Did you know that essential oils are used as medical treatments in countries like Germany, the UK, and France? And that scent influences our mood faster than both sound and light – acting as a direct highway to our emotions? Aromatherapy is gaining increasing attention in scientific research for its effects on both body and mind. Dive into the invisible superpowers of nature and discover how scent can be a shortcut to calm, energy, and balance.
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Scents have the power to shift our energy and transport us straight back to another time or place. The smell of lilacs on a warm summer’s day that awakens memories of a childhood garden, or the scent of someone you once loved – or still love.
For thousands of years, essential oils – the foundation of aromatherapy – have played a central role in both medicinal and mental rituals.
In recent years, research has provided compelling evidence of how effective aromatherapy is, both mentally and physically. And that makes sense, because the use of aromatherapeutic skincare is rising sharply, according to international market reports. Likewise, science is seeking alternatives to the excessive use of medication seen worldwide.
At Karmameju, we believe in the power of aromatherapy and work with nature’s scents because we believe they have a truly unique, holistic effect – influencing our mental wellbeing while also improving the condition of the skin. We have a deep trust in nature, and in the fact that it is there because we humans need it.
Neuroscience – the study of the nervous system – is closely linked to the study of aromatherapy, the understanding of how scent affects us. Of all our senses, smell is the only one that has a direct connection to three of the brain’s most important areas:
– the orbitofrontal cortex, associated with awareness
– the hippocampus, which plays a central role in memory
– and the amygdala, which processes emotions and mood.
This means that scent – more than sound, light or touch – can instantly influence how we feel. The sense of smell activates emotional and cognitive brain areas directly – without first being filtered through the thalamus, as the other senses are. It’s like a highway straight to your brain (source).
Neuroscience – the study of the nervous system – is closely linked to the study of aromatherapy, the understanding of how scent affects us. Of all our senses, smell is the only one that has a direct connection to three of the brain’s most important areas:
– the orbitofrontal cortex, associated with awareness
– the hippocampus, which plays a central role in memory
– and the amygdala, which processes emotions and mood.
This means that scent – more than sound, light or touch – can instantly influence how we feel. The sense of smell activates emotional and cognitive brain areas directly – without first being filtered through the thalamus, as the other senses are. It’s like a highway straight to your brain (source).
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Aromatherapy has many benefits, and when we are surrounded by lovely scents in our everyday lives, we also get better at training our breathing through the nose. Nasal breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system – the one that calms us – whereas breathing through the mouth activates the sympathetic nervous system, known as fight or flight mode (source). We train good nasal breathing every single time we take the time to inhale lovely scents through the nose.
At Karmameju, we always recommend taking deep inhalations from your palms whenever you use aromatherapeutic skincare – such as washing your hands, applying body lotion or using CALM balm, for example as nail care. Every small pause focused on breathing will promote presence and inner calm.
For many years, the Western healthcare system has focused primarily on pharmaceutical treatment, with prescription medicine as the conventional solution to both pain and mental imbalances. But over time, the overuse of medicines has led to tighter regulation and a necessary break with this one-sided approach.
As a counterweight, many countries – including the UK, Germany, Switzerland and France – have sought inspiration in Eastern health traditions, where clinical aromatherapy has earned its rightful place in modern medical practice.
Today, clinical aromatherapy is used as an alternative therapy or as a complement to conventional medical treatment, and can benefit both hospitalised patients and outpatients in relieving pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia. It has proven especially beneficial in cancer care, palliative care, pre-operative anxiety, oncology, hospice care and end-of-life care.
Most essential oils are known for their effects through thousands of years of use, and today more and more are being documented for their effects.
For many years, the Western healthcare system has focused primarily on pharmaceutical treatment, with prescription medicine as the conventional solution to both pain and mental imbalances. But over time, the overuse of medicines has led to tighter regulation and a necessary break with this one-sided approach.
