Why You Should Introduce “Mind-Care” Into Your Skincare
Published: 10.02.2020
5 MIN READ
Have you ever been casually looking for a beauty product, when you suddenly found yourself inundated with heavily photoshopped images of “perfect” looking women? The answer is likely yes, and if you are anything like most of us, you were probably left feeling depleted and depressed – but hey, maybe those products will help, right?
Throughout history, toxic beauty standards have fueled the beauty industry, and though many consumers and companies are taking a strong stand against them now, these toxic standards still drive psychology and purchasing behaviour through a thriving existence on social media.
When you scroll through a feed of endlessly beautiful people (who may or may not be heavily edited) it is easy to begin to believe that “everyone” is perfect – except you – and thus a toxic beauty standard is born. It goes without saying that these standards are absolutely horrible for your mental wellness.
As if that isn’t enough, toxic beauty standards actually play a role in destroying your skin. They wear down your self-image and confidence, which leads to stress, anxiety, shame, and depression. Our body responds by producing hormones, including cortisol, which create inflammation, cause dehydration, and ultimately negatively impact our skin over time.
Let’s be clear, there is absolutely no shame in wanting to have amazing skin or even wanting to improve upon your appearance in healthy and attainable ways.The problem is, your desires can be skewed by societal ideals and social media, and the line between what you intuitively want and what you think you want blurs.
Though the beauty industry may not be consciously supporting toxic beauty standards, it is absolutely benefiting from them. The cycle of poor self image causing poor skin leads many of us to seek out new products to fix the problems.
The beauty industry can and should do better. The concept of mindcare for beauty is long overdue, and checking in with yourself and nurturing your mental wellness are absolutely critical in the pursuit of beauty.
So, what is intuitive beauty?
You can think of intuitive beauty as the point in which “mind-care” and skincare connect. Where you’re consciously checking in with your subconscious to ensure that your beauty goals are empowering you to be a healthy version of yourself, rather than an unhealthy version of someone else.
Intuitive beauty gives you a chance to commune with your inner self and get real about what it is you want to improve upon and why. Do you want smoother, more supple skin because you want to feel more confident in your appearance for you, or are you trying to compete with someone you saw on Instagram (who may or may not be using an app to make their skin look like that)?
When you take the time to dig deep and get real about your goals and the intention behind those goals, you’re able to uncover all your own nitty gritty truths, heal old wounds, and strengthen your intuitive relationship with yourself and your own unique beauty.
Beyond that, when you start to incorporate “mind-care” into your beauty and skincare routines, you are taking the necessary steps to reduce stress and anxiety, release shame, and improve your overall mental wellbeing.
Since stress can create inflammation and dehydrate your skin, by nourishing your mindset, you are physically playing a role in improving your skin from the inside out. It can also help to use plant-based skin care products that offer olfactory mood boosting properties, like Halo AM Oil Cleanser and Prism PM Oil Cleanser, to support your mood from the outside in, while you work on yourself from the inside out.
Cleanse, brighten, hydrate, and restore your skin, morning and night, with this gentle, 100% plant-based, microbiome friendly oil cleansing set with Halo and Prism.
$55 $49.50 SHOP NOW >>
Start incorporating these three simple Intuitive Beauty practices into your daily routines and watch how not only your skin responds, but how your goals start to shift towards something a wee bit more empowering.
Three Intuitive Beauty Practices to try:
1. Future-self Visualization
Visualize the ideal version of yourself and see how your body responds physically. If you’re imagining a version of yourself with a different nose and it makes your stomach hurt, there’s a sure fire sign that that isn’t an empowering goal. On the other hand, if you’re visualizing yourself with clear skin and it makes you feel light and airy – that could be a great goal.
2. Gut Reaction Tests
There is definitely something to the expression “a gut feeling”. Your emotions are closely tied to your gut, so when something you want is ego driven or fueled by toxic beauty standards, your gut will probably be the first to let you know. Try running your physical goals by your gut – think about what it is you want to change or improve upon and see how your body reacts. You will know whether it’s something you should pursue or not.
Cleanse, brighten, hydrate, and restore your skin, morning and night, with this gentle, 100% plant-based, microbiome friendly oil cleansing set with Halo and Prism.
