I very briefly mentioned this in passing in another thread but I thought I might explore it a bit further perhaps. It occurred to me over the summer that doing snuff, with all of its amazing range of scents, flavors, fruits, florals, toasts, and natural base tobacco aromas from Virginia, burley, orientals, and latakia, is in a very real sense a distinct type of aromatherapy, or at least it should be classified as such. In fact, snuff is much better than aromatherapy because it has the added bonus of nicotine. Before you read any further, you might want to check out this link to the world renowned Mayo Clinic website where there is a page that briefly describes the current view of aromatherapy with regard to research. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/aromatherapy/AN02140 Apparently aromatherapy can provide relief from anxiety and depression. But I have seen claims where it can cure disease but research does not (yet?) bear that out. Thus, the many oils and essences used in aromatherapy have a positive effect on us and can uplift our mood accordingly. Meanwhile, we know from research that nicotine is quite a positive drug that also brings about decreases in depression and anxiety. But it doesn’t end there. Researchers have found no evidence that nicotine causes cancer and we also know from research that nicotine enhances memory, enhances the ability to focus, and helps one to sustain and direct attention. Research studies also tell us that nicotine increases certain reaction times and actually intensifies our everyday experiences. On the other hand, we all know it is addictive and that is undeniable. But in my personal experience, nicotine addiction from snuff or smoking a pipe is nowhere near as powerful as it is from cigarettes. At least not in my experience or in the experience of those with whom I have spoken about this. Researchers are currently studying nicotine derivatives as a treatment for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases as well as schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder, and even obsessive-compulsive disorders. With all of these, so far, the most promise seems to be for Parkinson’s, but the research is continuing. A brain researcher who specializes in nicotine once told me that nicotine acts as a “neural protectant” in that nic slows down the degeneration of the brain itself. So, in doing snuff, one is providing relief from depression and anxiety from 2 different angles–the exceedingly pleasant aromas and from the nicotine–that is, IF one believes that snuffing is a kind of aromatherapy. And by the way, providing relief from anxiety and depression is, in many cases, tantamount to elevating a person’s mood, of course. I know that as I get older my number one goal is to keep my brain functioning as normally as I can. From what I have learned in the process of getting a bit familiar with nicotine research, I have concluded that nicotine can play a role in that. I would greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts and experiences regarding anything on this topic or what is written here. And I understand perfectly well that to some of us, these kinds of discussions are quite boring and uninteresting. No problem. Well. This turned out to be an essay. My apologies.
You need to remember that nicotine is a stimulant which affects cardiovascular function as well as neural activity, so you may well have a scent which is used to provoke or enhance a relaxed state, but it’s coupled with a stimulant. I started taking snuff primarily as an alternate method of feeding my nicotine habit. Yes I have discovered a range of pleasurable scents to accompany this, but I would not classify those scents as therapeutic or healing any more than a nice lunch and cup of tea or glass of wine/beer. I’m also not setting aside a part of the day for therapeutic snuffing and combining it with relaxing music and devoid of interruption … I’m just taking a pinch of a nice flavoured snuff as I go through my normal day. “Aromatherapy with a nicotine bonus” is a nice tagline, but that’s as far as I’d take it.
Thanks, Fred. Good topic. My wife, an asthmatic with a strong dislike for tobacco smoke and therefore tobacco in general, became a snuff user last year. Mostly she considers it aromatherapy and chooses which snuff to use depending on her mood; it also sharpens her mental faculties. I suspect many of us do likewise, perhaps without noticing that is what we are doing. I have my favorite bedtime snuffs, Lavender being one… I also use snuff and pipe smoking for the effect nicotine has on my nervous system, being mildly autistic, and the combination of aroma and nicotine helps quite a bit.
Good points, @mouse, @lunecat, and @50ft_trad. I appreciate your perspectives on this. And by the way, nothing I said in this thread’s opening post is meant to be carved in stone or meant to be taken seriously, or as The Truth, it is all just some ideas I thought I would throw out there for discussion. Just ideas, nothing more.
A very interesting thread. I find aromatherapy quite fascinating and have several boxes filled with various oils. While I find many snuffs very relaxing the two that I have tried that only use one aroma / essential oil as their scent I have found quite nasty and rough on the nose - maybe because they are overloaded with that one scent and I don’t put essential oils - diluted or otherwise - directly up my nose. One good aromatherapy tip is to keep a bottle of lavender oil in the kitchen. It is one of the few oils that can be safely applied to the skin without dilution and it is excellent for burns and preventing blistering and scarring.
