Mid Brain reports:
Back in the 1960s people smoked grass to relax. Now you can sniff a fragrance and get the same effect.
Actual aromatherapy?
Cosmetics Design reports on a new fragrance compound based on cut grass that actually has stress reducing properties. According to the article, the technology (known as “Serenascent”) is a specific mixture of hexanals, hexenols and pinenes. The technology is currently incorporated into a room spray that can be used on bed linen or clothing; but according to the scientists behind Serenascent, the formulation can be added to shampoos, fragrances and soaps.
What I found most interesting about this story is the fact that the scent doesn’t just help you to relax by reminding your of a pleasant scent, like the cutting the grass on a warm summer evening. Instead it actually it works on the amygdala, the brain structure that is responds to fear and anxiety. That’s far beyond what you can say for most aromatherapy products!
The Beauty Brains bottom line
A fragrance that truly provides relaxation benefits would be amazing. I could really use some of this stuff, but with my luck the FDA will classify it as a drug.
What do YOU think? Do you buy aromatherapy products? Do you think they really work? Leave an aromatic comment for the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
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I buy aromatherapy products but only if their scent appeals to me. Not the emotion they’re suppose to create. I don’t care what they say, I do not find vanilla romantic. But I do like the scent of lavender, roses, lilacs, and jasmine.
Fruit scents, herbal scents, spices, etc don’t do anything except make me sick to my stomach.
I doubt fresh cut grass would do anything to me other then make me sneeze.
Has anyone even looked into what aromatherapeutic oils do to brain function in general? If any of them have a calming effect, wouldn’t that also be mediated by an alteration in amygdaloid function? Even if it’s placebo or a trained association, it’d be interesting to look at.
I never used aromatherapy and thought it was unproven. Then I read an article about research indicating that the scent linalool might work on the brain to soothe stress. Linalool is a component of the scent of lavender oil, so I recently went out and bought a bottle of lavender oil. I do love the smell of it. This is a link to the article I read: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090722110901.htm
Does smelling it make me feel less stressed? I haven’t yet found a way to diffuse it into the air, so I haven’t really used it properly, and I can’t answer the question.
I would be interested in trying a product with Serenascent.
I have tried Serenascent and I do use lavender oils for message and lavender scented products around our home. Serenascent is most definitely, without a doubt far more relaxing. As the reports and notices state it works directly on your grey matter. My wife gets deep migraines and back pain. She often needs a message to relax her to go to back to sleep. It helps to message with lavender oil but it is not until I use a smear of Serenascent on a hankie and lay it nearby that I can feel her totally relaxing. Suddenly she gives into her own weight. I have to say that I cannot wait till this product is available on the market all over the world as it will put to rest all doubt about this product. By the way in case you are all wondering….. it does smell like cut grass and it has not have the effects of giving you hay fever or bringing up past associations of Grandpa or Grandma cutting grass when you were 4 and such. It simply tells your brain to relax, breath and…..If any of you have any questions I have noticed that Serenascent has a facebook where you can ask questions and address any concerns. Happy sniffing.
Where can I buy Senerascent perfume in Britain?