$55 $49.50 SHOP NOW >>
3. Stream Meditation
This last practice is perhaps the most important in allowing yourself to fully acknowledge where you’re at from a mental wellness perspective. The idea is to lie down on your back, and imagine yourself floating down a peaceful, buoyant stream. From there, allow yourself to fully connect with your body and feel where in your body you’re holding tension, stress, sadness, grief, anger – you name it. Then take the time to acknowledge why you’re holding onto those feelings, address those emotions, and when you’re ready, lovingly let them go.
This practice may not feel like it’s directly connected to your beauty, but by taking care of yourself on an emotional level, you are building more resilience, patience, and confidence within yourself, and that will reflect in every aspect of your life – even your skin.
At the end of the day, this is your life. You know what is best for you and for your skin on an intuitive level, whether you realize it or not. You have the power to defy toxic beauty standards and harness your own unique beauty and potential in your own time, your own way. And if you need a bit of support on the cellular level, ULTIMATE AM and ULTIMATE PM have your back – BUT only if it feels intuitively right for you. You’ve got this and we’re rooting for you.
Includes a 30 day supply of both ULTIMATE AM and ULTIMATE PM.
$99 SHOP NOW >>
How to prevent premature aging
How to prevent premature aging
The Four Steps to Achieve Amazing Skin
Since the 5th century BC there have been stories of people hunting for the fountain of youth. Perhaps not all of these stories have been strictly based around the pursuit of beautiful, youthful skin, but if there is something almost everyone – regardless of age or gender – can relate to, it’s the desire for great skin.
Aesthetics aside, the health of your skin is vital to your longevity and overall well being. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It’s not only your shield from the elements, but it’s one of the first things people see when they look at you. Your skin is a huge part of what makes you you, and you only get one set of it.
In your youth, you may have taken the health of your skin for granted, but as time goes by the idea of that fountain of youth becomes a little more appealing. As early as the age of twenty, you start to lose one percent of collagen a year. Compounding that with UV damage, pollution, environmental factors, and genetics, life takes a major toll on the vitality of your skin.
This is where the hunt for the easiest solutions to those problems begin. Dark circles? Concealer to the rescue. Wrinkles? There’s Botox for that. Blemishes? More concealer. Sagging skin? Face lift time!
The problem with these quick fixes is that they are temporary (not to mention invasive and often toxic). These temporary solutions are equivalent to putting a picture over a rotting hole in the wall. Over time that hole is going to continue to rot until there is nowhere left to hang the picture from. Not to say touch ups and little fixes are bad, but without approaching your skincare from a holistic perspective, you’re neglecting the root of the problem.
There is no such thing as the fountain of youth, but the good news is that there are things you can do to actively repair, regenerate, and preserve the youth and health of your skin right now.
Four key steps to achieve phenomenal skin:
STEP ONE: Nutrition
You probably have heard the old adage ‘you are what you eat’, and like many old adages, there is a whole lot of truth to it.. The food you eat has a major impact on your skin. Sugar and processed foods can nip away at the strength and health of your skin, speeding up the aging process. On the flip side, nutrient dense foods rich in antioxidants help fight free radicals (the invasive molecules that cause cellular damage) as well as promote cellular regeneration and stimulate collagen production. The problem is the vast majority of people don’t get the right nutrients in their daily diet. This is where supplements like AM YOUTH BOOST and PM CELL RESET come in to play, actively delivering the powerful nutrients directly to your skin cells..
Beautiful skin and beautiful mind, morning and night. Includes a 30 day supply of both ULTIMATE AM and ULTIMATE PM.
$108 or $97.50/month
Beautiful skin and beautiful mind, morning and night. Includes a 30 day supply of both ULTIMATE AM and ULTIMATE PM.
$108 or $97.50/month
STEP TWO: Topicals
Whether you’re a fan of the ‘ten-step skincare regimen’ or not, you can’t deny the importance of topical skincare. Though topical treatments alone may not be the end all be all for optimal skin health, they are definitely a key factor in attaining great skin. Once you’ve fueled your skin from within with high quality nutrition, you can double down on those benefits by incorporating powerful topical antioxidants, like vitamin C serums and retinols. The key is to choose science-backed and all natural topical skincare products that heal and nourish without harming your skin barrier, like Vintner’s Daughter..
Active Botanical Serum is a powerful, multi-correctional face oil infused with 22 of the world’s most nutrient-rich botanicals.
