Get a whiff of this: The smell of rosemary may help boost your memory, according to a new study presented at the Annual Conference of the British Psychological Society in Harrogate last week.
Researchers from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle in the UK recruited 66 people and randomly placed each of them in either a rosemary-scented room or an unscented room. They then gave them 30 minutes to take a test (like completing a quiz or a word-finder puzzle). In reality, this test was actually designed to distract participants from the real tests—like remembering to remind the researcher not to forget his or her keys, or remembering to move from one task to another at a pre-specified time. Participants were then scored based on how much prompting they required to remember to complete the assigned tasks.
The people in the rosemary-scented room exhibited better memory skills overall. Why? It may be because of eucalyptol, a compound found in rosemary oil that has been shown to play a part in memory formation in past animal and test tube studies, says study author Mark Moss, PhD, head of the department of psychology at Northumbria University. Eucalyptol evaporates into the air and can be absorbed into your blood when you breathe, says Moss. “If it is present in the blood following exposure to the aroma, then it could get to the brain and act on memory systems.” In this most recent test, researchers also measured participants’ eucalyptol levels in the blood and found that it was higher for those who had been in the scented room.
Want to fend off forgetfulness? Try any of these rosemary-scented goodies:
Aesop Aromatique Hand Balm, $ 25, aesop.com
Elixirs de Bach “Stress” Room Fragrance Spray, $ 42, bigelowchemists.com
Rosemary Sage Bubbling Bath Elixir, $ 50, thymes.com
Sabon Rosemary Olive Oil Soap, $ 7, sabon.com
Orla Kiely Bluebelly & Rosemary Diffuser, $ 39, neimanmarcus.com 
Guerlain Imperiale Eau de Cologne Spray, $ 102, sephora.com
Carol’s Daughter Rosemary Mint Clarifying Sulfate-Free Shampoo, $ 13, sephora.com; Carol’s Daughter Rosemary Mint Clarifying Conditioner, $ 16, sephora.com
Avalon Organics Soothing Vanilla Rosemary Lip Balm, $ 3, avalonorganics.com
Cowshed Wild Cow Room Candle, $ 46, barneys.com
More from WH:
Memory-Boosting Tricks
Stress-Relieving Aromatherapy
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