EDITOR’S SUMMARY: Aromatherapy taps into the powerful link between scent and the brain, influencing mood, memory, and emotions through direct stimulation of the limbic system. Essential oils trigger the release of key neurotransmitters and activate the autonomic nervous system to reduce stress and enhance mental function. Beyond emotional effects, aromatherapy may support cognitive health by promoting neuron growth and adaptability. With guidance on selecting quality oils and following safe practices, you can bring the benefits of plant-based scents into everyday life.
By Carter Trent
“How are you?” It’s a simple question, but the answer is almost reflexive: “Fine. Busy!” In today’s world, busyness isn’t just common—it’s worn like a badge of honor. But behind the packed schedules and constant multitasking is a toll that can show up as stress, tension, and fatigue. Psychiatrist Dr. Stephanie Brown describes today’s lifestyle as “Caught in a chaotic, frenzied spiral of a new addiction…”
“…people are chasing money, power, success and a wilder, faster pace of life. Just like any addiction, people are out of control in their behaviors, feelings and thinking, yet they believe they are normal. This is progress in America. You always move forward and there are no limits to how far you can go or how fast you can get there. Don’t pause, don’t reflect. You win or lose. You’ll fall behind and fail if you stop moving. Fast at any cost is the mantra of a stressed and distressed American society today.”
Over a quarter of Americans report that they’re so stressed out they can’t function. A 2022 survey, “Stress in America,” found that 76% of adults experienced stress intense enough to trigger health issues like headaches, fatigue, anxiety, and depression—figures that continue to resonate today. Chronic stress has quietly become a baseline. Long work hours, constant notifications, financial worries, and a culture that equates productivity with worth leave little space for real rest. The body stays in a state of low-grade tension—wired but exhausted. Over time, that kind of sustained pressure can chip away at immune strength, digestion, sleep, and focus. It’s no longer just about feeling overwhelmed; it’s about what that stress is doing to your health, day after day.
The next time stress leaves you feeling overwhelmed, consider turning to a natural, proven remedy: aromatherapy. This practice uses essential oils—highly concentrated plant extracts—to help ease everything from anxiety and insomnia to infections and minor burns. Its power lies in the ability to calm both mind and body, promoting a more balanced, restful state. Whether inhaled or applied topically, these oils tap into your nervous system in ways that can shift your internal tension and support healing from the inside out.
Aromatic Roots
Aromatherapy is considered a holistic therapy because it engages physical health, emotional balance, and a deeper sense of spiritual connection. French chemist René-Maurice Gattefossé coined the term in his 1937 book, “Aromathérapie: Les Huiles Essentielles, Hormones Végétales” (“Aromatherapy: Essential Oils – Plant Hormones”) after witnessing lavender essential oil’s ability to heal severe burns and prevent gangrene. His experience sparked growing interest in essential oils as more than just pleasant scents—positioning them as potent botanical remedies.
Although the term aromatherapy is relatively modern, the practice itself stretches back over 6,000 years. Ancient civilizations in Egypt, China, Greece, India, and Rome turned to essential oils for healing, spiritual rituals, and daily care—long before science began to explain their effects. The Greek physician Hippocrates, considered the father of modern medicine, believed aromatherapy was essential for maintaining good health. He encouraged incorporating aromatherapy into wellness routines—like scented massages—to support overall vitality. Still, aromatherapy didn’t gain widespread popularity in the U.S. until the 1980s, sparked by Jean Valnet’s 1982 book, “The Practice of Aromatherapy.”
So what makes aromatherapy so effective? The answer lies in the physiology of the human body. Smells send signals to your central nervous system, which then stimulates the brain’s limbic system—responsible for processing emotions, memories, and learning. This helps induce relaxation, reduce stress, and improve your emotional state. Even the pleasure you feel from favorite foods is thanks to this system, highlighting how deeply scent is tied to both mood and memory. From Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine, “Essential oils used in aromatherapy: A systemic review,” it is stated:
“The therapy of these oils is known to relieve the stress, rejuvenate and regenerate the individual for a next day’s work. Olfactory nerves from nose to the brain are the site of action for these essential oils. These oils have well proven antibacterial, antibiotic, and antiviral properties and many published reports elsewhere as well as folkloric practitioners have suggested them to be useful in many other diseases like Alzheimer, cardiovascular, cancer and labor pain in pregnancy etc.”
