5 Essential Scents for Spring
Refresh your outlook with products that help cheer you up, calm your mind and more.
by Carolyn Stanley, Q by Equinox
By now those New Year’s resolutions are a distant memory, but don’t feel too bad: winter is a tough time to implement new habits. Spring, on the other hand, is better for rebirth, thanks to longer days, warmer weather, and perhaps the quintessential sign of the season: flowers and the bright colors and scents they bring.
Can’t shake off your winter ennui? Aromatherapy can help give your body that wake-up-call. “Our sense of smell is just two synapses away from the center of our brain—the part that is recognized as being the seat of all of our emotions and memory,” explains Amy Galper, founder and executive director of the New York Institute of Aromatherapy. “That means when we smell something it has a direct impact on how we respond to our environment,” she says. “It tempers and adjusts our stress response.”
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Galper says spring is a great time to start incorporating essential oils into your everyday routine. “Our bodies and minds are opening, and we are shedding the tough armor of the winter months,” Galper says. “Essential oils can uplift our moods, and encourage us to let go of old habits and start fresh.” Take a cue from the budding blossoms around you and inhale your way to bliss, with Galper’s recommendations for five seasonal concerns.
Detox: Peppermint
“Great for detoxifying and getting the circulation going, peppermint is also perfect for bringing life to sluggish skin. Priti NYC Sugar Scrub is fresh with lots of bright peppermint to help invigorate the exfoliating properties.”
Cheer up: Bergamot
“This essential oil is expressed from the peel of the Bergamot, a citrus that grows in Italy, and is packed with energizing and astringent properties, making it a beautiful cleansing oil for spring. The aroma is one of the most emotionally balancing and is a strong anti-depressant. If the winter months have made you feel down in the dumps, the scent of Bergamot is bound to make you smile. Olie Biologique 004 Hydrating Oil features the scent—it smells wonderful and provides deep moisture.”
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Rebalance: Rose geranium
“This is a great oil for balance—hormonally and emotionally. It improves vibrancy in the skin, and is a great addition to any cleansing routine. It’s a great oil for evening, and particularly nice for soothing and balancing the scalp. I likeYarok’s Feed Your Sunshine Hair Serum.”
Calm your mind: Rosewood
“The change of seasons always makes me tired: the time change, the new rhythym, the weather changes. It can be stressful for both my body and mind…and skin. Rosewood oil is very calming, and deeply sedating. It’s helps us breathe a little deeper, clear our mind, and get focused. I like its rosy scent, that also has a deeper woody edge to it. It’s cleansing, clarifying and sedating. One product I love that has it is De Mamiel Restoration Body Serum. It’s relaxing and clarifying.”
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Energize: Pink grapefruit
“Expressed from the peel of the pink grapefruit, this is a super fresh and uplifting essential oil. It’s very astringent, so it is great for cutting through excess oil and grease, and also soothing for inflammation. Its cheery bright aroma also uplifts moods and improves sluggish circulation. Great to add to any detox routine, and offers our skin great energy at a cellular level. I love it in Vered’s Anti Aging Face Treatment Oil.”
