Can natural scents lower stress levels?
As a natural perfume company, we get lots of feedback on how Jones & Modha no1 not only smells delicious but really lifts the spirits thanks to the beneficial properties of the natural plant oils used. Many of us intuitively know that a beautiful fragrance can alter our mood for the better and have experienced the ‘association affect’ of a scent with a place or event in the past (read more on this here)
So we were fascinated to read about a virtual reality experiment at The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences that found that our sense of smell is linked to the way we react to stress.
We know that being in nature helps us
It’s been known for a while that ‘forest bathing’ as it’s called in Japan, or spending time in nature has positive effects on our wellbeing. It’s known to relax us whilst actually lowering our heart rate, restoring focus and combating physical and mental health challenges.
Hearing birdsong has an impact on us too
Research has shown that just seeing a natural scene will relax us and a study at the same University found that hearing birdsong has a positive impact on our sense of space. So that’s seeing and hearing - what about smelling?
The multi sensory experiment
The Swedish University’s multi sensory experiment introduced three virtual environments to participants.
A city scene of high rise buildings, with the sound of cars, the smell of diesel, tar and gunpowder ( used in road building)
A park scene of trees and grassland, some buildings, the sound of a bird singing and the smell of grass.
A forest scene of trees, shrubs and deadwood, the sound of 9 bird species and the scent of fir and mushrooms.
Participants were asked to rate how pleasant they found the three scenes out of 100. During the exposure to the scenes, they were subjected to a small electric shock to introduce a small amount of stress.
They found that stress reduction immediately after the shock was greatest whilst experiencing the forest and park scenes.
An additional finding which the scientists found particularly interesting was that the forest smell was highest rated for pleasantness and also was associated with lowest stress response and faster physiological recovery.
This is now something the scientists want to explore further.
The uniqueness of our sense of smell
Our sense of smell is particularly intriguing as it’s the only sense that sends signals directly to the hypothalamus , the part of the brain involved in stress responses and the olfactory cortex where odours are processed and perceived. From here the signal goes to the amygdala, where threat is detected and the hippocampus where memories are formed and recalled. It’s no surprise then that when we smell something familiar, we can be instantly transported to a place and even recreate an emotion we’ve experienced in the past.
As a result of this research, scientists believe natural scents have the greatest impaction physiological stress reduction. Hence the feeling of wellbeing and uplift when we spend time in nature.
Can the smell of a loved one relieve stress?
Another interesting article we found in Psychology Today, explains how a familiar, comforting odour, like the smell of a loved one, might also have beneficial results when we experience stress.
So those of you who wear Jones & Modha no 1 eau de parfum and experience positive feelings of uplift are absolutely right, there seems to be some science behind it!
“I love this gorgeous perfume. The scent is so beautiful and uplifting especially during these tough times! I wear it just to make myself feel good through my day” Sue Atkins.