$185 30ml | $65 5ml
Active Botanical Serum is a powerful, multi-correctional face oil infused with 22 of the world’s most nutrient-rich botanicals.
$185 30ml | $65 5ml
STEP THREE: Sunscreen
Everyone wants that summer glow, but that glow can come at a serious cost. UV damage is one of the absolute worst things for your skin. Excess sun exposure creates free radicals which attack your skin cells, deplete hydration, degrade collagen production, and create premature wrinkles. Yes, there are powerful ingredients accessible through specialized supplementation that can help repair and prevent some UV damage(check out polypodium leucotomos, the amazing fern in AM YOUTH BOOST for more on that), but if you want to preserve your skin cells you HAVE to start with a high quality broad spectrum sunscreen like Salt and Stone, Unsun, and Supergoop – to name a few. .
This non-greasy mineral based formula sinks into the skin effortlessly with no white residue.
$22 each
This non-greasy mineral based formula sinks into the skin effortlessly with no white residue.
$22 each
STEP FOUR: Sleep
Surprised to find this step here? The truth is, lack of sleep is one of the most detrimental things to your skin. Not only does poor sleep increase inflammation and wreak havoc on your immune system, but it also causes the degradation of collagen and elastin proteins. Beauty sleep is no joke, and pharmaceutical sleeping pills only add to the problem. In order to preserve your skin – and mental health for that matter – you need to optimize your sleep-wake cycles. Simply optimizing your sleep cycles is easier said than done though. A great place to start is by creating sacred nighttime routines (check out STUNN’s Transformation Challenge for some inspiration) and by taking sustainable, all-natural sleep supplements that deliver an added boost for your skin, like PM CELL RESET.
Stimulate collagen production while improving your sleep with a 30 day supply.†
$60 or $54/month
Stimulate collagen production while improving your sleep with a 30 day supply.†
$60 or $54/month
Life happens, and certain things like genetics are unavoidable, but if you commit to improving your nutrition, washing your make-up off at night, wearing sunscreen, and keeping a consistent bedtime routine, you’re going to be doing just fine.
And at the end of the day remember this, you already are absolutely stunning. So own it, and keep treating yourself like the God/Goddess you already are!
STUNN Collective exists to empower you with innovative supplements that directly nourish your microbiome to support stress hormones and skin health, so you can harness your own unique beauty and potential, because we believe every woman deserves to feel better, live greater, and dream bigger.
Written by the STUNN Collective team.
WHY SCENT AFFECTS YOUR MOOD AND EMOTIONS
Published: 11.03.2021
2 MIN READ
Hear me out, your nose might be the key to your happiness…
Okay, so maybe that’s a little hyperbolic, but the truth is aromatherapy is nothing to shake a stick at. Your sense of smell is the strongest of all your senses – you may have experienced this for yourself.
Play along, if you will. When I mention freshly cut grass, warm gravy, a smoky campfire, or even an outdated perfume like Gap Dream, did you instantly have a memory pop-up?
Maybe you remembered your dad cutting the lawn when you were a kid, or being at your grandma’s for thanksgiving dinner, or the camping trip you took last summer – maybe you even remembered being thirteen dancing to Chumbawamba in velvet pants drenched in a cheap (Gap) perfume – or maybe that’s just me…
Jokes aside, there is a real reason for these whip-sharp aroma-triggered memories. Your olfactory receptor neurons (also known as the olfactory bulb) are located conveniently behind your sinuses, and are the only neurons in your body that are exposed to air and actually make physical contact with the molecules that create a smell.
These receptors have a seriously intimate relationship with your brain, in that, when they come into contact with an odor, they talk about it – aka they send the signal directly to your brain.
This relationship is so strong that it can even trigger your taste buds.
Don’t tell me you’ve never had the experience of looking at a bag of salt and vinegar chips and not been able to actually taste them – just from looking.
But this intense relationship goes even further than just taste, it can also affect how you perceive people, places and things, and of course, your emotions. This is because that part of your brain that processes these smells, is also where you store memories.
This part of your brain is called the limbic system, and it’s also where your moods and emotions are processed. Which is precisely why, when I mentioned cut grass, gravy, campfire, and cheap perfume, you didn’t only have a memory, it also brought up an emotion.
