Scent · The complete recall system
Learn it with a scent.
Recall it with the same one.
Smell is the sense most closely wired to memory. Research suggests a scent present while you learn can help bring that learning back later, when the same scent returns. Paired with the AM and PM packets, it completes a system for every stage of memory: taking it in, storing it, and recalling it.
Coming soon. Cellavara scent inhalers are in development and not yet available.
One system, three stages of memory
AM packet
Daytime focusSupports focus and attention while you take in new information.*
PM packet
Memory storageSupports restful sleep, the hours when your brain files the day’s learning into long-term memory.*
Scent inhaler
Recall cueThe same scent while you study and again right before you need it, so the setting of your learning comes with you.
Why scent matters
The shortcut from smell to memory
Most senses pass through a relay station in the brain before they reach memory areas. Smell is different: signals from the nose travel almost directly to the hippocampus and amygdala, the regions that form memories and tag them with emotion. That is why a smell can bring back a place or a moment in an instant.
Researchers have used this link on purpose. When people learned with a distinctive scent in the room and were tested with the same scent present, they recalled more than people without the cue. In another study, a scent present during learning and presented again during deep sleep improved next-day recall.
The scent works as a reminder of the setting where you learned, which can help the memory surface. See the scent research.
Matched to the research
Two scents, two jobs
Not all essential oils are equal. The same plant can produce oils with very different chemistry depending on its variety, where it’s grown and how it’s distilled. Our scents match the oils used in the published research, confirmed by testing every batch.
Rosemary · for learning and recall
Our rosemary matches the oil used in the research. In a study of 144 healthy adults, a rosemary-scented room improved overall memory scores versus no scent. In a later study, higher blood levels of a key aromatic compound in rosemary went with better scores. Use it while you study and again right before you need to recall.
Lavender · for winding down
Our lavender matches the oil used in the research. In a sleep lab, lavender at bedtime increased the share of deep sleep, and in a randomized trial of college students it improved rated sleep quality. Keep it for the evening: in the same 144-adult study, lavender worsened working memory during testing.
How to use the system
- Morning
Take the AM packet with breakfast
Then plan your hardest learning for the hours that follow.
- While you learn
Use the rosemary inhaler
A few slow breaths at the start of a study session or a briefing, and again partway through. Save it for learning, so the scent stays linked to what you study.
- Wind-down
Switch to lavender
Take the PM packet 1 hour before bed with a light snack, then use the lavender inhaler as you wind down. Set it aside before you fall asleep.
- When it counts
Bring back the rosemary
Right before the exam, the presentation or the meeting, a few breaths of the same scent you studied with. Check your testing center’s rules; most don’t allow personal items in the room, so use it just before you go in.
Why an inhaler
Your cue, not the whole room’s. Nothing to plug in and nothing on your skin.
Small enough for a pocket, so the same scent can follow you from the desk to the exam hall or the boardroom.
The same oil every time, which matters when the scent is meant to work as a reminder.
Tested like everything we make
Each batch of oil will be tested by an independent lab to confirm the plant and its key aromatic compounds match our specification. Results will be posted by lot number on the lot results page.
Want the complete system?
Tell us you’re interested and we’ll let you know when the scent inhalers are available.
Safety
For inhalation only. Do not swallow or apply to skin. Essential oils aren’t for everyone: not recommended during pregnancy, with epilepsy or asthma triggered by scents, or around young children and pets. Stop if you notice headache or irritation.