2013 Volume 13 Issue 1 Pages 21-28
The purpose of this study was to demonstrate a correlation between preference for a particular essential oil and physiological responses according to subjective evaluations and salivary amylase activity, respectively. A random selection and enrollment of 151 healthy females who used essential oils in daily life was done. The subjects chose an energetic oil and a sedative oil among 30 essential oils by themselves, and subsequently the sedative oil was used as a stressor. A model of stress response toward the essential oil was calculated considering the preference and physiological response using a structural equation model. It was demonstrated that subject preference for energetic oil correlated with physiological responses. In contrast, preference for sedative oils did not correlate with physiological responses. It was considered that the bias toward essential oil and the individual difference in linguistic conception toward energetic and sedative oil may have reflected the preference.
