By Mette Skjærbæk
Even if you don’t use aromatherapeutic skincare or home products, nature still ensures that aromatherapy is all around us. Trees and plants release invisible plant compounds, phytoncides, which research links to lower stress levels and increased activity in the body’s natural defence cells.
This is a beautiful story about forest bathing, nature’s aromatherapy and scientific evidence.
In Japan, ‘forest bathing’ (shinrin-yoku) is a recognised and widespread natural therapeutic practice. It involves spending time in the forest in a calm and mindful way, where tranquillity, mindfulness and sensory impressions are actively used to enhance both physical and mental health, if you wish to feel well.
Quite simply, it means being in nature’s atmosphere and connecting with it through your various senses.
In Scotland and Canada, doctors issue ‘green prescriptions’ to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety and high blood pressure, as a non-medical form of treatment on an equal footing with medical treatments*. I think that’s brilliant! And important, at a time when urbanisation means many people are living with less contact with nature.
I knew full well that being in nature brings me peace; I particularly love and seek out the sea (but that’s a whole other story…). I love nature, I love gardens and exploring with all my senses engaged. I love the forest, the silence, the grandeur, the sounds and the scent after rain – but in the past I sought it out less often. I’ve changed that now that I’ve learnt more about the incredibly wonderful qualities that trees possess.
In Japan, ‘forest bathing’ (shinrin-yoku) is a recognised and widespread natural therapeutic practice. It involves spending time in the forest in a calm and mindful way, where tranquillity, mindfulness and sensory impressions are actively used to enhance both physical and mental health, if you wish to feel well.
Quite simply, it means being in nature’s atmosphere and connecting with it through your various senses.
In Scotland and Canada, doctors issue ‘green prescriptions’ to treat conditions such as depression, anxiety and high blood pressure, as a non-medical form of treatment on an equal footing with medical treatments*. I think that’s brilliant! And important, at a time when urbanisation means many people are living with less contact with nature.
I knew full well that being in nature brings me peace; I particularly love and seek out the sea (but that’s a whole other story…). I love nature, I love gardens and exploring with all my senses engaged. I love the forest, the silence, the grandeur, the sounds and the scent after rain – but in the past I sought it out less often. I’ve changed that now that I’ve learnt more about the incredibly wonderful qualities that trees possess.
A Japanese study published via the National Library of Medicine** investigated the effects of a weekend stay in the forest, during which participants walked in the forest for around six hours spread over two days. The stay demonstrated an increased level of phytoncides in the body – natural substances that trees release to protect themselves against pests and diseases; these phytoncides are also beneficial to us humans.
Different trees and plants release different phytoncides, such as limonene, pinene, thujone and terpine. Conifers in particular have a high concentration of phytoncides, including pine, spruce, cypress, cedar and juniper. Phytoncides are known to have a positive effect on human health, as they can strengthen the immune system and reduce stress. These phytoncides are compounds that are also a natural part of many of the essential oils we use in Karmameju Skincare.
The Japanese study showed that the higher levels of phytoncides in the test subjects’ urine, combined with the reduced production of stress hormones resulting from spending time in nature, contributed to increased NK (natural killer) cell activity. These are a type of white blood cell that act as the body’s defence cells, fighting viruses, diseased cells and other undesirable cellular changes in the body at an early stage, before they spread.
Furthermore, the study showed that the increased NK activity lasted for more than 30 days after the forest visit, leading the researchers to suggest that a six-hour forest visit can help maintain a higher level of NK activity.
In The Heal Study from the University of Louisville, researchers investigated what happens in the body when we smell limonene. In the study, the researchers compared urine samples from two groups: one group that had smelled pure limonene from a small glass, and one group that had gone for a walk in the forest. The researchers found the same metabolites in the urine of both groups. This suggests that the body can absorb the same plant compounds through scent as when we spend time in nature***. So, in addition to the positive psychological effects of the scents – whether they are calming, invigorating or something else entirely – there is now this finding to look forward to as well. We always recommend that you take a few deep breaths from your palms before applying Karmameju’s aromatherapeutic skincare to your skin.
I’m thrilled because it has given me further insight into just how good it is for us to be in the power of nature – and because it confirms that essential oils, in the right quantities and used correctly, are good for us humans.
Close your eyes and imagine you’re standing in a forest. Thanks to science, you now know that you’re standing in the most beautiful invisible mist released by the trees, which you’re breathing in.