Well I do know that for immediate migraine relief, 6 Photo Super Kailash works better than any OTC medication for me.
I find that there are a variety of the aroma’s that will take me back to happy times/recollections, or help me just relax, or to focus on task at hand. So I believe I have to say that ‘Yes, there definitely an aroma therapy component’ though I suppose I never really thought about it that way… Thanks for bringing it up @fredhannah!
Orange oil is liquid sunshine; and sunshine relieves depression. No wonder Sp are so popular.Indian snuff has many mood enhancing Quality’s. Lotus is by far my favorite oil.
I’ll buy into the concept of snuff as a form of aromatherapy. I’m a bit dubious about the power of aromas to bring about any medical miracles, but I do think that scents have a clear impact on psychological states. In fact, I’m surprised any snuff taker could disagree with that. Why else take scented snuffs?
@JakartaBoy as I mentioned before, the nicotine may conflict/counteract the traditional effects of an essential oil. I’ll take a specific scent because it’s pleasant, suits my whim, or compliments a drink etc, not because it has a prescribed psychological effect. I’ve never picked a snuff to induce a specific mood, nor would I expect it to have that effect. If it does have that effect with others, I believe that is more to do with the expectation of the effect, rather than the snuff/scent itself. Purely personal opinion you understand.
^^^ I wondered if they originally chose to make scented snuff was for similar reasons as people would carry around a vinaigrette of smelling salts, as the streets on the 18th Century could be quite smelly. Or maybe it was just as an early form of marketing a product.
I think masking ambient smell is quite likely, just like taking flowers where there was sickness and death, or when you wanted to get intimate with someone. BTW - If you get whined at for never buying flowers for someone special, just tell them you don’t do it because the act of giving them flowers means they stink, and you could never do that to them 
Always worked for me >:)
@JakartaBoy as I mentioned before, the nicotine may conflict/counteract the traditional effects of an essential oil. I’ll take a specific scent because it’s pleasant, suits my whim, or compliments a drink etc, not because it has a prescribed psychological effect. I’ve never picked a snuff to induce a specific mood, nor would I expect it to have that effect. If it does have that effect with others, I believe that is more to do with the expectation of the effect, rather than the snuff/scent itself. Purely personal opinion you understand.
Yeah, I agree that it’s not exactly a science, more of a slightly poetic fantasy. Maybe I was being a bit dogmatic before. I don’t think you can magically make yourself happy or wise with a sniff of snuff. Still, there might be a connection between “it’s pleasant, suits my whim, or compliments a drink etc” and the “prescribed psychological effect”. You can’t expect it to work like a tab of acid. All pretty subtle.
I think it may just be as simple as a pinch of something nice is going to make you happy, irrespective of which flavour/scent 
@fredhanna! I totally agreee in every thought You have in this matter! In fact I find it as Fascinating and Interesting that I have to give You Much Credit for bringing this up! I get immence help from snuff as both Aromatherapy and a remedy to my own SchizoAffective Disease/Bipolar Form that I wouldn’t survive without snuff and it really helps in both ways with the aromas and nicotine too!! =D>
But that’s exactly the thing. There is no hocus pocus about it. A pleasant smell simply elevates your mood, I suspect there are very few that actually go as far as to argue that a scent alters your mood with the same direct mechanics as drugs do. But a little wiff induced pleasure does go a long way, and often unnoticed. Before I walk out the door in the cold I love to take a pinch of mentholated snuff, mostly for the menthol, not for the nicotine. It’s exhilarating. It gives me a bounce to my step and I feel more engaged towards life, lol… I would also say from my experience that darker oakier tones urge me into a cozy reflective mood, and I would imagine floral scents to be inspiring in yet another way. These are all psychological effects and many of them might be due to our own relative associations, but they are still there… you still can’t dismiss this effect. It is also understood that stimulation of senses and pleasant moods also stimulates your general health and immune system. This is all connected.
Some essential oils have direct physiological effects. Lavender, for males, is known to be an aphrodisiac. Grapefruit, juniper, and marjoram are decongestants. Myrrh and frankincense are antibiotics. I’ve used all of these to scent snuff and I would guess Toque uses grapefruit oil to scent its grapefruit snuff.
Thank you all for your comments. I appreciate your sharing your viewpoints and experiences. I am very happy I started this thread as I learned from your posts.