A lot of times, when I’m working, I use essential oils.
That’s because they seem to help me concentrate.
I don’t think it’s my imagination either. Because science is beginning to prove that essential oils can influence our emotions.
Essential oils can give us a mental boost. They can help us focus. They can even help our memory.
In recent years one essential oil has received a lot of attention. At least as far as memory and concentration are concerned.
That’s because one study found that inhaling rosemary essential oil enhanced cognition in a group of healthy adults.
How To Use Essential Oils for Concentration
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Rosemary essential oil has also been found to help with memory recall in people with dementia.
A separate study published in the Psychogeriatrics medical journal showed that essential oils seemed to mitigate the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease in elderly patients.
I honestly don’t know why this study, published in 2009, isn’t getting much more attention. Because using aromatherapy led to dramatic results.
The authors said, “All patients showed significant improvement in personal orientation related to cognitive function,” reflected on two tests. Furthermore, no side effects were noted.
“In conclusion, we found aromatherapy an efficacious non-pharmacological therapy for dementia. Aromatherapy may have some potential for improving cognitive function, especially in AD patients,” the authors wrote.
Essential Oils To Help You Concentrate
The essential oils used in the above study were rosemary and lemon essential oils. These oils were used in the morning.
(Incidentally, both lemon and rosemary oil are considered invigorating. Lemon, especially, is often found in aromatic blends designed to pick you up.)
During the day, lemon essential oil is probably my favorite. I like rosemary oil too. But I find that it gets cloying if it use it too much.
So I like to rotate rosemary oil with lemon oil. Sometimes I use lime essential oil too. All of the citrus oils are considered good natural mood elevators.
Orange and lavender essential oils were used on the elderly patients at night. (Lavender essential oil is often used as a natural sleep remedy. It’s one of my favorite essential oils for sleep and relaxation.)
Other research has shown that lavender essential oil has neuro-protective effects. It’s a great natural remedy to use in the evening, because it seems to soothe the nervous system.)
Although the study didn’t say exactly how the oils were used I’m assuming they were inhaled. This may be have been done by diffusing the oils, but I’m not sure.
Diffusing is a very effective. Essential oils have a tiny molecular structure. So once you inhale them they easily reach your bloodstream.
I often have a cold air diffuser running in my kitchen because I like how it makes my house smell.
Essential oils can also be used for massage, if they’re mixed with a carrier oil.
But they’re not meant for general internal use. In fact, ingesting them is potentially dangerous and should never be done unless someone is working with a medical professional.
Can Essential Oils Help You Concentrate?
Essential oils have also been used in children, with the idea of helping them focus. One study showed that vetiver essential oil was helpful for children with attention deficit disorder.
Not all essential oils are safe to use with children. But vetiver is consider safe for children aged two and older, as long as it’s used properly.
One doctor named Terry Friedman, MD, has been reportedly found that vetiver essential oil can help normalize brain function in children with attention deficit disorder. The effects were noticeable after 30 days of use.
One company called Plant Therapy makes a special essential oil blend for children called A+ Attention Synergy Blend, which you can see below. It contains a number of essential oils considered safe for children, including vetiver oil.
For More Reading
Rosemary Oil and Cognitive Performance
Effect Of Aromatherapy On Patients With Alzheimer’s Disease
Disclaimer
These statements have not been approved by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Women who are pregnant or nursing should not use essential oils, unless directed to do so by a healthcare professional. Not all essential oils are safe to use with children.
