and dislike the smell of sweat (I live in South Carolina, and it gets pretty durn steamy in the summertime).

I also enjoy scents and aromas -- of cooking (steamed rice smells GOOD), in the garden, the few beauty products I buy. I guess it's because I have a big nose? I do know how much I cringe when I have to take a transatlantic flight; every time I board a plane the smell of the seats and the ambient "used air" is the first thing I notice. No wonder flight attendants are so grumpy.

Since I turned 50 I've been looking for different ways to keep my mind active, and in the course of experimenting with memory prompts involving scents and aromas I've realized that smell plays an important role in my emotional wellbeing--at least, a more significant role than I had imagined. I've caught myself hovering beside the washing machine, just to enjoy the scent of a laundry detergent I like. Or toasting corn tortillas even though I'm not really hungry, just because they smell so good.

The Japanese toast the New Year with Sake containing little flakes of gold. Indeed, gold has long been treasured for its supposed beneficial properties. And it is not harmful (in moderation) -- that's why it's useful in dentistry. But that is as far as it goes for the medicinal attributes of gold.

Likewise, aromatherapy is (as Ford Prefect concluded the planet Earth to be, in his entry in the Hitchiker's Gude) mostly harmless.