Effects of nighttime lavender aromatherapy on mood and physiological indices of stress in healthy young females.
Kanako Sazawa, Shigeo Kawada, Yoshiko Ogawa
PMID 35784602WHAT IT FOUND
Lavender patches worn at night lowered total mood disturbance and fatigue scores in healthy young women over seven days, but did not improve sleep quality, lower cortisol, or slow pulse rate compared with unscented patches.
Key findings
01Total mood disturbance scores were significantly lower on day 1 and day 7 compared with baseline in the lavender group, while the control group showed no significant change over time.
02Fatigue-inertia scores dropped significantly by day 7 only in the lavender group, with a statistical interaction between time and condition, whereas anger-hostility improved in the lavender group without a clear interaction.
03Salivary cortisol concentration and pulse rate showed no significant differences between the lavender and control groups over time.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study included only healthy young females, so results cannot be generalized to men, older adults, or individuals with clinical conditions. The sample size was small (12 per group), which limits the reliability of the findings. The single-blind design may have introduced expectancy biases, as participants could potentially distinguish scented from unscented patches. Baseline mood scores were mostly within the normal range, meaning there was limited room for improvement in participants who were already psychologically healthy.
Declared interests
The authors report no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that lavender aromatherapy reduces physiological stress. Salivary cortisol and pulse rate showed no significant differences between the lavender and control groups, indicating the effect was limited to subjective mood ratings.