A phytonocidal mist that can activate the body’s NK cells and protect you against illness.
In The Heal Study from the University of Louisville, researchers investigated what happens in the body when we smell limonene. In the study, the researchers compared urine samples from two groups: one group that had smelled pure limonene from a small glass, and one group that had gone for a walk in the forest. The researchers found the same metabolites in the urine of both groups. This suggests that the body can absorb the same plant compounds through scent as when we spend time in nature***. So, in addition to the positive psychological effects of the scents – whether they are calming, invigorating or something else entirely – there is now this finding to look forward to as well. We always recommend that you take a few deep breaths from your palms before applying Karmameju’s aromatherapeutic skincare to your skin.
I’m thrilled because it has given me further insight into just how good it is for us to be in the power of nature – and because it confirms that essential oils, in the right quantities and used correctly, are good for us humans.
Close your eyes and imagine you’re standing in a forest. Thanks to science, you now know that you’re standing in the most beautiful invisible mist released by the trees, which you’re breathing in.
A phytonocidal mist that can activate the body’s NK cells and protect you against illness.
For someone who loves face mist, this image is particularly beautiful – like a mist shower where you can simply sit in complete tranquillity in forests and parks with tall trees, whilst it promotes your health, not to mention the grounding we receive from the earth. The mist is invisible, and we often only notice it as the forest’s fresh, green scent, but it is there, like so much else that is ‘invisible’ in nature and supports us humans.
Phytoncides are released by the trees in the forest, but also by many other plants in nature.
Many plants that we use in aromatherapy are rich in phytoncides: lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, eucalyptus and lemon. For example, limonene is a naturally occurring fragrance compound in essential oils from citrus fruits, so next time you use WILD body oil, bear in mind that the scents of grapefruit, orange and may chang, amongst others, naturally contain these beneficial phytoncides. If you rub a lemon peel and take a whiff, it’s those very same beneficial essential oils that are released, affecting both body and mind.
I hope you found all this just as fascinating as I did. I’ve always loved aromatherapy – and now, if possible, even more so. Nature is so amazing! And I’m absolutely in love with it.
Please do share this article if you know anyone struggling with stress, anxiety, illness or similar issues, and perhaps ask if you’d like to go for a lovely walk in the ‘phytoncide forest’.
Warmest regards and best wishes for your wellbeing.
Mette
Phytoncides are released by the trees in the forest, but also by many other plants in nature.
Many plants that we use in aromatherapy are rich in phytoncides: lavender, rosemary, thyme, sage, mint, eucalyptus and lemon. For example, limonene is a naturally occurring fragrance compound in essential oils from citrus fruits, so next time you use WILD body oil, bear in mind that the scents of grapefruit, orange and may chang, amongst others, naturally contain these beneficial phytoncides. If you rub a lemon peel and take a whiff, it’s those very same beneficial essential oils that are released, affecting both body and mind.
I hope you found all this just as fascinating as I did. I’ve always loved aromatherapy – and now, if possible, even more so. Nature is so amazing! And I’m absolutely in love with it.
Please do share this article if you know anyone struggling with stress, anxiety, illness or similar issues, and perhaps ask if you’d like to go for a lovely walk in the ‘phytoncide forest’.
Warmest regards and best wishes for your wellbeing.
Mette
* Fleischer, E. (2018, October 12). Doctors in Scotland can now prescribe nature to their patients. Big Think. https://bigthink.com/life/doctors-in-shetland-can-now-prescribe-a-walk-in-nature/
* Hendricks, S. (2020, December 5). Doctors in Canada to begin prescribing nature to patients. Big Think. https://bigthink.com/health/canada-nature-prescription/
** Li, Q. (2010). Effect of forest bathing trips on human immune function. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 15(1), 9–17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12199-008-0068-3
*** Coffman, B. (2024, April 22). Scientists can now better document health benefits of time spent in nature. University of Louisville News. https://www.uoflnews.com/section/science-and-tech/something-in-the-air-plants-emissions-leave-traces-in-the-body/
Cleveland Clinic. (2023, April 10). What are natural killer cells (NK cells)? https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24898-natural-killer-cells
Van Buskirk, E. (2022, August 13). Forest bathing. The Gymnosperm Database. https://www.conifers.org/topics/forest-bathing.php
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