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Smells to Mars Laboratory How-To Guide
The local supermarket is a great place to find products that can work in the Smells to Mars laboratory.
The Shampoo and Body Care Aisle will have scented shampoos, body sprays and lotions. We recommend using a wide variety of non-similar fruit-scented items. Fruit scents are identifiable by children of all ages. Try banana, apple, lemon, and orange for starters.
Other items available in a supermarket include: vinegar, coffee, cocoa, vanilla and cinnamon. You can also try spices like dried garlic powder, dried onion powder and celery seed. Depending on your locale, other scents may be utilized, such as cilantro in Hispanic communities and fresh ginger in Asian communities. By touring your local market, you'll likely find your own sources of identifiable scents.
Other resources include: scented oils sold at stands in malls or at aromatherapy shops; scented soaps and perfumes from a perfumery or bath and body store.
Try these websites to order essential oils. They're safe, effective and inexpensive. Check with the vendor to insure the safety of the product you buy.
LorAnn Oils (Recommended)
Or search "essential oils" in Google.
We recommend using small, opaque containers in which to place the scented items. If these item might be identifiable by sight alone, please cover with a piece of gauze or white cotton. You can find small, opaque containers at photography stores or large domestic supply stores. Paint stores may also have small containers suitable for the lab. Make sure to thoroughly soak and clean containers, even if they are brand new. This makes certain there are no residues or leftover scents that may confuse lab participants.
DO NOT USE: ANY product containing benzene, i.e. paint thinner. Make certain ALL products are safe for skin contact and contain no warnings whatsoever regarding inhalation of fumes. All of our recommendations refer to nontoxic products for use on or in the body.
BE AWARE of student allergies. We recommend you do NOT use any kinds of nuts whatsoever (peanut allergy).