Inhaling essential oils has been proven to help students in their studies. Using essential oils at school can not only help memory recall, but also reduce stress and anxiety, boost energy, and calm a person down if needed. Read our “Essential Oils for Back to School” post for more ways students can benefit from using essential oils.

Just the scent of an essential oil can help with memory recall. Nothing is worse during a test than seeing a question and knowing that you studied the answer, but you can’t quite remember it. According to the Reference Guide for Essential Oils by Connie and Alan Higley, “A university in Japan experimented with diffusing different essential oils in the office. When they diffused lemon there were 54% fewer errors, with jasmine there were 33% fewer errors, and with lavender there were 20% fewer errors. When essential oils are diffused while studying and smelled during a test via a hanky or cotton ball, test scores may increase by as much as 50%. Different essential oils should be used for different tests, but the same essential oil should be used during the test as was used while studying for that particular test. The smell of the essential oil may help bring back the memory of what was studied.”¹ Another study indicated that subjects who learned a list of 24 words while exposed to a certain aroma had an easier time re-learning the list when exposed to the same aroma than those who were exposed to a different aroma while trying to re-learn the list.² Further studies have indicated that rosemary³ and peppermint⁴ aromas were found to enhance memory during clinical tests.

The best way to have the scent of essential oils with you while you study and take the test is to place the essential oils in a Nasal Inhaler. We’ve created 6 essential oil blends that can be used in nasal inhalers. Simply drop the oils on the wick; then insert the wick into the inhaler, and push the base in to close it. Place the inhaler close to your nose and inhale the aroma.

Morning Sunshine: 4 drops orange 4 drops peppermint 4 drops lime	Calm Down: 10 drops lavender 6 drops Roman chamomile	Afternoon Energy Boost: 6 drops peppermint 4 drops rosemary 4 drops grapefruit
Mental Clarity: 6 drops lemon 2 drops basil 2 drops rosemary 2 drops frankincense	Anxiety Helper: 8 drops lavender 4 drops lemon 4 drops ylang ylang	Study and Testing Time: 6 drops peppermint 6 drops rosemary 4 drops lemon

Sources:
1. Alan and Connie Higley, Reference Guide for Essential Oils (Spanish Fork, UT: Abundant Health, 2016).

2. David G. Smith, Lionel Standing, and Anton de Man, “Verbal Memory Elicited by Ambient Odor,” Perceptual and Motor Skills 74, no. 2 (April 1992): 339–43.

3. Mark Moss, Jenny Cook, Keith Wesnes, and Paul Duckett, “Aromas of Rosemary and Lavender Essential Oils Differentially Affect Cognition and Mood in Healthy Adults,” International Journal of Neuroscience 113, no. 1 (January 2003): 15–38.

4. Mark Moss, Steven Hewitt, Lucy Moss, and Keith Wesnes, “Modulation of Cognitive Performance and Mood by Aromas of Peppermint and Ylang Ylang,” International Journal of Neuroscience 118, no. 1 (January 2008): 59–77.