The research into why and how this happens is actually pretty extensive, and recent studies have shown just how odors can overtly or subliminally modulate mood and emotion. Meaning, bad smells can put you in a bad mood, and vice versa for good smells.
Now, the curious part of this, where the research is not as extensive, is how to use this to your own advantage and utilize it to boost your mood and elevate your mental wellness.
Enter aromatherapy or olfactory mood-boosting practices.
It’s been said that your mood throughout a day can be dictated by how the first hour after waking plays out – hence the saying ‘got up on the wrong side of the bed’.
This where incorporating aromatherapy into your morning routine can play a critical role in setting you up for having a positive day. Ditto that for your nighttime routine.
It’s said that certain smells can reduce cortisol and even help promote sleep, such as lavender. On the flip side, some scents, like peppermint, are even purported to be able to boost your energy and cognition.
While you most definitely cannot prevent yourself from experiencing any kind of stress or anxiety in your day to day life, you absolutely can take a bit of control into your own hands by using scent as a liferaft.
By lighting a candle, diffusing essential oils or using skin care products that offer olfactory mood-boosting properties, like Halo AM Oil Cleanser and Prism PM Oil Cleanser, you may just be able to reset your limbic system and set yourself up for having a good day.
Cleanse, brighten, hydrate, and restore your skin, morning and night, with this gentle, 100% plant-based, microbiome friendly oil cleansing set with Halo and Prism.
$55 $49.50 SHOP NOW >>
Life happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. So next time you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, try a little aromatherapy to lift your spirits.
WHY SCENT AFFECTS YOUR MOOD AND EMOTIONS
Published: 11.03.2021
2 MIN READ
Hear me out, your nose might be the key to your happiness…
Okay, so maybe that’s a little hyperbolic, but the truth is aromatherapy is nothing to shake a stick at. Your sense of smell is the strongest of all your senses – you may have experienced this for yourself.
Play along, if you will. When I mention freshly cut grass, warm gravy, a smoky campfire, or even an outdated perfume like Gap Dream, did you instantly have a memory pop-up?
Maybe you remembered your dad cutting the lawn when you were a kid, or being at your grandma’s for thanksgiving dinner, or the camping trip you took last summer – maybe you even remembered being thirteen dancing to Chumbawamba in velvet pants drenched in a cheap (Gap) perfume – or maybe that’s just me…
Jokes aside, there is a real reason for these whip-sharp aroma-triggered memories. Your olfactory receptor neurons (also known as the olfactory bulb) are located conveniently behind your sinuses, and are the only neurons in your body that are exposed to air and actually make physical contact with the molecules that create a smell.
These receptors have a seriously intimate relationship with your brain, in that, when they come into contact with an odor, they talk about it – aka they send the signal directly to your brain.
This relationship is so strong that it can even trigger your taste buds.
Don’t tell me you’ve never had the experience of looking at a bag of salt and vinegar chips and not been able to actually taste them – just from looking.
But this intense relationship goes even further than just taste, it can also affect how you perceive people, places and things, and of course, your emotions. This is because that part of your brain that processes these smells, is also where you store memories.
This part of your brain is called the limbic system, and it’s also where your moods and emotions are processed. Which is precisely why, when I mentioned cut grass, gravy, campfire, and cheap perfume, you didn’t only have a memory, it also brought up an emotion.
The research into why and how this happens is actually pretty extensive, and recent studies have shown just how odors can overtly or subliminally modulate mood and emotion. Meaning, bad smells can put you in a bad mood, and vice versa for good smells.
Now, the curious part of this, where the research is not as extensive, is how to use this to your own advantage and utilize it to boost your mood and elevate your mental wellness.
Enter aromatherapy or olfactory mood-boosting practices.
It’s been said that your mood throughout a day can be dictated by how the first hour after waking plays out – hence the saying ‘got up on the wrong side of the bed’.
This where incorporating aromatherapy into your morning routine can play a critical role in setting you up for having a positive day. Ditto that for your nighttime routine.
It’s said that certain smells can reduce cortisol and even help promote sleep, such as lavender. On the flip side, some scents, like peppermint, are even purported to be able to boost your energy and cognition.
While you most definitely cannot prevent yourself from experiencing any kind of stress or anxiety in your day to day life, you absolutely can take a bit of control into your own hands by using scent as a liferaft.
