The next time you've got to spend an hour or two in a car, bring along these scents: peppermint and cinnamon.

Why? Because they just might make the commute nicer -- and safer! -- by boosting your alertness.

Miles to Go . . .
An endless ribbon of highway between you and where you want to go can be a real bore. If singing along to the Beach Boys isn't keeping you stimulated, bust out some minty mints or a stick of cinnamon gum. Or pick up an air diffuser for your car -- one that plugs into the cigarette lighter and has essential-oil inserts. In simulated-driving tests, a whiff of cinnamon every 15 minutes decreased fatigue. And adding peppermint to the mix boosted alertness. (For safety's sake, here's a highway habit you'll want to avoid.)

Feel-Good Scents
There's no magic in peppermint or cinnamon. But for some reason, smelling pleasant fragrances just makes us feel good. And that, in turn, may boost alertness. Here are some other uses for aromatherapy:

• Bumping up your get-it-done quotient at work. Here's the scent that does it.
• Helping you recover from pain or surgery. Learn how aromatherapy helps.
• Peeling off stubborn pounds. Try this scent for weight loss.
• Getting you in the mood. Read this article to learn how.

Effects of a pleasant ambient fragrance on simulated driving performance: the sweet smell of...safety? Baron, R. A., Kalsher, M. J., Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting Proceedings, Posters, pp. 1282-1282(1).

Professor's study finds that peppermint and cinnamon lower frustration and increase alertness in drivers. Raudenbush, B, Wheeling Jesuit University.