There can be a danger in linking particular essential oils too closely with specific emotions, because of the idiosyncratic nature of smell. When using natural aromatics for psychotherapeutic purposes, it is important to assess the personality or temperament of each person and to take his or her odor associations and preferences into account. In choosing fragrances which may correspond to the needs of an individual, personal preferences can often be of value as a therapeutic guide. Much as at times we crave certain foods that can supply nutritional elements which our body is lacking, so we may be emotionally drawn toward particular fragrances that have a balancing effect on our psychic disposition as a whole. Even a disagreeable reaction to a particular scent may give the aromatherapist an indication of a hidden or repressed area of psyche that needs attention.
ROSE WOOD
GALBANEUM
YLANG YLANG
Aromatherapists will frequently observe that their clients are instinctively drawn toward the essential oil that is right for their needs, and that as the client’s emotional state alters, so, often, does an aroma preference.
Scents function at the psychobiological level.
The Tisserand wheel illustrates the links between some common emotional states and specific oils. Personality type is shown in the outer wheel, then the “emotional” quality of the perfume and name of the oil, next the emotional state the oil can act on, and finally the type of action that the oil has.
CHOOSING A PERFUME to suit their mood and personality is one way in which most women—and, increasingly, many men—practice a form of aromatherapy on themselves. We can all observe that choice of perfume, just like color preference, is highly individual, despite prevailing fashions, and moreover that there is a distinct link between personality types and the type of perfume worn.
Why does a person like or dislike a particular scent or choose one perfume rather than another? The relationship between perfume and personality, between the “essence” of a person and the “essence” of a perfume, is an area which has intrigued the perfumery industry for centuries. The correlation between personality and fragrance was initially a supposition based on observation, but research into the psychophysiological factors involved in this field now supports the truth of the theory. Whatever the scientific explanation, the perfume chosen can highlight the personality of the wearer, and a personalized perfume, made as a unique blend for the person alone, can do this even more perfectly. An English physician of the 19th century stated that, in his opinion, a perfume should correspond to the personality, physical, emotional, and mental characteristics of its wearer, and should be as specific to each woman as the sound of her voice.9
Personality types and color and perfume preference
A specific correlation of different scent types with personality types was made by the scientist and perfume expert R.W. Moncrieff. He noted that extroverts were less finely tuned in their odor preferences than introverts, and that they preferred lighter fragrances while introverts tended to be drawn to heavier, oriental scents.
The researchers Mensing and Beck have developed these notions further, showing a link between color and perfume preferences. They produced a series of eight circles, each with eight different overlapping color segments. The colors within each circle were chosen to match the preferences of the eight most common personality types, as shown below.
Formulating an individual blend
A MORE ELABORATE version of Mensing and Beck’s color chart is still used widely in the perfume industry to create new scents and to help target specific markets. It has also been adapted for psycho-aromatherapeutic purposes, where it can be employed to help aromatherapists select an essence from the range of natural aromatics. An introverted individual, for example, is likely to be attracted to oriental oils and incense materials, such as frankincense, patchouli, sandalwood, or galbanum—while an extroverted type will prefer fresh, fruity oils such as bergamot, lemon, or grapefruit.
When we move into the therapeutic use of essences, there are other factors to be considered apart from the esthetic appeal. While in perfumery the esthetic consideration is paramount, in therapeutic work the efficacy of the remedy is of prime importance. When dealing with the therapeutic application of essences, there are two separate dynamics to consider:
The need to choose a fragrance specifically tailored to the requirements of each individual client was the conclusion reached by the aromatherapist Marguerite Maury in her therapeutic work. She found that, of all the aspects of plant oils and their fragrances, “the greatest interest lies in the effect of fragrance on the psychic and mental state of the individual. Powers of perception become clearer and [events] are seen more objectively, and therefore in truer perspective.”10
In devising her individual prescriptions, Mme. Maury assessed the physical, mental, and emotional disposition of each patient so that the remedy perfectly mirrored the patient. There is, for example, the case of the sad and anxious elderly man suffering from stress and insomnia, with a heart and kidney weakness. The individual mixture for this client was made up from rose, sandalwood, lavender, geranium, and benzoin. Benzoin dispels anxiety and interposes “a padded zone between us and events. Rose and sandalwood oil compensate for renal and cardiac deficiencies; lavender and geranium normalize…”11
Since remedies are so allied to the patient’s state, blends evolve and change during the course of treatment in a subtle interaction between oils, blender, and patient.
Making a personal perfume
You will need:
A selection of essential oils with dropper tops
Before
