If you are uptight, anything that pokes you—like a needle full of Botox—is likely to upset you even further, as well as feel more painful. Naturally, then, anything that can relax you will be beneficial. That’s the idea behind a new study by the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the Baumann Cosmetic and Research Institute. Researchers found that patients who were exposed to the scent of lavender essential oils had a gentler experience with Botox. Why? The smell of lavender tends to lower your heart rate, and therefore make you more relaxed. It also increases your parasympathetic nerve activity, which also calms the system. This idea is not new—doctors have reported lavender’s relaxing effects for centuries—but this is the first time it’s been used in the cosmetic arena.
