If we talk to you about aromatherapy, you are probably familiar with this discipline. But have you ever heard of aromachology? This term, invented recently, highlights the link between perfumes and well-being. Indeed, we know that smell plays a very important role in all living beings, including humans. But why, and how? In this article, we explain in detail what aromachology is and the power that the olfactory sense has on our well-being and our emotions.
Aromachology, what exactly is it?
The power of smells on well-being and emotions
Before explaining in detail what aromachology is, it is useful to take a step back in history to understand our relationship with fragrances. We find traces of the use of perfumes since Antiquity, particularly in ancient Egypt where the processes for creating essential oils were well known and mastered. Moreover, this know-how spread as far as ancient Rome and Greece thanks to the writings of personalities like Herodotus and Pliny the Elder, among others. In Asia, particularly China and India, plants were also used for medical and therapeutic purposes. Ancient civilizations therefore had a lot of knowledge about plants and perfumes in order to relieve everyday ailments.
It was only in 1982 that the term “aromachology” saw the light of day, invented by Annette Green, president of the Fragrance Foundation. Its etymology comes from the ancient Greek “arôma” meaning “perfume” and “logía” which corresponds to “word, speech”. In other words, aromachology is the study of perfumes, and in particular the study of perfumes on well-being and the emotions they give us.
But then, what is the difference between aromachology and aromatherapy?
Aromachology is not aromatherapy!
Disciplines with completely different motives
Aromatherapy is a discipline that uses the power of plants in the form of essential oils to relieve and treat various health problems, both physical and mental (infections, burns, wounds, anxiety, etc.). For example, you can use ginger essential oil for nausea, or peppermint essential oil for headaches. Aromatherapy is therefore used for medical and therapeutic purposes.
Aromachology, for its part, is the study of the power of perfumes on our psycho-emotional sphere, that is to say on our well-being and our emotions. It is therefore not intended to treat, but rather to understand how an odor can help us soothe ourselves and balance our emotions.
For example, lavender essential oil is known for its relaxing and restful smell. It is useful in cases of annoyance, fears or difficult emotions to soothe us and get rid of these torments.
Aromachology and aromatherapy can be complementary
It is important to specify that these two disciplines can be combined! We can in fact heal ourselves with plants, while using their scents to regain our emotional well-being.
For example, you can very well decide to use lemon essential oil to strengthen your immune system or prevent certain infections, while using its smell which restores pep and energy when needed.
Smell, a sense with unsuspected capabilities
A sense that gives rise to unique impressions
The sense of smell is very important and developed among all living beings. It allows us to:
- Choose food that is good for us;
- warn us of a potential danger (for example, a smell of burning or gas);
- reconnect with nature and what surrounds us (flowers, plants, etc.);
- appease us, or on the contrary disgust us.
Smell awakens positive sensations (instant calm, thrills of pleasure, hunger, escape) but also negative ones (heaving, tears of disgust, headaches).
Smell acts directly on the unconscious and memory
Unlike the other 4 senses, smell acts on the unconscious, and not on the conscious. This means that it operates on the limbic system, the part of the brain where our emotions are located. This system thus affects our behavior, our reactions and our feelings. Moreover, it is also he who shapes our memory. Therefore, perfumes are therefore connected to our memories.
You have probably already heard of olfactory memory? Smelling certain fragrances can bring back memories with intense sensations, as if we were reliving these moments. This proves how powerful smell is on our memory and our way of feeling things!
Smell therapy: olfactotherapy
The study of odors on our well-being has given rise to new disciplines such as olfactotherapy, which is considered a branch of aromatherapy. This is a psycho-emotional method that has proven effective in treating and relieving various problems. It acts, for example, on addictions, self-confidence, anxiety, but also on trauma! How ? Quite simply by offering the patient to breathe essential oils which act on the unconscious by releasing certain blockages and/or traumatic memories.
The olfactory sense therefore has a very powerful power over us and can even help us get out of addictive and traumatic patterns!
Our scented candles to soothe yourself every day
At La Bougie Herbivore, our project is to offer you the most eco-friendly and natural candles and perfume diffusers possible. This is why we make it a point of honor to create compositions that respect our values and commitments:
- Non-GMO and biodegradable soy vegetable wax;
- lead- and phthalate-free braided cotton wicks;
- a completely vegan formula; quality Grasse perfumes;
- an alcohol-free formulation for our diffusers;
- recyclable glass containers;
- all 100% Made in France!
All our scented ranges have been imagined and created to allow you to create moments of relaxation, softness, calm, relaxation and well-being on a daily basis. Moreover, each of them evokes a place, a moment of life or an invitation to travel to escape from everyday life.
We present to you some of our collections with their meaning and their olfactory universe. They are available as candles available in three formats (small, medium, double-wick) or as a scent diffuser with stems. Perhaps you will find, among this selection, the range that will help you regain your inner well-being...
Île Bourbon range: coffee and vanilla
Île Bourbon evokes the reassuring and soothing scent of coffee in the morning. A moment of life where everything is calm and restful. Its vanilla sweetness adds a sugary touch that also reminds, for the more indulgent, of the delicious lattes enjoyed in a café to relax… Whether in the form of a candle or a fragrance diffuser, enjoy its enveloping and indulgent fragrance every day!
Poudre d’Étoiles range: sandalwood and jasmine
Our candles and our fragrance diffuser Poudre d’étoiles are an invitation to deep relaxation, reconnection with oneself, and sensuality. The power of sandalwood combines with fresh, deep, and intoxicating jasmine to help you let go and focus on your inner balance!
Okinawa Mist range: cherry blossom and sea air
Okinawa Mist, these are candles and a fragrance diffuser that evoke spring! Their delicate, floral, and fresh scent takes you on an olfactory stroll where a breeze filled with sea spray caresses majestic cherry blossom trees. This range is perfect for the arrival of beautiful days, to relax and reconnect with nature.
Lumière de Néroli range: orange blossom and verbena
Neroli Light is an invitation to travel to a warm land where blooming orange trees and verbena reveal their fruity, floral, fresh, and aromatic fragrance. Available in candles and in fragrance diffusers, this range helps you escape from the everyday with its soothing and sunny scent.
Winter Embers range: wood and cedar fire
Imagine a particularly cold winter evening. You light a fire in the fireplace, then sit in front of it to watch the flames and the logs crackling. This is what our candles and scent diffusers Braise Hivernales evoke! This scent of wood fire and cedar perfectly describes the comfort of a fireplace and the warmth it provides after a long, chilly day...
To regain your emotional well-being through scents, you can also discover all our other ranges of candles and fragrance diffusers on our e-shop or in our Parisian store located at 20 rue Voltaire in the 11th arrondissement!
Our shop also offers fumigation sticks, as well as candle making kits!
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