Information

Back to school with aromatherapy

The news from German schools has rarely been good in recent years. It is the same old story again and again: increased violence, poor results in the PISA study, and riotous behaviour. Overwhelmed by an ever increasing range of stimuli, many pupils have problems concentrating and are becoming both excitable and restless. Many teachers are finding it difficult to cope, and even parents are often at a loss as to how to deal with these problems. It’s high time we found some solutions.

Studies have been showing the positive effects of essential oils on concentration for many years. It has been established, for example, that permeating large office spaces in Japan and America with citrus fragrances reduces the number of typing errors made by secretaries. Similarly, the relaxing and balancing effects of essential oils such as lavender have long been known. With this in mind, Axel Meyer (who is an expert on aromatherapy, an author of specialist books, and the pioneer of the “School fragrance” composition) came up with the idea of the “School fragrance®” pilot project. The idea was to examine whether essential oils could improve the mood in the classroom and increase the pupils’ concentration levels. The following project goals were drawn up:

• To increase motivation and attentiveness
• To improve concentration levels and the classroom atmosphere
• In the longer term: To improve academic performance

The “School fragrance®” pilot project began in 2005 and came to a really successful end in the summer of 2009. A range of media including the press, radio and TV, ran numerous reports on the project, which was the world’s most extensive and up-to-the-minute aromatherapy project conducted under everyday conditions. The fragrance was used on 30 classes from eight different types of school, encompassing over 800 pupils in all. And the project’s reputation did not stop at national borders, becoming well known not only in Germany but also in Austria and Switzerland too. The fragrance was well received by all the children and young people taking part in the project and there were no adverse effects whatsoever; no one disliked the fragrance or was allergic to it. The interim results from the spring of 2009 were very promising, creating a great deal of media interest in the process:

• 40% improvement in concentration
• 43% improvement in motivation
• 33% reduction in aggressive behaviour
• 39% improvement in performance

Full details on the “School fragrance®” pilot project are available at www.dufte-schule.de. To try the “School fragrance®” effect at home, you can purchase the fragrance as an oil or a room spray exclusively from your pharmacist. If your pharmacist does not currently stock the “School fragrance®” products, he or she can obtain them within a matter of hours using the corresponding PZN (central pharmaceutical) number.

* This data refers to the percentage of pupils who perceived the stated changes during the course of the “School fragrance®” study. The results came from 19 schools and an analysis of 470 surveys.