Aromatherapy Awareness Week is a valuable opportunity to showcase aromatherapy in practice and highlight the many ways essential oils can be used to support wellbeing and health.

Whether you are posting on social media, engaging your local community, hosting an event, or working with local media, your activity helps bring greater visibility to the campaign.

How You Can Get Involved

There are a number of simple ways to support Aromatherapy Awareness Week:

• Social Media
  Social media is an excellent way to engage with a wide audience quickly. Use the hashtag #IFAAromatherapyAwarenessWeek across your social media and promotional materials to help extend the reach of the campaign throughout the week.
  Ready-to-use graphics are also available to members to help make your posts more engaging and visually impactful.
   
• Host or Support Activities
  Workshops, webinars, talks, demonstrations, outreach work, or voluntary/community initiatives all play an important role in raising awareness. If you are planning an activity during the week, do let us know so it can be considered for inclusion in the Calendar of Events.
   
• Share Your Plans
  We welcome details of activities including:
  • Educational talks, demonstrations, or sessions
  • Workshops, seminars, or webinars
  • Community outreach or voluntary projects
  • Special offers or introductory events
  • Collaborations with charities, businesses, or healthcare providers
  • Media coverage or press activity
  • Social media campaigns
  • Any other relevant initiatives

Press Engagement

To support your involvement, the International Federation of Aromatherapists (IFA) has developed a range of resources to help you communicate clearly, approach the press with confidence, and present a consistent, professional message.

• Remember: It is vitally important to promote only the safe use of essential oils. Like conventional medicines, they must be respected, handled properly, and used appropriately by trained professionals.

Campaign Materials Available

You can download the following resources to help support your promotional activity:

• Aromatherapy Awareness Week Poster
• Aromatherapy Awareness Email Banner
• Aromatherapy Awareness Website Banner
• What is Aromatherapy Handout

If you are working with local press or media, the available templates can be adapted for your use:

• Marketing Email Templates (for practitioners and companies to share with customers and followers) 
• Press Release Templates (to engage local press)
• Key Points About the International Federation of Aromatherapists (IFA)

You may also wish to support your activities by exploring our discounted books, Aromatherapy Times magazines to share, and a range of branded merchandise including t-shirts, leaflets, tote bags, stress balls, and more.

Press Support

If you would like the IFA to contribute to an editorial, participate in an interview, or speak at one of your events, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

The IFA can support journalists and broadcasters with articles, expert commentary, interviews, and knowledgeable speakers for events.

Note to Press: Any promotion of Aromatherapy Awareness Week must credit the initiative as being created by the International Federation of Aromatherapists (IFA).

Images and logos are available upon request.

10 Facts About Aromatherapy

1. Smell is the only sense directly linked to the brain’s emotional centre
   Olfactory signals travel straight to the limbic system, which controls emotion, behaviour, and memory - without being filtered first.
    
2. Aromas can influence memory and recall
   Because the hippocampus (memory centre) is part of the limbic system, scent stimulation may influence memory processing and recall.
    
3. Essential oils can trigger immediate physiological responses
   Studies show changes in heart rate, blood pressure, muscle tone, and brain activity can occur within minutes of inhalation.
    
4. Over half of aromatherapy research uses inhalation
   Around 58% of studies investigate inhalation as the primary method, highlighting its importance in affecting the nervous system.
    
5. Essential oil molecules can influence the brain in multiple ways
   They can act via the olfactory system, enter circulation through the lungs, and in some cases cross the blood–brain barrier to interact with brain regions.
    
6. Aromatherapy may influence neurotransmitters
   Certain essential oil compounds are thought to affect neurotransmitters linked to mood, attention, and memory, although research is still developing.
    
7. Lavender dominates research in this field
   Around 30% of studies focus on lavender, making it the most researched essential oil in relation to the nervous system.
    
8. Citrus oils are the second most studied group
   Oils like lemon and bergamot account for roughly 24% of research, often linked to mood and alertness.
    
9. Some essential oils show cognitive effects in studies
   For example, rosemary has been associated with improved memory performance in controlled trials.
    
10. Brain imaging shows measurable changes after exposure
    Techniques such as EEG and near-infrared spectroscopy have demonstrated changes in brain activity and oxygenation following exposure to certain aromas.