Wake Up and Smell the . . . Aromatherapy

You may not own a diffuser and essential oils, but you know more about the power of scent than you think. You've probably trailed the aroma of fresh-baked cookies into the kitchen, sniffed your child's head for a whiff of her unique eau-de-kid or in haled the grassy freshness of a spring breeze, right? Then you've experienced it --- the power of a particular smell to entice, to soothe, to awaken.

Aromatherapy is the ancient art and science of using plant essences --- their scents --- to produce specific emotional and physical responses. Five thousand years ago in ancient Egypt, aristocratic women bathed three times daily in cedar-wood or cypress ess-scented waters, and for centuries, until the late 1700s, aromatherapy was the dominant health and beauty aid, used to treat everything from acne to migraines. Proper eighteenth-century society ladies, unlike their Egyptian counterparts, were suspicious of bathing and doused themselves with scented oils instead.

Interest in aromatherapy is growing now thanks to a surge in holistic self-care and a near-universal search for simple, accessible ways to deal with stress. The right scent, for instance, transforms an everyday bath or shower into a moment of renewal for body and spirit; body creams make the luxury last longer. You can also experiment with aromatherapy massage oils and undiluted essential oils to mix yourself, or to use in a home diffuser to scent a room or environment.