Procedures
skin allergy, aromas, allergic reactions
SKIN ALLERGY, RECRUITMENT, ALLERGIC REACTION
The baseline period in our study refers to the two-week period immediately preceding the intervention period, during which participants applied the seals to their masks. The baseline values used in our analysis were obtained from the questionnaire responses collected on the day before the intervention started.All enrolled participants had their health status checked, followed by a skin allergy test (patch test) with aroma oil; only those who did not have allergic reactions were included in the study. The participants were randomly divided into two groups. After a one-week screening period, participants in both groups used seals when they felt stressed while wearing masks during the two-week intervention period. The seal was applied once a day while going out.In this study, all participants were initially administered a questionnaire survey to confirm their preferred aromas, choosing from aroma categories such as Citrus, Floral, Trees, Oriental, Herb, Spices, and Resin. This assessment, which allowed participants to select multiple preferred aromas, was conducted to confirm comparability by ensuring that there were no differences in aroma preferences between the two groups after randomization. Orange–lime essential oil was adopted for the aroma used in the seal due to its relaxing and refreshing effect. To ensure participants’ comfort, participants themselves were allowed to make adjustments, such as cutting the seal with scissors to make it smaller or placing it further from the nose if they found the fragrance too strong.The responses to the questionnaires were tabulated at three time points: before the implementation of the study, during the intervention period, and at the end of the study. Specifically, the Google Form link for the survey was sent to all participants at noon on the day of tabulation, with responses required by the end of the day. Utilizing Google Forms for the survey ensured that there was no direct contact between the researchers and the participants throughout the study. The recruitment process was completed within a week, by November 10, 2021, and the follow-up was finalized by November 20, 2021. The intervention began within the first week after all participants were randomized. The initial two weeks served as the baseline period, followed by the two-week intervention period.