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The Love Drugs (III)
by Maris Lemieux [This is the third part of our ongoing series on aphrodisiacs. For our article on ingestible aphrodisiacs, check our archives for "The Love Drugs (I)" and for our article on the power of topical pheromones, sheck for "The Love Drugs (II)"]

As Nancy Nickell says in Nature's Aphrodisiacs, "Of the five senses, only the sense of smell bypasses the cerebral cortex -- the conscious 'thinking' part of our brain." Stealth. The sense of smell hits you where you live.

If your lover or intended lover is a man, you will be happy to hear that not only is the way to his heart through his stomach, but the mere smell of food can arouse him. In her book, Nickell discusses the research of Dr. Alan R. Hirsch from Chicago's Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. Hirsch's experiments tried a variety of food smells on men, rigged up their penises so he could detect that all-important measure of the hard-on: how much blood was flowing in. And Hirsch found some interesting things. The smell of pizza and donuts got quite a rise out the penile subjects! Less surprising was a favorable response to the smell of oranges, since the essential oil known as neroli, composed of orange blossom, has been used since Egyptian times to arouse, uplift, and improve circulation. Hirsch's study came up with some hybrid scents, often a food scent combined with something more floral -- for example, donuts and licorice. These scents were all the rage. Hirsch was seeing an amazing blood rush into the test penises over these scents, and in the case of the all time favorite scent -- eau de pumpkin pie and lavender -- penile blood flow increased to the tune of 40%.

The cinnamon scent is high on many lists of alluring aromas, and you can get that by baking cinnamon rolls or apple pie (now you know what mom was really up to). Not only do you get the scent, but you get an aphrodisiac nibbler to share before foreplay.

If food scents are not your thing, there are other arousing, time-honored fragrances you might want to keep on hand for your next encounter with passion. Health food stores and Metaphysical book stores will carry these scents in small bottles of essential oils, that is, oils from the fragrant part of the plant distilled down to its bare essence.

Like pheromones from last week's article[search Love Drugs II in the archives], scents are ultimately highly personal. You can use them alone or mix them together. You can mix them with a non-scented base oil to make a cologne or perfume or massage oil. And you can use a candle dispenser to perfume the entire room. Here are a few aphrodisiac possibilities you can mix 'n match, experiment with, and play with. And keep at it until you find something that drives your lover wild!

BERGAMOT, that familiar aroma of Earl Grey tea, is an invigorating scent and its affect can range from inspirational to getting the juices going. It's also known to clear the head (and the skin, when applied directly). And some claim it works as an anti-depressant.

SANDALWOOD is definitely known for aphrodisiacal properties. Bergamot and sandalwood are commonly seen together -- they frequent the same recipes and their scents make a lovely union. Culled from trees which must be at least thirty years old, sandalwood boasts many benefits from rejuvenating the skin to uplifting the soul.

Since FRANKINCENSE heightens awareness and stimulates the senses, it makes a nice one-two combination with other more subtle aromas. First, wake up their senses with Frankincense (sounds like a good ad campaign). Then let the scent with the mission take over. So for example, you might blend Frankincense with Ylang-Ylang.

PATCHOULI has a raging reputation for aphrodisiac tendencies -- we're talking ancient love potions, here. The scent has a strong identity and can linger for days. Some say patchouli earns its aphrodisiac reputation by increasing hormone levels. And it's been used to reduce appetite (if you're interested in losing weight), cure snake bites, and repel moths. What's not to love? Well, actually, the smell. Because the patchouli aroma is so distinctive and strong, it's a matter of taste -- you either love it or you hate it. Smell before purchasing!

VANILLA has been studied extensively and has always come up with the goods. Along with sandalwood, vanilla is one of the few scents that appeal to both men and women, so that when it is in the air, both you and your lover are feeling the love. As an aphrodisiac, vanilla's less a hormone arouser than a feel-good scent. It just passes around the happy, comfy vibes -- always a good start for a night of steamy passion.

YLANG-YLANG is the clincher. It's perhaps more potent as an aphrodisiac than all the others. In fact, it usually comes with warnings, like don't use in strong concentrations or headaches may ensue. The ylang-ylang aroma can be soothing, act as an anti-depressant, and create a relaxing atmosphere, and it mixes nicely with Bergamot.

So there you have it: your basic aphrodisiac aroma starter kit. Take it and run with it:

1 -- Give these a trial run, either as cologne, perfume, or room scent. (For the room scent, mix the oil in water and heat it over a candle flame or mix the oil in an oil base and spray it through a spritzer.
2 -- Mix and match the scents on this list.
3 -- Try each concoction more than once.
4 -- Try different amounts and ratios.
5 -- When you are wearing your alluring aromas, experiment: move in close to your lover and see what happens. Are they picking up the scent?
6 -- And most important, have fun with it.