Stress, in a lot of ways, is inevitable, and a feeling many of us are all too familiar with. But, it’s how we react to this emotion that often dictates the impact it has on our body, sleep patterns and overall health. “Sometimes, the body can respond too strongly and produce anxiety,” explains neuroaesthetics consultant Saskia Wheeler. “This can lead to excess production of cortisol—the stress hormone— and cause extra strain on the body.”
However, by regulating the nervous system— the internal passageway responsible for relaying information from our senses to our brain—we can create a more balanced relationship with stress, thus promoting a healthier life.
Practices like breath work and meditation can help calm our nerves over time, but believe it or not, so can the regular use of body care. This is especially true for products scented with rose.
Fragrance’s Ties to Emotion
According to Lauren Rooney, vice president of fine fragrance marketing for dsm-firmenich, our sense of smell is a powerful emotional conduit. “Scents take a direct route to parts of the brain that are responsible for emotions and memory,” she shares. “This helps establish how we associate scents to certain feelings.”
Rose, in particular, has been credited in numerous studies for its ability to lower cortisol by having a calming effect on the body. “In one study, participants experienced a 30-percent reduction in adrenaline and a 40-percent reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity,” explains Wheeler.
But, what really sets rose body products apart from other methods of regulating the nervous system, is that you can apply a lotion, for example, discreetly at any time, in any place. You could even just open a jar of your favorite cream and take a quick whiff when you’re feeling overwhelmed, as a form of aromatherapy.
Scent + Sleep
Not only does rose have the ability to relax the nervous system, but certified clinical sleep health specialist Angela Holliday-Bell, MD says it can also help you to experience better, deeper sleep. “It’s thought to be due to the flavonoids and anxiolytic compounds in the flower,” she explains, adding that the scent can also improve sleep latency, which is the time it takes to fall asleep.
If you’re having trouble falling asleep due to feeling overstimulated, you may want to try taking a shower at night, then following up with a rose-scented oil or cream to help calm your nervous system. “This can cause a decrease in your blood pressure, respiratory rate and heart rate, signaling to your brain that you are in a relaxed state,” Dr. Holliday-Bell says. “It makes it easier to fall asleep.”
The Element of Touch
Some of the divinely smelling rose body products on the market are from Sabon’s Green Rose collection. These include a Silky Body Milk, Shower Oil and newly reformulated Next Generation Body Scrub. A few other standouts are Augustinus Bader The Geranium Rose Body Oil, 54 Thrones Rose Hibiscus Barrier Repair Cloud Body Cream, and Salt & Stone Black Rose & Oud Hydrating Body Lotion. While there are a variety to choose from, there’s one thing they all have in common: They each require an element of touch in order to be applied to the body.
Rubbing a lotion, for example, into our skin is a process that has become second nature to many of us. But, the act itself, in conjunction with the calming scent of rose, performs double duty when it comes to winding down the nervous system. This is because touch is a sense that has a high level of receptors around the body, says Wheeler. “Research has shown that massaging creams and oils onto the skin can stimulate the release of serotonin, a hormone associated with feelings of joy and contentment,” she explains. “Additionally, skin-to-skin contact with others can trigger the release of oxytocin, which is often referred to as the ‘bonding hormone’ and fosters feelings of trust and connection.”