By lighting a candle, diffusing essential oils or using skin care products that offer olfactory mood-boosting properties, like Halo AM Oil Cleanser and Prism PM Oil Cleanser, you may just be able to reset your limbic system and set yourself up for having a good day.
Cleanse, brighten, hydrate, and restore your skin, morning and night, with this gentle, 100% plant-based, microbiome friendly oil cleansing set with Halo and Prism.
$55 $49.50 SHOP NOW >>
Life happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. So next time you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, try a little aromatherapy to lift your spirits.
WHY SCENT AFFECTS YOUR MOOD AND EMOTIONS
Published: 11.03.2021
2 MIN READ
Hear me out, your nose might be the key to your happiness…
Okay, so maybe that’s a little hyperbolic, but the truth is aromatherapy is nothing to shake a stick at. Your sense of smell is the strongest of all your senses – you may have experienced this for yourself.
Play along, if you will. When I mention freshly cut grass, warm gravy, a smoky campfire, or even an outdated perfume like Gap Dream, did you instantly have a memory pop-up?
Maybe you remembered your dad cutting the lawn when you were a kid, or being at your grandma’s for thanksgiving dinner, or the camping trip you took last summer – maybe you even remembered being thirteen dancing to Chumbawamba in velvet pants drenched in a cheap (Gap) perfume – or maybe that’s just me…
Jokes aside, there is a real reason for these whip-sharp aroma-triggered memories. Your olfactory receptor neurons (also known as the olfactory bulb) are located conveniently behind your sinuses, and are the only neurons in your body that are exposed to air and actually make physical contact with the molecules that create a smell.
These receptors have a seriously intimate relationship with your brain, in that, when they come into contact with an odor, they talk about it – aka they send the signal directly to your brain.
This relationship is so strong that it can even trigger your taste buds.
Don’t tell me you’ve never had the experience of looking at a bag of salt and vinegar chips and not been able to actually taste them – just from looking.
But this intense relationship goes even further than just taste, it can also affect how you perceive people, places and things, and of course, your emotions. This is because that part of your brain that processes these smells, is also where you store memories.
This part of your brain is called the limbic system, and it’s also where your moods and emotions are processed. Which is precisely why, when I mentioned cut grass, gravy, campfire, and cheap perfume, you didn’t only have a memory, it also brought up an emotion.
The research into why and how this happens is actually pretty extensive, and recent studies have shown just how odors can overtly or subliminally modulate mood and emotion. Meaning, bad smells can put you in a bad mood, and vice versa for good smells.
Now, the curious part of this, where the research is not as extensive, is how to use this to your own advantage and utilize it to boost your mood and elevate your mental wellness.
Enter aromatherapy or olfactory mood-boosting practices.
It’s been said that your mood throughout a day can be dictated by how the first hour after waking plays out – hence the saying ‘got up on the wrong side of the bed’.
This where incorporating aromatherapy into your morning routine can play a critical role in setting you up for having a positive day. Ditto that for your nighttime routine.
It’s said that certain smells can reduce cortisol and even help promote sleep, such as lavender. On the flip side, some scents, like peppermint, are even purported to be able to boost your energy and cognition.
While you most definitely cannot prevent yourself from experiencing any kind of stress or anxiety in your day to day life, you absolutely can take a bit of control into your own hands by using scent as a liferaft.
By lighting a candle, diffusing essential oils or using skin care products that offer olfactory mood-boosting properties, like Halo AM Oil Cleanser and Prism PM Oil Cleanser, you may just be able to reset your limbic system and set yourself up for having a good day.
Cleanse, brighten, hydrate, and restore your skin, morning and night, with this gentle, 100% plant-based, microbiome friendly oil cleansing set with Halo and Prism.
$55 $49.50 SHOP NOW >>
Life happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. So next time you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, try a little aromatherapy to lift your spirits.
WHY SCENT AFFECTS YOUR MOOD AND EMOTIONS
Published: 11.03.2021
2 MIN READ
Hear me out, your nose might be the key to your happiness…
Okay, so maybe that’s a little hyperbolic, but the truth is aromatherapy is nothing to shake a stick at. Your sense of smell is the strongest of all your senses – you may have experienced this for yourself.
Play along, if you will. When I mention freshly cut grass, warm gravy, a smoky campfire, or even an outdated perfume like Gap Dream, did you instantly have a memory pop-up?
