Ten Popular Natural Scents

According to the mystics, the sense of smell gives pleasure and relief to the soul.

Unfortunately, we, humans, perceive the world mainly through our visual and audio senses, while downplaying our sense of smell. We've lost the animal instinct for the sense of smell to make us want to know another or repel us to avoid one another - all part of the biology of attraction.

Nevertheless, smells hold an uncanny power over us - a sniff of food makes our mouths watery, a whiff of a long-forgotten scent takes us back to memory lane, or a long inhale of natural scent alleviates stress while soothes our soul.

In aromatherapy, these are the ten most popular natural scents in alphabetical order for relaxation and sleep. Nature offers its best for natural cures without any side effects.

1. Bergamot - used in perfumes, and tea, popularly known as Earl Grey and Lady Grey - helps digestion, inflammation as well as treats depression.

2. Chamomile - used in tea and medicinal herbal treatment - has antispasmodic and antiinflammatory effect. Chamomile, used for inhalation or as tea, produces a calming agent for relaxation.

3. Jasmine - used in as fragrance as well as antidepressant - induces warm, calming emotions and sensuality.

4. Lavender - used in soaps, shampoos, lotions, potpourris, tinctures and teas - has multiple functions. It can be used as an antiseptic. It also relieves anxiety, rids of insomnia and eases depression. Lavender oil in massage helps one to sleep better, to stabilize moods, and to have better focus.

5. Lilac - used in perfumes and as a tonic - brings serenity, pleasurable memories and peaceful slumber.

6. Mandarin - outer peel extraction used in oils and fragrances - has a balancing, uplifting and calming effect.

7. Rose - used in oils and fragrances - calms nervous tensions and gives one a positive feeling about oneself.

8. Sandalwood - used in fragrances and wooden products - pacifies anxiety and anger while promotes relaxation, sleep and meditative states. In fact, sandalwood’s fragrance is closest to human pheromone. It is traditionally considered as an aphrodisiac.

9. Vanilla - used in food and oils - increases the levels of adrenaline, stimulating and invigorating one as well as producing a calming, relaxing and comforting effect.

10. Ylang-ylang - used in fragrances - has both stimulating and calming effect. It is known for its ability to slow down the sympathetic nervous system and stimulates mental alertness.

Nature offers many wonderful remedies through the sense of smell to cure one's mental anxieties and troubled soul in this stressful world. As Oscar Wilder aptly put it: "To cure the soul by means of the senses, and the senses by means of the soul!"

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