Disclosed is a method for evaluating a blood circulation-promoting activity of a substance of interest. Also disclosed is a method for searching and obtaining (i.e., screening) a novel blood circulation-promoting substance by employing the evaluation method. Further disclosed is use of a substance that is evaluated as having a blood circulation-promoting activity by the evaluation method as a blood circulation promoter. The evaluation method can be achieved by measuring a blood circulation-promoting activity of a substance of interest by employing a process comprising the following steps: (1) transdermally administering the substance to a non-human animal and measuring the activity of a dermal arterial sympathetic nerve in the non-human animal； and optionally (2) determining that the substance has a blood circulation-promoting activity when the activity of the dermal arterial sympathetic nerve in the non-human animal which has been administered with the substance is decreased compared with that in the non-human animal which has not been administered with the substance. According to the methods, it is found that linalool, geraniol, citral, citral dimethyl acetal, a-terpineol, terpinen-4-ol and urea have a blood circulation-promoting activity.