This area of your brain includes five key parts: the hypothalamus, amygdala, cingulate gyrus, basal ganglia, and hippocampus. Each plays a critical role. The hippocampus helps form memories, while the amygdala manages emotional responses. The cingulate gyrus links behaviors to outcomes, helping you recognize cause and effect. The basal ganglia supports the brain’s reward system and habit formation. And the hypothalamus regulates homeostasis—keeping functions like body temperature, hunger, thirst, sleep cycles, and hormone levels in balance.
The thalamus isn’t typically listed as part of the limbic system, but it plays a vital support role by processing sensory input—sight, sound, taste, touch, and movement—and directing it to the right parts of the brain. Smell, however, bypasses the thalamus entirely. Instead, it travels directly from the olfactory bulb to the limbic system, creating especially strong ties between scent, memory, and emotion—stronger than with any other sense. Thanks to this brain structure, aromatherapy has a direct path to influencing emotional states—especially stress and anxiety. When you inhale essential oils, the scent activates the olfactory bulb, which sends signals straight to the limbic system. This response can trigger the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine, helping your body shift into a calmer place.
Serotonin is often called the body’s natural “feel good” chemical, helping support emotional stability, focus, and a more positive outlook. Balanced levels are associated with reduced stress and a greater sense of ease.Low serotonin levels are believed to contribute to depression, so by encouraging serotonin release, aromatherapy may help alleviate symptoms and support emotional balance. Dopamine, meanwhile, is a neurotransmitter that gives a sense of enjoyment during activities like watching a favorite TV show or playing with your dog. In this way, dopamine motivates you to pursue pleasurable behaviors. When aromatherapy activates dopamine production, it helps lift your spirits and enhances your overall sense of reward and satisfaction.
Aromatherapy’s effects go beyond mood alone. When neurotransmitters are released, the limbic system signals the autonomic nervous system—the part of your brain that manages involuntary responses to the environment. This system includes two branches: the sympathetic and parasympathetic. The sympathetic branch kicks in during stress, activating your fight-or-flight response. The parasympathetic branch does the opposite—it promotes a state of ease, aids nutrient absorption, and helps your body recover. Aromatherapy can help support the transition from an overtaxed, heightened state to a more grounded, balanced one—encouraging your body to reset and restore itself. When your parasympathetic nervous system engages, your heart rate slows and digestion improves—benefits that support gut health. Since the gut and brain are closely connected, this also contributes to emotional stability.
Cognitive Recharge
Essential oils may also stimulate the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein essential for mental sharpness and resilience. BDNF supports the growth and survival of neurons—the nerve cells responsible for transmitting signals that control everything from speech to movement. Higher levels of BDNF are associated with improved cognitive function, emotional balance, and protection against neurodegenerative diseases. BDNF’s role in supporting neurons also helps combat depression. Research suggests that depression stems from multiple factors, including stressful life events, low serotonin levels, and reduced neurogenesis—the brain’s ability to grow new neurons. By boosting BDNF, aromatherapy encourages neurogenesis, which may help counteract depressive symptoms. In addition, BDNF promotes synaptic plasticity—the brain’s ability to change and adapt over time based on your experiences. This process is essential for learning and memory. Synapses, where neurons transmit signals to each other, enable communication and neurotransmitter distribution. Stronger synaptic plasticity enhances the transfer of neurotransmitters like serotonin.
It may be neglectful not to mention that while serotonin has long been associated with depression, recent research challenges this view. A comprehensive 2022 umbrella review published in Molecular Psychiatry analyzed multiple studies and concluded that there is no consistent evidence linking low serotonin levels to depression. This suggests that the serotonin theory may not fully explain the complexities of depression. It’s important to note that this doesn’t diminish the potential benefits of treatments like aromatherapy, which may still promote well-being by influencing brain chemistry. However, it’s essential to recognize that depression is a multifaceted condition with various contributing factors beyond serotonin levels. In the study titled “No evidence that depression is caused by low serotonin levels, finds comprehensive review,” lead author Joanna Moncrieff, a professor of psychiatry at University College London, one of the leading research universities in the UK, and a consultant psychiatrist at North East London NHS Foundation Trust, said:
‘“It is always difficult to prove a negative, but I think we can safely say that after a vast amount of research conducted over several decades, there is no convincing evidence that depression is caused by serotonin abnormalities, particularly by lower levels or reduced activity of serotonin.
