Why Good Smells Are Good For You
Do you just love to sniff the air when the rain falls on dry grass? Does it take you back to summer holidays when you were a kid? Does a particular fragrance instantly make you feel happy? Cosy? Or loved? You know that certain smells have the power to make you feel good, but do you know why?
It’s because what you smell has a huge impact on your mood, your mental health and your memories.
You could call it the ‘mmm’ factor...
#1 Smells can lift your mood
What would you say to an instant mood makeover? It’s a lot easier than you might think, and there’s science to back it up!
Research shows that being exposed to a pleasant fragrance can boost our mood by up to 40% and that specific scents are known to have specific effects. Vanilla, for example, makes us feel calm and relaxed - if you’ve tried our Vanilla Bean & Caramel, you’ll know that already!
Florals scents are also classic mood enhancers, whilst the hint of citrus gives a pop of positive feelings and an energy lift - think Mandarin & Lime.
In the last two years, with so much focus on illness and isolation, understandably, our moods have taken a hit like never before. You can hit back by surrounding yourself with fragrances that make you happy.
Mask Co products are all Australian-made and don’t contain any nasties: no parabens, no phthalates, no sulfates. That’s a mood lifter in itself!
#2 Smells can boost health and wellness
The way fragrances work to improve moods is directly connected with our health and well-being. It’s a natural way to feeling better – mentally, physically and emotionally – that has been used for... well, probably forever. The popularity of aromatherapy and essential oil therapy are based on this method.
Scent can reduce agitation and anxiety and is said to be useful in boosting immunity and relieving pain. In some workplaces, subtle scents are used in air conditioning to increase employees’ energy and confidence, boost productivity and combat stress and burnout.
Ongoing stress and that feeling of being overwhelmed – at work or at home – can lead to depression. Almost 7% of Australians are living with it, so anything we can do to stay feeling calm, happy and positive has to be a good thing.
We can spray some positives into our lives. And at Mask Co we only use the very best fragrance and essential oils, so the good feelings, like the scent, last and last.
#3 Smells are connected with memories
One of the reasons certain smells are mood boosters is that they give us instant recall of happy memories!
Up to 75% of the emotions we feel are triggered by smell - sometimes the effect is so subtle, we aren’t even conscious of it.
That’s because the sense of smell registers in more ‘primitive’ regions of the brain that deal with emotion and memory. No surprise that our Grandma’s Biscuits Air Freshener is such a favourite with our Mask family! How many of us take a sniff of Musk Sticks and immediately think of school days and sneaky bags of lollies? And how Baby Powder brings instant memories of fresh sheets or baby’s bath time?
What’s your favourite smell? We’ll bet there’s a beautiful memory associated with it.
Inhaling fragrance also creates happy memories too, so sniff and enjoy the feeling for years to come! Mmm!