Aromatherapy for Concentration & Mental Alertness

Some sharp-smelling essential oils, such as peppermint and eucalyptus, certainly seem to temporarily clear the fog of fatigue or lethargy, so it seems plausible that some essential oils might be shown to improve concentration and mental alertness.

In the cognition study using lavender and rosemary, mentioned above, it was reported that participants in the lavender group were significantly less alert than those in the rosemary group (1). This supports the traditional use of lavender as a more calming essential oil, and rosemary as a more invigorating essential oil.

Lavender and rosemary were used in another study, where participants’ EEG activity, alertness, and mood were evaluated after three minutes of application by inhalation (3). Those in the lavender group felt less depressed and more relaxed, and had EEG activity suggestive of increased drowsiness. Those in the rosemary group had EEG activity which was suggestive of a more alert state. The participants who had rosemary aromatherapy also felt more relaxed and had lower anxiety scores. The participants in this study were given math computations before and after receiving aromatherapy. After aromatherapy, those in the lavender group did the math problems more quickly and more accurately, while those in the rosemary group did the problems more quickly but not more accurately.

Essential Oils May Aid Memory Recall, Concentration, & Alertness

One whiff of a nostalgic aroma can evoke the memory of a day, person, or event. For me, the smell of suntan lotion immediately conjures up sunny summer days from childhood. Aroma-memory associations tend to be powerful and enduring, but can a scent actually improve one’s ability to recall information?

One study compared participants’ performance on a cognitive assessment battery of tests while the subjects were exposed to diffused a “relaxing” essential oil, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), a “stimulating” essential oil, rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), or no odor (1). Those in the lavender group showed a decrease in memory performance. The subjects who were exposed to rosemary showed enhanced memory performance as compared to the control group. Interestingly, both the lavender and rosemary groups experienced an impairment in the speed of memory recall.

Sage (Salvia lavandulaefolia), traditionally known to help memory and brain function, was given to test subjects to take internally in the form of essential oil-filled capsules (2). The young adults participating in this study were given either sage essential oil capsules or placebo capsules. On word-recall tests, the participants who had received the sage capsules performed significantly better.