The popularity of the ‘chemical imbalance’ theory of depression has coincided with a huge increase in the use of antidepressants. Prescriptions for antidepressants have risen dramatically since the 1990s, with one in six adults in England and 2% of teenagers now being prescribed an antidepressant in a given year.”’
Studies show that just 15 minutes of inhaling essential oils can produce measurable improvements in physical, mental, and emotional health. A 2021 paper, “Therapeutic Effect and Mechanisms of Essential Oils in Mood Disorders: Interaction between the Nervous and Respiratory Systems,” published by the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, studied patients suffering from depression who received lavender, sweet orange, and bergamot through aromatherapy and massage over an eight-week period. After the treatment period, patients showed a noticeable lift in melancholy. Further research found that aromatherapy improved psychiatric symptoms in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Specifically, using coriander essential oil helped reduce anxiety and depression in those affected. Another study, “Examination of the influence of cedar fragrance on cognitive function and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia in Alzheimer type dementia,” found that cedar fragrance helped ease behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. The exact effects of aromatherapy depend on the plant extracts used. For example, scientific research confirms that lavender and geranium oil extracts relax the nervous system, as measured by reduced heart rate and blood pressure. They work by lowering cortisol, a stress hormone that ramps up your body’s alert system.
Bergamot has also shown promise in relieving depression and anxiety. A 2017 study, “Bergamot Essential Oil Attenuates Anxiety-Like Behaviour in Rats,” found that bergamot essential oil produced effects in rats comparable to benzodiazepines, a class of drugs commonly used to treat anxiety, such as Valium. A 2022 Journal of Nursing Research paper, “The Effect of Bergamot Essential Oil Aromatherapy on Improving Depressive Mood and Sleep Quality in Postpartum Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial,” found that aromatherapy with bergamot essential oil helped alleviate postpartum depression and improve sleep quality in women. Other examples of essential oils for anxiety and stress include ylang-ylang and frankincense, which can also reduce inflammation and pain and kill germs. Beyond emotional support, certain essential oils also offer powerful antimicrobial effects. Frankincense isn’t the only botanical with antiseptic attributes. Research at Johns Hopkins found that essential oils like garlic, thyme, and cinnamon can kill the bacteria responsible for Lyme disease—and in some cases, outperform antibiotics. In addition to their neurological effects, essential oils may influence physiological systems such as immune response, respiratory function, and detoxification pathways.
Incidentally, the brain’s reaction to scent works both ways. Just as pleasant aromas can promote relaxation and mental clarity, unpleasant ones may do the opposite. Harsh or foul smells can trigger a stress response by increasing cortisol and reducing activity in the prefrontal cortex—the area responsible for regulating emotions and decision-making.
Putting It Into Practice
The direct connection between the brain and the sense of smell is what makes aromatherapy so powerful. With a wide variety of essential oils—each offering unique benefits—you can tailor your approach to meet specific needs. To begin, choose high-quality plant extracts by seeking labels that state “100% pure essential oil.” This helps avoid products with fillers and additives. Opt for oils stored in dark glass containers, since other packaging can allow sunlight to degrade the contents. Given the wide variety of plant extracts available, start with a small amount—a half-ounce bottle goes a long way and lets you explore how different aromas affect you. When purchasing, prioritize oils certified as organic. Organic plants are grown without pesticides or chemical fertilizers, reducing your exposure to toxins. While many essential oils sold in the U.S. lack organic certification, some European brands do offer certified organic options.
To use essential oils for aromatherapy, place a few drops in a diffuser or humidifier. Alternate breathing in the aroma for 30 to 60 minutes, followed by a break of equal length to allow your nervous system time to adjust. You can also inhale the essential oil directly from the bottle, but limit this to 15–20 minutes to avoid nasal irritation. Additionally, essential oils can be applied to the skin as an antimicrobial agent or during a massage; however, because they are highly concentrated, always dilute them with a carrier oil first to reduce the risk of adverse reactions. Carrier oils not only reduce the potency the essential oil but also aid in its absorption. Common carrier oils include coconut, jojoba, grapeseed, and rosehip. Thanks to the powerful link between your sense of smell and your body’s response, aromatherapy can help you cut through the chaos of modern life—like a breath of fresh air. When burnout and anxiety feel relentless, this natural, age-old remedy offers a way to revitalize your senses and settle your thoughts. Bringing aromatherapy into your daily routine—whether through diffusing, topical use, or mindful moments—unlocks the healing magic of botanicals, supporting focus, tranquility, and peace.
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Published on June 19, 2025.
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