Why I love aromatherapy

For Mette Skjærbæk, a single breath of orange brings childhood memories and fleeting moments back to life. For our founder, scent is more than just well-being – it is memories, emotions and nature in its purest form. Aromatherapy has been a part of her life since her youth and has become a passion and a guiding principle in both her private life and her professional work. In this interview, Mette shares her personal love for the scents of nature, and why she believes aromatherapy is a gift that is accessible to everyone.

I hear that many people are ‘discovering’ authentic scents through Karmameju products, and I’m often asked: why do Karmameju products smell so good? – by men and women, young and old alike. Many people don’t know the difference between synthetic and genuine scents, but many prefer the genuine ones once they’ve smelled them and got to know them. A genuine scent is, for example, a scent extracted from roses, whilst a synthetic scent is a laboratory-produced copy of the scent of a rose.

I think we women’s sense of smell gets a bit thrown off track when we’re young, with hairspray, synthetic perfumes and creams, etc., whereas I find that men’s noses are ‘purer’ and more discerning. I’ve never met any men who don’t truly appreciate aromatherapy – women too, of course – but several men have specifically said to me: “I’ve told my wife that she should only use Karmameju”, and that’s down to their appreciation of the scents. 

But I think Danish women have a good ‘take’ on beauty and strike a good balance.

How effective it is. How it can be used as a ‘pharmacy for the emotions’. And how it’s all around us all the time: the scent of orange peel, basil leaves; when you’re out in nature, just pick a leaf or a flower or pull up a root. If you rub it between your fingers, the essential oils are released, and every time you smell it, your mind is affected. I think it’s quite magical.

In many countries, when you’re admitted to hospital, you’re met by a clinical aromatherapist who helps you find peace, boost your energy, relieve nausea, ease pain and so on. Scents sometimes get a bit of a rough ride in Denmark, whereas abroad they’re more commonly used to help people feel better.

Aromatherapy involves extracting substances from plants, which contain so many beneficial properties for the skin, the body and the mind. There are now many scientific studies documenting the effects of aromatherapy, and in my view, we should make the most of nature wherever we can. Nature is here for us. A good example is weeds: dandelions, stinging nettles and so on – they are, after all, medicine for us humans, but some people see them as a nuisance and pour Round-up (weedkiller) on them to make them disappear. Perhaps that’s precisely why they’re there – because we humans actually need them – and they’re found in abundance in nature.

It changes all the time depending on where I am in my own life: my cycle, whether I’ve been too busy, or whether I’m in a good balance.

I’ve created the LOVING, CALMING and ENERGIZING ranges to support people in their everyday lives: what do you need? Your subconscious knows, and you’ll reach for the right thing. I love taking HOPE, MILD and WILD body oils with me in travel sizes on holiday, like a little first-aid kit for the mood of the day, and I think it’s so healthy that we ask ourselves: what do I need? One of the scents I use most in my daily life is orange, and recently it dawned on me why: it’s one of the last memories I have of my father, who passed away when I was very young. So perhaps I have a little ‘encounter’ with my late father every time I smell orange – the scent of orange certainly always makes me happy.

When launching a new product, we carry out a thorough review of what we want the product to address in relation to the consumer’s skin condition, and which aromatherapeutic fragrance category the product falls into: LOVING, CALMING or ENERGISING. 

For example, we’re currently working on a foot cream. We know that many people use foot cream in the evening in particular, and to promote a good night’s sleep, we’ve based the formula on cedarwood, which monks, amongst others, use to aid deep meditation. For the skin, cedarwood is known for its antiseptic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal properties – perfect for promoting healthy feet. Our development always takes this as its starting point: for the mind and for the skin. 

Our collaboration with our perfumer in England, Richard, has taught me so much over the years, and I am so grateful to be working with something as wonderful as nature in its purest form.

Our first product was CALM balm, and I love that it was the first one, because it’s still the product I’d take with me to a desert island if I could only choose one. Multifunctional products are wonderful because they can be used in so many ways – and by the whole family. And CALM is wonderfully soothing, thanks in part to its lavender and chamomile oils, which I think is one of the most important things to focus on in our ‘fast-paced’ world.

To be able to give people what I consider to be the very best. We also have a fragrance-free range for those who prefer it – but aromatherapy is a gift in life that I want to make accessible to everyone. For the skin, aromatherapy has many of the same properties as it does for the mind: just as lavender has a relaxing effect on the emotions, it is also soothing for the skin.

I simply want to bottle nature, so that it’s readily available and you can enjoy all its benefits at your fingertips. 

Read also “How does our sense of smell affect us?”