Diffusing - But How Do They Work?

Because there are so many ways to use essential oils, I thought it'd be helpful to share how they work and to tell you what all the hype is about. A good place to start is how they work when they are diffused in your home, or when you smell them directly from the bottle. Aromatherapy, essentially.

Aromatherapy can be really simple. It's the feeling you get when you walk into a cozy coffee shop and smell freshly roasted beans. Or when you feel overwhelmed walking into Abercrombie and Fitch. When you smell flowers that your Grandma grew in her garden, or when you smell that new-baby-smell. Your body produces a physical response to certain smells. 

Let's geek out on aromatherapy for a minute...here is the science behind how scent can alter a physiological response:

When you smell something, different areas of your brain trigger a response. Specifically, the emotional epicenter (limbic system), hormonal center (endocrine system), and the area of our brain responsible for heart rate, digestion, metabolism, etc (central nervous system).

So let's say we're diffusing Young Living's Cedarwood and Stress Away blend. Our "scent message" is the chemical compounds of 100% pure therapeutic grade oils which hit the parts of our brain that control our emotions and our bodily reactions to stress. You may feel calmer, more relaxed, and more peaceful. Likewise, if you're feeling slugglish and need to perk up, you can diffuse uplifting scents like anything in the citrus family, and/or peppermint for example.
You can read some of my favorite diffuser blends here, and all of the oils listed come in the starter kit!

I love to diffuse lavender before bedtime to mellow everyone out a little bit. Or I will spray a linen spray of Lavender and Roman Chamomile on the sheets and on the kids' stuffed animals. It's so calming and smells lovely. I wonder if that scent will trigger an emotional response for my kids when they're all grown up. I hope they remember that smell being one that they grew up with and that their mama used to "make their sheets smell yummy."