The effect of the essential oils of lavender and rosemary on the human short-term memory

Abstract

The research results of the effect of essential oils on the human short-term image and numerical memory have been described. The study involved 79 secondary school students (34 boys and 45 girls) aged 13 to 17 years, residents of the Ukrainian metropolis. Participants were divided into three groups: the control group, ‘‘Lavender” group, in which the lavender essential oil was sprayed, and ‘‘Rosemary” group, in which the rosemary essential oil was sprayed. The statistically significant differences in productivity of the short-term memory of the participants of different groups have been found. Therefore, the essential oils of rosemary and lavender have significantly increased the image memory compared to the control. Inhalation of the rosemary essential oil increased the memorization of numbers, and inhalation of the lavender essential oil weakened this process.

Keywords: Lavender essential oil, Rosemary essential oil, Short-term memory, Ukraine