Maybe you remembered your dad cutting the lawn when you were a kid, or being at your grandma’s for thanksgiving dinner, or the camping trip you took last summer – maybe you even remembered being thirteen dancing to Chumbawamba in velvet pants drenched in a cheap (Gap) perfume – or maybe that’s just me…
Jokes aside, there is a real reason for these whip-sharp aroma-triggered memories. Your olfactory receptor neurons (also known as the olfactory bulb) are located conveniently behind your sinuses, and are the only neurons in your body that are exposed to air and actually make physical contact with the molecules that create a smell.
These receptors have a seriously intimate relationship with your brain, in that, when they come into contact with an odor, they talk about it – aka they send the signal directly to your brain.
This relationship is so strong that it can even trigger your taste buds.
Don’t tell me you’ve never had the experience of looking at a bag of salt and vinegar chips and not been able to actually taste them – just from looking.
But this intense relationship goes even further than just taste, it can also affect how you perceive people, places and things, and of course, your emotions. This is because that part of your brain that processes these smells, is also where you store memories.
This part of your brain is called the limbic system, and it’s also where your moods and emotions are processed. Which is precisely why, when I mentioned cut grass, gravy, campfire, and cheap perfume, you didn’t only have a memory, it also brought up an emotion.
The research into why and how this happens is actually pretty extensive, and recent studies have shown just how odors can overtly or subliminally modulate mood and emotion. Meaning, bad smells can put you in a bad mood, and vice versa for good smells.
Now, the curious part of this, where the research is not as extensive, is how to use this to your own advantage and utilize it to boost your mood and elevate your mental wellness.
Enter aromatherapy or olfactory mood-boosting practices.
It’s been said that your mood throughout a day can be dictated by how the first hour after waking plays out – hence the saying ‘got up on the wrong side of the bed’.
This where incorporating aromatherapy into your morning routine can play a critical role in setting you up for having a positive day. Ditto that for your nighttime routine.
It’s said that certain smells can reduce cortisol and even help promote sleep, such as lavender. On the flip side, some scents, like peppermint, are even purported to be able to boost your energy and cognition.
While you most definitely cannot prevent yourself from experiencing any kind of stress or anxiety in your day to day life, you absolutely can take a bit of control into your own hands by using scent as a liferaft.
By lighting a candle, diffusing essential oils or using skin care products that offer olfactory mood-boosting properties, like Halo AM Oil Cleanser and Prism PM Oil Cleanser, you may just be able to reset your limbic system and set yourself up for having a good day.
Cleanse, brighten, hydrate, and restore your skin, morning and night, with this gentle, 100% plant-based, microbiome friendly oil cleansing set with Halo and Prism.
$55 $49.50 SHOP NOW >>
Life happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. So next time you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, try a little aromatherapy to lift your spirits.
WHY SCENT AFFECTS YOUR MOOD AND EMOTIONS
Published: 11.03.2021
2 MIN READ
Hear me out, your nose might be the key to your happiness…
Okay, so maybe that’s a little hyperbolic, but the truth is aromatherapy is nothing to shake a stick at. Your sense of smell is the strongest of all your senses – you may have experienced this for yourself.
Play along, if you will. When I mention freshly cut grass, warm gravy, a smoky campfire, or even an outdated perfume like Gap Dream, did you instantly have a memory pop-up?
Maybe you remembered your dad cutting the lawn when you were a kid, or being at your grandma’s for thanksgiving dinner, or the camping trip you took last summer – maybe you even remembered being thirteen dancing to Chumbawamba in velvet pants drenched in a cheap (Gap) perfume – or maybe that’s just me…
Jokes aside, there is a real reason for these whip-sharp aroma-triggered memories. Your olfactory receptor neurons (also known as the olfactory bulb) are located conveniently behind your sinuses, and are the only neurons in your body that are exposed to air and actually make physical contact with the molecules that create a smell.
These receptors have a seriously intimate relationship with your brain, in that, when they come into contact with an odor, they talk about it – aka they send the signal directly to your brain.
This relationship is so strong that it can even trigger your taste buds.
Don’t tell me you’ve never had the experience of looking at a bag of salt and vinegar chips and not been able to actually taste them – just from looking.
