Smell the stress away: Aromatherapy can offer powerful relief for body and mind
Written by: Gabriela Rodriguez with Las Vegas Weekly
Published: Thur, Jan 15, 2026
We’re taught to power through daily discomforts. A headache? Ignore it. Tight shoulders? That’s just life. And when the body finally raises its voice, we often answer with a pressed pill or a quick fix from a bottle. But what if relief could be more natural? What if it arrived instead through something as simple and as ancient as smell?
Aromatherapy has long lived on the margins of modern wellness, often dismissed as indulgent or vague. But for Michael Buckham, owner of the handcrafted aromatherapy brand Mike’s Recovery (mikesrecovery.com) located in Fergusons Downtown, it has been a practical, deeply physical tool for healing—a routine he’s spent more than 30 years studying and refining.
Buckham’s introduction to aromatherapy wasn’t through a luxury spa, but during the height of the AIDS pandemic. While volunteering at an HIV and AIDS charity, he encountered aromatherapy through massage therapy offered as part of holistic care.
“I’d never experienced aromatherapy, so I had no idea what I was feeling,” Buckham recalls. “But I knew it was doing something to me. I could feel the tension releasing. My mind felt clearer, my spirit felt brighter.”
That curiosity turned into decades of study, and today, he’s quick to point people to listen to their body and utilize nature’s oils.
What aromatherapy actually is
Despite the name, aromatherapy isn’t just about pleasant smells. Essential oils are highly concentrated distillations of plants pulled from roots, flowers, leaves, twigs, and branches. Chamomile, for instance, is the same plant you’d find in tea, but in oil form it’s exponentially more potent.
“When applied to the skin,” Buckham explains, “the oil gets into the hair follicles, then into nerve tissue, and from there affects muscle tissue and the nervous system.”
The plants contain compounds called terpenes, also found in other botanicals like marijuana, which interact with the body’s pathways. The result, Buckham says, can be surprisingly immediate, a signal to the brain that it’s safe to relax.
Listening is the first step
Buckham emphasizes that aromatherapy is not about forcing change but rather, supporting it. Modern life keeps many people in a state of constant stress, which interferes with the body’s ability to repair itself. Relaxation, especially before sleep, allows the nervous system the chance to reset. But it starts simply.
“Change only happens if you put your toes in the water,” he says. “Just listen to your body.”
And maybe, while you’re at it, breathe in something nice.
A sense of calm, muscle by muscle
Different plants produce different effects. Marjoram, commonly used in cooking, can encourage muscles to release when applied topically. Lavender helps desensitize overactive nerves. And together, they’re often used at the base of the skull and neck, an area where stress tends to accumulate.
“Most headaches are caused by lack of blood flow getting to the brain,” explains Buckham. “Our necks are so tight because we breathe shallowly, or we’re anxious.”
For sore joints of inflammation, he suggests salt scrubs but less for exfoliation, more for absorption.
“Salt is so healing for the body, it’s incredible. Just massaging very gently, the body will just absorb it where it’s needed,” he says. “And for the person using it, it brings them into a sense of awareness of their body.”
And yes, aromatherapy can even help with road rage. Buckham swears by blood orange and geranium while driving. “It stops me from getting into other people’s energy,” he laughs. “It stops me from getting road rage.”
Why smell matters
Smell is processed by the limbic system—the same part of the brain responsible for emotion and memory. That’s why a scent instantly transports you to another time or calms your nervous system without conscious effort.
Aromatherapy oils can be used in body oils, balms, roller balls, scrubs or bath soaks. But if Buckham had to recommend just one practice, it would be to take a nice hot bath especially before bed for maximum healing opportunities.
There’s something very primal about it,” he says. “When we get into water with salt in it, we instinctively feel relaxed. There’s something very nurturing about it... Just take a bath. Chill. Listen to music. Drink a cup of tea. Life is meant to be good.”