What's That Smell? The healing power of aromatherapy
- Carolyn Pitts
- 3 days ago
- 5 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
“Something’s burning, Mom,” called my daughter as she raced into the kitchen. It was early 2021, and my sense of smell still hadn’t returned after a bout of COVID. Though it eventually came back, scents aren’t as vivid as they once were.
Our underrated sense of smell is often ranked the least important of the five senses. In a survey of 400 people published in Brain Sciences, 85% said they’d give up smell if they had to lose one sense—while fewer than 2% would surrender vision. The American Medical Association Guides to Permanent Impairment estimates that the loss of smell reduces earning potential by only 1–5%, compared to an 85% loss for blindness.
Yet, our sense of smell has meaningful value. Dr. Gary Beauchamp of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia reports that humans can detect anywhere from 10,000 to 100 billion different odors. Our nose keeps us safe by signaling a natural gas leak, food that has spoiled, or something burning on the stove.
The olfactory bulb, located near the mouth, also plays a key role in how we experience taste. Think about how flavorless food seems when you’re congested. A dulled sense of taste can suppress appetite—or push us toward heavily processed foods loaded with artificial flavors, sugar, and salt.
Smells are powerful memory triggers, too. There’s a certain scent that instantly transports me back to my elementary school cafeteria. Consider the comforting aroma of brewing coffee, fresh-baked bread, or the crisp scent of pine trees when the sap is running. What smells evoke memories for you?
Surprisingly, scent also shapes our social connections. Humans use subtle chemical cues to sense kinship, attraction, health, and even emotions like fear, sadness, or joy. Much of this happens subconsciously, but it still influences how we relate to others. A relationship can be challenging with someone who is unaware of social scent cues—or the strength of their personal odor!
The Power of Aromatherapy
For more than 6,000 years, scent has been a part of healing traditions. Ancient civilizations in Egypt, India, and China extracted concentrated essences from flowers, leaves, fruits, and roots to treat a variety of ailments.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, “Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic benefit. When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain, particularly impacting the amygdala—the emotional center of the brain.”
Since 2000, Western interest in essential oils (EOs) has surged as more people explore complementary forms of healing. Essential oils are now used to enhance focus, sleep quality, and emotional balance, as well as relieve symptoms of stress, fatigue, pain, anxiety, and depression.
In Healing Touch for Animals (HTA), we learned to incorporate EOs with our four-legged friends. I often tuck a small square of cotton with a drop or two of lavender oil into my pocket when working with anxious pets. It’s remarkable to watch how quickly they calm once they catch a whiff.
Essential Oils for Anxiety
If you’d like to try essential oils for relaxation or anxiety relief, here are three options to consider:
Lavender: Lavender’s soft floral aroma is well known for promoting relaxation and restful sleep. International organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO), the European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy (ESCOP), and the European Medicines Agency (EMA) all endorse lavender EO for easing stress, restlessness, and anxiety. I apply lavender EO to wool dryer balls when drying my sheets.
A 2023 systematic review published in the journal Healthcare concluded:
“Inhaling lavender essential oil appears to be an effective, safe, and feasible treatment option for anxiety. Based on the current evidence, the inhalation of lavender essential oil can be recommended as an efficacious anxiolytic solution to improve coping in people facing diverse anxiety situations.”
Peppermint: Peppermint EO can uplift mood and fight fatigue by triggering the secretion of “feel good” hormones like endorphins. A 2022 study found that inhaling peppermint EO improved learning and memory ability of mice in maze tests. It can protect brain nerves by improving amino acid metabolism and energy metabolism, reducing brain oxidative damage, and protecting neurons. Because it boosts alertness, avoid using peppermint EO close to bedtime.
Lemon: Extracted from Citrus limon, lemon EO has been prized for centuries for its fresh, invigorating scent and versatile therapeutic uses. The uplifting scent influences neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin. Studies show that lemon EO can ease anxiety in students during exams, patients awaiting surgery, and even those recovering from heart events. Studies also showed it lowers blood pressure and heart rate, along with improving cognitive performance.
Tips for Using Essential Oils Safely
Choose quality brands. Experienced healers I know prefer essential oils from reputable companies such as dōTERRA and Young Living. To learn more, contact dōTerra EO Educator Janie Strosnider (jstrosider@gmail.com or (804) 691-3311).
Store properly. Keep oils away from pets, children, heat, and direct sunlight.
Dilute before applying. Essential oils should be mixed with a carrier oil—like coconut or olive oil—before touching the skin. Some oils can cause photosensitivity when applied topically.
Be mindful of pets. While lavender is generally safe, certain essential oils can be toxic to animals, especially cats. Always research before diffusing oils in a shared space.
Be respectful of others. Scents can be debilitating to people with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Syndrome (MCS) so be mindful of who is in your vicinity when using EO.
Take a moment to express gratitude for your sense of smell. It connects us to memory, emotion, nourishment, healing, and each other. EO offers a simple, natural way to soothe the mind and support well-being—one inhalation at a time.
References
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What Your Nose Knows: Sense of Smell and Your Health. News in Health. National Institutes of Health. August 2016.
Herz, Rachel S, and Martha R Bajec. “Your Money or Your Sense of Smell? A Comparative Analysis of the Sensory and Psychological Value of Olfaction.” Brain sciences vol. 12,3 299. 23 Feb. 2022, doi:10.3390/brainsci12030299
Cao, Xia et al. “Aromatherapy in anxiety, depression, and insomnia: A bibliometric study and visualization analysis.” Heliyon vol. 9,7 e18380. 17 Jul. 2023, doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18380
Lv, Xiaofan et al. Effects of Peppermint Essential Oil on Learning and Memory Ability in APP/PS1 Transgenic Mice. Molecules, Mar 2022. doi:10.3390/molecules27072051
Manik Mahachandra, Yassierli, Erdo D. Garnaby. "The Effectiveness of In-vehicle Peppermint Fragrance to Maintain Car Driver's Alertness." Procedia Manufacturing,Volume 4, 2015, Pages 471-477, ISSN 2351-9789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2015.11.064.
Falls, Neha et al. “Amelioration of neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment by Lemon oil in experimental model of Stressed mice.” Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie vol. 106 (2018): 575-583. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2018.06.160
Sara Gonçalves, João Castro, António Almeida, Maria Monteiro, Tânia Rodrigues, Rui Fernandes, Rita S. Matos. "A systematic review of the therapeutic properties of lemon essential oil." Advances in Integrative Medicine, Volume 12, Issue 3, 2025, 100433, ISSN 2212-9588.
Lopez, Victor et al. "Exploring Pharmacological Mechanisms of Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) Essential Oil on Central Nervous System Targets." Front. Pharmacol., 18 May 2017
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