For people who are just new to learning about aromatherapy, familiarizing themselves with the scents would be helpful. However, determining the scent details of essential oils can be difficult.
Since I am still in the process of studying essential oils, I notice that I can be slow in identifying the scents. Hence if I would study olfactory aromatherapy, I hope that my teacher would be more patient with me when I am slow in recognizing scent details.
As much as possible I try to identify the scents I am smelling and write them on a note. However, writing the exact description of the scent can be challenging for me if it’s hard to figure out the scent. However, there are times when I can notice a particular odor but I can’t exactly describe or identify it because I can’t figure out where I exactly smelled it. There are times I can recognize a scent as it seems to resemble something I’ve smelled before but I just can’t exactly tell that what I associate the odor with is accurate.
Hence techniques that can help you to improve your smelling experience as well as identify scent details are needed. This post highlights two ways how to optimize your smelling experience.
1. Rehydrate
Moisture is needed for us to be able to smell properly. Our nasal membrane must be moist for an aroma chemical to be able to pass through it and reach our nasal receptors. To do this, you must hydrate your nose by inhaling from a wet paper towel a few times. The paper towel must be wet with water then hold it to your nose.
2. Refresh
A good remedy for smell fatigue is by smelling by contrast. Smelling between contrasting odors enables your nose to feel refreshed, hence when you smell the essential oil, you’ll be able to recognize its scent because it is different from what you have previously smelled.
To properly care for your nose and be gentle with your smelling experience, smell something that is not too strong or overpowering. Opt for something neutral to you. Some recommendations given are smelling your own scent like your skin, hair, or clothes. Another option is to get some fresh air, then return to smelling the essential oil again to understand its scent details.
Seasoned aromatherapists are already good at identifying scents. However, it can be challenging for someone just new to aromatherapy. Although it is difficult for me to identify scent details at times, I still want to figure it out. Being able to determine the aromas and being able to put them into words and describe them is something I appreciate. Good thing that there are some recommended remedies that I can follow when it is difficult for me to recognize scents. Though figuring out scent details is challenging, following the recommendations above might be able to help me.
Smell to learn
Reference:
- Kessler A.E., Rogers M., Wilson-Brown S., Ausdal T.V., Basic Perfume Primer. Institute for Art and Olfaction
Ciele 