What effect can scent have on mood?

Have you ever wondered why you feel calm and relaxed after inhaling the aromatic scent of lavender? Or perhaps you feel refreshed and revitalized after using a peppermint body scrub during your morning routine? This isn’t a coincidence- scent is the strongest of our five senses and is directly linked to memory and emotion through pathways in the brain. Knowing this, you may be asking “how else can I utilise certain scents to benefit my wellbeing?” We at esst asked that exact question and have created a product for you that utilises a unique combination of targeted essential oils that benefit overall health and wellbeing and protect against potentially dangerous bacteria.

In a time where we are navigating the stressors associated with the ‘new normal’ of working from home or transitioning back to the office whilst adhering to social distancing regulations, stress-reduction and hygiene have never been so essential. What if you could reduce your stress levels and subsequently improve productivity within the workplace just by exposing yourself to certain scents? Could this even be possible? The answer- absolutely.

Research has shown that the ‘scent’ nerve (olfactory nerve) is directly linked to an area of the brain that regulates memory and emotion- this means that our sense of smell, and the scents we are exposed to in our environment, affect our mood, stress and working capacity. Why is this important? Studies have shown that participants who were exposed to unpleasant scents in the workplace had an increased heart rate, potentially increasing stress levels thereby decreasing productivity. Conversely, research has shown that the presence of pleasant odours within the workplace results in increased self-efficacy and goal-setting, and the employment of efficient work strategies in comparison to workplaces with neutral (or no) scents.

What if you had access to a product that contained scents with dual action benefits such as improving workplace productivity as well as health and wellbeing? The good news is you do- esst is this product.

Take Sandalwood for example (a key essential oil found in esst products):

Sandalwood has been studied extensively in ayurvedic medicine (one of the world’s oldest holistic healing systems), and its benefits are now being studied in modern medicine. The scent itself has been scientifically demonstrated to calm the mind and act as a ‘mood enhancer’. Moreover, Sandalwood exhibits positive health and wellbeing properties such as: anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, anti-microbial and anti-proliferative. Not only does esst contain a therapeutic amount of sandalwood (hydrosol), but multiple other beneficial essential oils are also found in this product including honey myrtle, nerolina, and white cypress. Together these scents create an aromatic environment conducive to stress reduction, improved productivity, and act as preventative health measures- meanwhile, esst ensures you are protected against potentially dangerous bacteria thanks to its antibacterial formulation*.

The bottom line: scents affect our mood, and subsequently our stress levels, and productivity. esst allows you to create a ‘beneficial-scent’ environment wherever you go, enabling you to improve your overall health and wellbeing and workplace productivity.

*esst has been independently lab tested to kill 99.9% of bacteria.