Aromatherapy uses essential oils--volatile compounds extracted from the leaves and flowers of certain plants--to promote improved health. Though aromatherapy advocates cite numerous benefits for aromatherapy, ranging from regrowing hair to helping with insomnia to easing pain, the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) says that there is not enough scientific evidence to conclude that aromatherapy really produces these kinds of benefits. What research does indicate is that aromatherapy can have an effect on your mood.
Use
Aromatherapy is most commonly practiced by inhaling the fragrance of essential oils believed to elicit certain emotional responses. An aromatherapist might use essential oils on their own or diffuse them in steam to create a mood, but you can also light a candle or use a diffuser to get the mood benefits of aromatherapy. In some cases, an aromatherapist might massage essential oils onto your skin or--more rarely--prescribe them for you to take orally, but these applications are more common for aromatherapy treatments that are designed to change conditions other than mood.
Types
There are several different types of aromatherapy purported to affect mood, but only a few of these reported uses have been substantiated by scientific research. Researchers at Ohio State University found that lemon aromatherapy lifted the mood of test subjects, according to Ohio State University's Research News, and experts at the UMMC says that a combination of rose, lavender and frankincense helped calm the emotions of women in labor.
Function
It's not clear exactly how aromatherapy affects mood, but researchers theorize that there may be a relationship between the smell receptors in the nose, which communicate directly with the parts of the brain that process memories and emotion, according to the UMMC. Certain smells may trigger receptors in the brain just as mood-altering medications do.
Considerations
If you want to use aromatherapy for your mood, candles, lotions and bath products can work well, but make sure that you're getting products that contain real essential oils rather than synthetic versions of them. Artificial oils don't deliver the same effects, say experts at the UMMC.
Warning
If you're undergoing chemotherapy, talk to your doctor or healthcare provider before using any type of aromatherapy, recommends the National Cancer Institute. Also check with your doctor before using aromatherapy if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, if you have high blood pressure or if you have a history of seizures. There is a small possibility that aromatherapy for mood management could have a negative impact on these conditions, according to the experts at the UMMC.
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