The Lavender Aroma Effect and why it can help you strive for a healthier life

I want to take you through a quick journey I like to call The Lavender Aroma Effect and why it can help you strive for a healthier lifestyle.

The Lavender Plant

There is something fascinating about the lavender plant. Our imagination can quickly and easily envision an open field of this popular purple flowering plant. 

You just did, didn’t you? 

Haha! all good. I did too.

There are only a few flowers in the world that trigger such a response from our imagination.

We have been using the lavender plants and their fragrances for quite some time. From shampoo’s, soaps, laundry detergents, dryer sheets, and types of potpourris, to name a few everyday things.

The plant itself has brought us tea, decor, herbs for cooking, adding to drinks like lemonade and lavender muffins. We have been using lavender for millennials and probably will be for millennials to come.

I bet 9 out of 10 people could name lavender out of a smell test. I am assuming that the 10th fellow couldn’t smell anything.

It is so ingrained in our culture that the aroma has become part of our daily lives. As it should be, It smells beautiful.

Aromatherapy

I am a big fan of all different sorts of aromas, and I believe that parts of the aroma’s effect do something different for each of us, and the rest of the effects do something for all of us.

Such as the aroma of lavender essential oil. The aroma has a very grounding effect on me and sets off emotions related to being grateful. If the lavender aroma had words, it would be like, “Hey, maybe you should step back and take a look around.”

Not everyone receives the same effect from lavender essential oil as I do, like the one I just mentioned, but I would throw a wager that most people get an induced relaxing feeling from the aroma.

How about you, does the sweet smell of lavender relax you?

It’s all in the oil.

I read many articles with people stating that the Lavender oil smells wonderful, but the oil itself is where the healing power is.

I say, meh. 

The lavender plant indeed holds a lot of benefits that can help us in our everyday lives. But the aroma itself can be very moving and have outstanding effects on the way we feel, think, and behave. 

If a simple aroma of lavender can do that, then that’s what I call therapeutic.

Don’t get me wrong; understanding your oils is very important when striving for a healthy lifestyle. But sometimes, you need to step back and enjoy it for what it is—a wonderful aroma.

It’s in the research.

Let’s talk a little about research. It seems that the term “research suggests” gets thrown around a lot when it comes to articles explaining essential oils. ‘eyes roll.’

I do not doubt that research doesn’t exist for what lavender can do. Though, I suspect that ingesting lavender essential oil will not help rid yourself of a sore throat or banish all your flu symptoms.

It’s just not going to happen.

Again, I do believe that lavender essential oil has a lot of health benefits. I would guess, more than we could fathom.

So, back to research.

A PMC, well, a few peer-reviewed articles stating that lavender aroma has been found to reduce fatigue, promote behavior commitment and get this, increase the amount of time customers spend in a restaurant, and the amount of purchasing! ( Grimms 1999 study )

In 2005, Sakamoto and associates presented a study called ‘Effectiveness of aroma on work efficiency.’ Although lavender is a sedative-type aroma, used during periods after an accumulation of fatigue seems to prevent performance deterioration.

And my favorite is that lavender aroma influencing interpersonal trust, promoting behavior commitment and prosocial behaviors.

What are prosocial behaviors? Baron did a study in 1997 known as the ‘Sweet Smell of Helping.’ ( by retrieving a dropped pen or providing change for money) was significantly greater in the presence of pleasant fragrances such as lavender than in their absence.

I don’t know about you, but that seems like a powerful type of aroma.

The Power of Smell

On a personal note. I believe that most of us underestimate the power of the third sense, smell. Just like the other four senses, smell has the power to change the way we feel in a second.

A smell can recall memories and become attached to memories.

A smell can alter our bodies’ chemicals, e.g., From mad to happy, within a second.

 If smell can do these, then it can, for sure, change the future, right?

Sure, these are broad terms, but I bet you could attach your memories to any of those three that I mentioned above.

Don’t take my word for it.

There is plenty of research to go around verifying the effects of aroma’s and our behaviors. With a few clicks of the keyboard and a will to avoid all the nonsense articles, I am sure you will find something with quality and help you on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.’

Well, thanks for sticking around long enough to get this far! 

You’re the best!