A familiar scent can bring a memory rushing back—but might lavender also influence the brain systems involved in memory? Small studies found changes in salivary oxytocin after lavender exposure, while separate laboratory experiments suggest oxytocin may affect processes relevant to Alzheimer’s research. The connection is intriguing, but several crucial links remain untested, including whether smelling lavender changes oxytocin activity in the human brain. Follow the evidence, the unanswered questions, and what this curiosity might mean for everyday brain care.