The Nose Knows

Do you believe in the healing powers of aromatherapy? I never did, until recently.

As a baby, my mother used to bathe me and then rub my body with baby powder scented lotion. This continued when I was a little girl. We had a routine, dinner, studies, bath and then mom would rub my legs, arms, belly and back with powder scented lotion. I would stand there in my day of the week undies, always wearing the right pair of undies on the right day of the week and she would massage the lotion into my skin.

As I grew into my pre-teens, I started doing the same. I used Avon’s Skin So Soft line which has the faint smell of powder and doubles as a mosquito repellent.

As I grew up into my teens, I began to stray from the powder scented lotions and explored with floral, vanilla and musk scents. An act I think subconsciously was me claiming my individuality! The musk reminding me of my mother. I continued doing this through my teens and into my twenties.

In my late twenties, when all my energy and efforts were focused on the healing of another, and the start of a new business, …I discontinued this morning ritual, justifying it by reminding myself than it took an extra 20 minutes and I just did not have the time.

Then I moved into my “minimalist” period where I wanted to feel and understand my skin and body in its purest form. I dare not alter my natural body scent by masking it with a heavy scented lotion.

Just recently, particularly after a few winters in Ohio, I was reminded of how although I could get away without using heavy body lotions in Miami (high humidity level), I could not get away with it in Ohio. The winters took a toll on my skin.

So I again, turned to the scented lotions of floral, vanilla and musk. I have enjoyed wearing them again, and laugh when I am reminded of a memory in which I was wearing the scent. In particular, the amazing sex I was having when I wore vanilla. It was the late 90’s when vanilla was really popular and he totally dug the scent. We used vanilla lotion everywhere! We washed our bodies in vanilla scrub, rubbed each others feet with vanilla body butter, gave each other massages with vanilla oil.

I have been toying with my signature scent for a few months now, and have realized that I do not want to have a signature scent. I want to change my scent each day, depending on my mood. Sometimes I use the vanilla. Sometimes the floral (usually Saturdays where I am outside in the sunshine a lot!). Occasionally the musk. I’ve also begun to occasionally use a scent that wrenches my heart because it was a scent I wore at a time that was very difficult for me. This I reserve for days when I am in deep.

Today, I am wearing Juicy Couture’s Viva La Juicy. I love it. Its enough to satisfy my sweet tooth, and so much so that I passed on adding sugar to my morning coffee. Second cup too!

I have been enjoying finding new scents and adding to my bathroom vanity a plethora of bottles in all different colored shapes and sizes. My vanity is beginning to look a bit crowded and cluttered, so now I am thinking I need to purchase plastic clear bottles that I can empty the lotions into…removing the stickers that allows me to decide what scent I want to wear by reading them, and forcing me to decide my scent by enjoying each one delightfully in the morning.

Aromatherapy does in fact have healing powers. I’ve added many powder scented lotions to my repertoire too, which of course, my beautiful 4 year old niece just LOVES to smell and wear!