But this intense relationship goes even further than just taste, it can also affect how you perceive people, places and things, and of course, your emotions. This is because that part of your brain that processes these smells, is also where you store memories.
This part of your brain is called the limbic system, and it’s also where your moods and emotions are processed. Which is precisely why, when I mentioned cut grass, gravy, campfire, and cheap perfume, you didn’t only have a memory, it also brought up an emotion.
The research into why and how this happens is actually pretty extensive, and recent studies have shown just how odors can overtly or subliminally modulate mood and emotion. Meaning, bad smells can put you in a bad mood, and vice versa for good smells.
Now, the curious part of this, where the research is not as extensive, is how to use this to your own advantage and utilize it to boost your mood and elevate your mental wellness.
Enter aromatherapy or olfactory mood-boosting practices.
It’s been said that your mood throughout a day can be dictated by how the first hour after waking plays out – hence the saying ‘got up on the wrong side of the bed’.
This where incorporating aromatherapy into your morning routine can play a critical role in setting you up for having a positive day. Ditto that for your nighttime routine.
It’s said that certain smells can reduce cortisol and even help promote sleep, such as lavender. On the flip side, some scents, like peppermint, are even purported to be able to boost your energy and cognition.
While you most definitely cannot prevent yourself from experiencing any kind of stress or anxiety in your day to day life, you absolutely can take a bit of control into your own hands by using scent as a liferaft.
By lighting a candle, diffusing essential oils or using skin care products that offer olfactory mood-boosting properties, like Halo AM Oil Cleanser and Prism PM Oil Cleanser, you may just be able to reset your limbic system and set yourself up for having a good day.
Cleanse, brighten, hydrate, and restore your skin, morning and night, with this gentle, 100% plant-based, microbiome friendly oil cleansing set with Halo and Prism.
$55 $49.50 SHOP NOW >>
Life happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. So next time you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, try a little aromatherapy to lift your spirits.
WHY SCENT AFFECTS YOUR MOOD AND EMOTIONS
Published: 11.03.2021
2 MIN READ
Hear me out, your nose might be the key to your happiness…
Okay, so maybe that’s a little hyperbolic, but the truth is aromatherapy is nothing to shake a stick at. Your sense of smell is the strongest of all your senses – you may have experienced this for yourself.
Play along, if you will. When I mention freshly cut grass, warm gravy, a smoky campfire, or even an outdated perfume like Gap Dream, did you instantly have a memory pop-up?
Maybe you remembered your dad cutting the lawn when you were a kid, or being at your grandma’s for thanksgiving dinner, or the camping trip you took last summer – maybe you even remembered being thirteen dancing to Chumbawamba in velvet pants drenched in a cheap (Gap) perfume – or maybe that’s just me…
Jokes aside, there is a real reason for these whip-sharp aroma-triggered memories. Your olfactory receptor neurons (also known as the olfactory bulb) are located conveniently behind your sinuses, and are the only neurons in your body that are exposed to air and actually make physical contact with the molecules that create a smell.
These receptors have a seriously intimate relationship with your brain, in that, when they come into contact with an odor, they talk about it – aka they send the signal directly to your brain.
This relationship is so strong that it can even trigger your taste buds.
Don’t tell me you’ve never had the experience of looking at a bag of salt and vinegar chips and not been able to actually taste them – just from looking.
But this intense relationship goes even further than just taste, it can also affect how you perceive people, places and things, and of course, your emotions. This is because that part of your brain that processes these smells, is also where you store memories.
This part of your brain is called the limbic system, and it’s also where your moods and emotions are processed. Which is precisely why, when I mentioned cut grass, gravy, campfire, and cheap perfume, you didn’t only have a memory, it also brought up an emotion.
The research into why and how this happens is actually pretty extensive, and recent studies have shown just how odors can overtly or subliminally modulate mood and emotion. Meaning, bad smells can put you in a bad mood, and vice versa for good smells.
Now, the curious part of this, where the research is not as extensive, is how to use this to your own advantage and utilize it to boost your mood and elevate your mental wellness.
Enter aromatherapy or olfactory mood-boosting practices.
It’s been said that your mood throughout a day can be dictated by how the first hour after waking plays out – hence the saying ‘got up on the wrong side of the bed’.
This where incorporating aromatherapy into your morning routine can play a critical role in setting you up for having a positive day. Ditto that for your nighttime routine.
