I was reading about aromatherapy on different web sites recently and I began to notice something. When speaking of aromatherapy, the first line of these articles started out with one of the following: “Doesn’t just smell good”, “More than just a pretty smell”, or “Health benefits way beyond smelling good”. All these sources are quick to mention that aromatherapy for health benefits are about using these oils in many different ways for our health, except, I have noticed that they are starting to minimize the fact that sometimes it IS the smell that heals.

It’s called AROMAtherapy for a reason.

We get many customers, in the shop, that seem to almost apologize when they get an oil, stating that they don’t know why they get a certain oil and they say “I just like the way it smells” and then they add, “is that bad?” Of course it isn’t bad! There are some who are allergic to some oils, and there are some who just plain old don’t like to put oils on, for many different reasons. That doesn’t mean that you can’t benefit a great deal from the oil’s aroma.

All animals react to smells dramatically, even us humans. For instance, many household cleaners have one of these three “smells” added; pine, lemon, or citrus. These are added because when our brains perceive these smells we do two things; we feel happier and we believe our surroundings to be clean. Did you know that even if these smells are just added to a home, we walk in, smell it, and feel better and we feel it is cleaner too, even if it hasn’t been cleaned! This is because Pine, Lemon, and Citrus are natural mood elevators for the majority, not everyone however. We have all had the experience of suddenly smelling something baking, that you remember childhood, that made you feel loved and taken care of. When you smell this your blood pressure and heart rate can go down and stress melts away; therefore, creating health within you. A smell that you recognize from a loved one, that has past or is separated from you, can transport you immediately into memories bringing that person back, even if for only a moment, and it makes you happy. Happiness is a gateway to health! So, don’t leave those oils on the shelf gathering dust because the list of health benefits doesn’t seem to be what you need right now. Do you like the smell? If you like the smell, chances are it makes you happy, and that increases your health.

We inform customers if they are drawn to a particular stone they are meant to have that stone. It doesn’t matter if the reason they were drawn was the color or texture because it will aid health anyway. It’s the same with oils. If you like the smell of an oil then diffuse it in your home or just open the bottle once in a while and just smell it, or put it in a vessel and wear around your neck., because you don’t need someone to give a reason for it! If you like it, you like it. Many people come in to the shop because they love the smell. It’s true, for those of you who are reading this who have not had the chance yet, that many people come in quite often to “smell” our shop for just a few minutes! Weird? No! The combination of oils, herbs, candles, sweet grass, sages, and more, bring people in off the streets because it plain old smells great and makes them feel good. It calms them, makes them feel accepted, and brings a smile to their faces.

So don’t hesitate to use those oils that you love to smell because you love the smell! Again, it is called AROMAtherapy for a reason. Use and love those oils, FOR THE SMELL OF IT! Next time: Oils that help us with emotional response in our bodies. Be Well!

j.m.s.