In today’s fast-paced society, for better mental and physical care, alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, moxibustion, and aromatherapy, aiming to reduce stress and anxiety while having less side effects, have attracted significant attention among researchers. In this regard, many studies on the positive effects of fragrances on health, especially in terms of stress, anxiety, and depression, have been conducted. However, their experimental methods seem to lack uniformity and systematization, which can reduce the ability to generalize the results. Therefore, this study conducted a literature review to suggest suitable experimental methods for analyzing the anxiolytic actions of fragrances in future research.

This study examined the correlation between the frequency of using essential oils in everyday life and cognitive function. For this purpose, a questionnaire on such frequency and health conditions was administered to 602 individuals in the essential oils group (mean age: 48.0±9.9 years) and 559 in the no essential oils group (mean age: 50.9±14.8 years). To determine cognitive function, the NouKNOW® test (Eisai Co., Ltd.) was also administered. The frequency of using essential oils, mental age, and the correlation between motivation and activeness were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), multiple comparisons, and multiple regression analysis for each age group. In this case, such frequency was a significant independent variable in the multiple regression analysis with mental age in the 60s as the dependent variable (β=-0.169, p=0.046. Based on these findings, participants in their 60s significantly differed in terms of mental age and frequency of using essential oils (i.e., high-frequency, low-frequency, and none)(F=1.851, p=0.048). Moreover, the high-frequency group was significantly younger in mental age than the no essential oils group (p=0.006). A significant difference in motivation and activeness was also found between the three groups (F=5.022, p=0.008). For instance, the high-frequency group was significantly more motivated and active than the no essential oils group (p=0.005). The results indicate that the use of daily essential oils can positively impact cognitive function in middle-aged and elderly individuals.