We’re familiar with aromatherapy and its ability to relieve stress and promote a good night’s rest, but a deodorant that can leave you feeling creative and more confident? Now that’s something we haven’t tried before.
According to the Mood Factory, a company that encourages sensory engagement with mood-altering products, a swipe of deodorant can do more than keep your underarms fresh: When popular color associations and the brand’s unique blend of essential oils and are thrown in the mix, they can evoke an array of emotions, from passion and energy to serenity and tranquility.
The company’s “Passion” stick ($13; themoodfactory.com), for example is packaged in deep red with scents of rose, ylang ylang, frankincense, and garnium to stimulate feelings of warmth and excitement, while “Serenity” ($13; themoodfactory.com), presented in a light blue, incorporates notes like vanilla, jasmine, and geranium to bring calm and peace to its user.
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Feeling curious on the science behind how this works and quite frankly, a bit skeptical, we reached out to Alan Hirsch, neurological director of the Smell and Taste Treatment & Research Foundation in Chicago. He says odors can, in fact, trigger an emotional response. Here’s why: “The reason smells have such a strong impact on people’s behavior and mood state is because the olfactory’s representation (or your sense of smell) is on the cortex of the brain, the thinking part of the brain, and is actually part of the limbic system, or, emotional brain,” Hirsch tells InStyle. “Therefore, the quickest way to change people’s mood state and behavior is with smell—quicker than with any other modality. It is something that is anatomically bred in humans.”
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Equally interesting? “Odors may also impact upon people by inducing recall of past events through olfactory evoked nostalgia,” Hirsch says.
So, that would explain why the smell of fresh baked cookies or your mom’s favorite perfume can instantly bring you back to your childhood and therefore, put you in a better mood.Hirsch says whether a certain deodorant can make you smell good and alter your state of mind can vary from person to person, depending on their association with the scent. But if you ask us, a boost of passion before a big interview or tranquility after a long day, definitely couldn’t hurt. Head to themoodfactory.com to see for yourself.
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