How the Smell of Rosemary or Lavender Shifts the Mind

In a neat piece of aromachology, the study of how smells affect the mind, 144 healthy adults completed computer-based thinking tasks in a room scented with either rosemary, lavender or no aroma, without being told the true purpose so their expectations would not sway the result. Those in the rosemary room showed better memory and rated themselves more alert, while those in the lavender room felt calmer and more content but performed a little worse on speed and working-memory tasks. It is a striking demonstration that an ambient scent can produce measurable effects on both mood and cognition. As a single laboratory study of short-term effects, it maps a real phenomenon more than it prescribes a routine, and results across the wider field are mixed. For a woman choosing what to diffuse at her desk, it hints that rosemary may suit focused work and lavender may suit winding down, each in its moment.