2.25.2015

The Nose Knows

To borrow a phrase from Jimmy Durante (does anyone remember him?),,, "The nose knows".

Our sense of smell is our most powerful sense.   Until recently, it was thought that our sense of smell could detect 10,000 different "odors."  A recent article in Science magazine notes that we use only a small part of our olfactory system and , in fact, the nose can detect one trillion "odors."

The sense of smell, like the sense of taste, is a chemical sense.  They are called chemical senses because they detect chemicals in the environment. According to one article our sense of smell is 10,000 times more sensitive than any other sense, and recognition of smell is immediate.  Other senses must travel through the body via neurons and the spinal cord, where as the olfactory response is immediate.  This is the only place where our central nervous system is directly exposed to the environment ( Serene Aromatherapy, Von Have).

The sense of smell takes us back to our past, recalling places and events.  This is especially true in Hawai`i where the scent of the island is immediately sensed upon leaving the airport terminal.

One of Hawai`i's favorite smells is plumeria, a simple but heady scented flower that grows on trees all over the island.  To many people, the scent of plumeria is Hawai`i.

Another favorite scent, not just in Hawai`i, is lavender --- known for its calming effect.  Lanikai Bath and Body's Hawaiian Lavender is fragranced perfectly, like all of our lotions, butters, washes, scrubs and salts

Because the sense of smell is so powerful, we were very careful in developing our bath and body collection to be light and not overwhelming.   Try any one of our products:  we guarantee you will agree.



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