Scent for Menopausal Symptoms
In placebo-controlled trials, inhaled lavender or low-dose neroli reduced overall menopausal symptom scores.
Aromachology, Midlife, Women's Health
This review focused on the more rigorous end of the evidence, pooling seven randomised placebo-controlled trials of aromatherapy for menopausal symptoms. Inhaling lavender or a low dose of neroli oil reduced women's overall menopausal symptom scores compared with placebo, and several trials also reported improvements in sexual desire. Most of the trials were well conducted apart from the unavoidable difficulty of blinding a scent, and the total number of studies was small, drawn largely from a few countries. This makes it an encouraging but still early basis for using aromatherapy in the menopause transition. For a woman navigating hot flushes, disrupted sleep and shifting mood, it offers gentle, low-risk support she can weigh alongside the treatments with stronger evidence, and discuss with her doctor.