It’s said that certain smells can reduce cortisol and even help promote sleep, such as lavender. On the flip side, some scents, like peppermint, are even purported to be able to boost your energy and cognition.
While you most definitely cannot prevent yourself from experiencing any kind of stress or anxiety in your day to day life, you absolutely can take a bit of control into your own hands by using scent as a liferaft.
By lighting a candle, diffusing essential oils or using skin care products that offer olfactory mood-boosting properties, like Halo AM Oil Cleanser and Prism PM Oil Cleanser, you may just be able to reset your limbic system and set yourself up for having a good day.
Cleanse, brighten, hydrate, and restore your skin, morning and night, with this gentle, 100% plant-based, microbiome friendly oil cleansing set with Halo and Prism.
$55 $49.50 SHOP NOW >>
Life happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. So next time you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, try a little aromatherapy to lift your spirits.
WHY SCENT AFFECTS YOUR MOOD AND EMOTIONS
Published: 11.03.2021
2 MIN READ
Hear me out, your nose might be the key to your happiness…
Okay, so maybe that’s a little hyperbolic, but the truth is aromatherapy is nothing to shake a stick at. Your sense of smell is the strongest of all your senses – you may have experienced this for yourself.
Play along, if you will. When I mention freshly cut grass, warm gravy, a smoky campfire, or even an outdated perfume like Gap Dream, did you instantly have a memory pop-up?
Maybe you remembered your dad cutting the lawn when you were a kid, or being at your grandma’s for thanksgiving dinner, or the camping trip you took last summer – maybe you even remembered being thirteen dancing to Chumbawamba in velvet pants drenched in a cheap (Gap) perfume – or maybe that’s just me…
Jokes aside, there is a real reason for these whip-sharp aroma-triggered memories. Your olfactory receptor neurons (also known as the olfactory bulb) are located conveniently behind your sinuses, and are the only neurons in your body that are exposed to air and actually make physical contact with the molecules that create a smell.
These receptors have a seriously intimate relationship with your brain, in that, when they come into contact with an odor, they talk about it – aka they send the signal directly to your brain.
This relationship is so strong that it can even trigger your taste buds.
Don’t tell me you’ve never had the experience of looking at a bag of salt and vinegar chips and not been able to actually taste them – just from looking.
But this intense relationship goes even further than just taste, it can also affect how you perceive people, places and things, and of course, your emotions. This is because that part of your brain that processes these smells, is also where you store memories.
This part of your brain is called the limbic system, and it’s also where your moods and emotions are processed. Which is precisely why, when I mentioned cut grass, gravy, campfire, and cheap perfume, you didn’t only have a memory, it also brought up an emotion.
The research into why and how this happens is actually pretty extensive, and recent studies have shown just how odors can overtly or subliminally modulate mood and emotion. Meaning, bad smells can put you in a bad mood, and vice versa for good smells.
Now, the curious part of this, where the research is not as extensive, is how to use this to your own advantage and utilize it to boost your mood and elevate your mental wellness.
Enter aromatherapy or olfactory mood-boosting practices.
It’s been said that your mood throughout a day can be dictated by how the first hour after waking plays out – hence the saying ‘got up on the wrong side of the bed’.
This where incorporating aromatherapy into your morning routine can play a critical role in setting you up for having a positive day. Ditto that for your nighttime routine.
It’s said that certain smells can reduce cortisol and even help promote sleep, such as lavender. On the flip side, some scents, like peppermint, are even purported to be able to boost your energy and cognition.
While you most definitely cannot prevent yourself from experiencing any kind of stress or anxiety in your day to day life, you absolutely can take a bit of control into your own hands by using scent as a liferaft.
By lighting a candle, diffusing essential oils or using skin care products that offer olfactory mood-boosting properties, like Halo AM Oil Cleanser and Prism PM Oil Cleanser, you may just be able to reset your limbic system and set yourself up for having a good day.
Cleanse, brighten, hydrate, and restore your skin, morning and night, with this gentle, 100% plant-based, microbiome friendly oil cleansing set with Halo and Prism.
$55 $49.50 SHOP NOW >>
Life happens, but it doesn’t have to happen to you. So next time you’re feeling down or overwhelmed, try a little aromatherapy to lift your spirits.