As a counterweight, many countries – including the UK, Germany, Switzerland and France – have sought inspiration in Eastern health traditions, where clinical aromatherapy has earned its rightful place in modern medical practice.
Today, clinical aromatherapy is used as an alternative therapy or as a complement to conventional medical treatment, and can benefit both hospitalised patients and outpatients in relieving pain, nausea, anxiety, depression, stress and insomnia. It has proven especially beneficial in cancer care, palliative care, pre-operative anxiety, oncology, hospice care and end-of-life care.
Most essential oils are known for their effects through thousands of years of use, and today more and more are being documented for their effects.
In our product development, we always work from the effect on both the mind and the skin when a product is formulated. It seems obvious that what calms the mind also calms the skin – of course – but as the studies below show, aromatherapy can do far more than what you would immediately associate with a scent, such as refreshing citrus, which has also shown properties that can improve skin elasticity.
Lavender
If you dive into the research, you meet, for example, the marvellous lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), one of the most well-documented essential oils. Several studies have shown that lavender can create a sense of calm, reduce anxiety and improve sleep quality – including this study focusing on anxiety.
Chamomile
In another study, research with 103 cancer patients documented the effect of chamomile. It compared massage with unscented plant oil without chamomile to massage with plant oil with added Roman chamomile essential oil. After two weeks of testing, a reduction in anxiety and improved symptoms were observed in the group that received massage with the oil containing essential oil. The group that received massage without the essential oils did not experience the same benefit.
German chamomile
In a more recent study, the essential oil from German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla, also known as Alleviate) was examined for its skin-calming properties. Chamomile was shown to dampen inflammation in skin cells by preventing certain signalling pathways in the cells from becoming overactive
In mice with psoriasis-like skin problems, the oil helped reduce skin damage - among other things by reducing the amount of substances that cause inflammation. The study’s conclusion suggests that German chamomile may be a possible aid against psoriasis.
Lavender and chamomile are an essential part of Karmameju’s CALMING range, where we use essential oils that soothe, calm and relieve – both the mind and the skin. Below you will find just a small selection of these products.
Bergamot
This study examines citrus essential oils in relation to bacteria. Essential oil from bergamot in particular, with its natural content of linalool, showed strong antibacterial effects and was the most effective at fighting bacteria – especially those that often cause food poisoning – and can help combat common foodborne pathogens. In general, we know that citrus fruits are antibacterial and can be beneficial for people prone to spots, for example.
Lemon
In another study, essential oil from lemon is documented in relation to anti-ageing through clinical trials. The result is potent anti-ageing properties. The researchers found significantly increased skin elasticity from week 2 to 4 – unlike the placebo group, where this improvement in the skin was not seen.
The aromatherapy of the ENERGIZING range is built around citrus fruits, spices such as black pepper and camphoraceous plants such as eucalyptus. Below you will find just a small selection of these products:
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In a world where the pace is high and stimuli are many, it is essential to find simple, natural paths to balance. Aromatherapy is not just wellbeing – it is a direct way to support your skin, body and mind.
Every time we take the time to smell – truly smell – we give the nervous system a break and the body a chance to balance itself. Whether the scent comes from a forest, your palm or your body lotion, it is an invitation to be present.
At Karmameju, we work to make that invitation an easily accessible part of your everyday life.
You can use aromatherapy in your everyday life as an addition to your day – by:
Inhalation – e.g. via a diffuser, steam bath, sauna ritual or scent sticks
Topical application – usually diluted in a carrier oil and massaged into the skin
Aromatic baths – added to the bath water
Time in nature – absorbed via phytoncides from plants and trees
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Even if you don’t use aromatherapeutic skincare or products for the home, nature still ensures that aromatherapy is all around us. Trees and plants release invisible plant compounds, phytoncides, which research links to lower stress levels and increased activity in the body’s natural defence cells. This is a beautiful account of forest bathing, nature’s aromatherapy and the scientific evidence behind it.
