A Master Perfumers’ Guide To The Psychology Of Fragrance

The power of smell has served humanity since the beginning of time, portending the flight or fight response from approaching enemies and natural disasters, like fire.

Being surrounded by good smells has been a source of comfort to every civilization under the sun because it is inextricably linked to the brain’s olfactory center, which is associated with emotion, mood and memory formation.

Located in the cerebrum and known as the limbic system, archaeologists regard it as the oldest and most primitive aspect of the brain because its specific formations (the hippocampus and amygdala) were present in the brains of the world’s first mammals.

The human sense of smell is a form of the chemoreception process, which entails a physiological response to a chemical stimulus within a specific environment. It is our noses that transform these chemical signals into neural impulses.

This action depends upon chemicals to regulate cell function without being absorbed into the cell itself as a source for food or energy.

Bad odors diffuse into the air, and when perfume particles blend with them, they tend to drift to areas of lower concentration until a balance is established.

How Olfaction Works In The Human Brain

The olfactory bulb is a structure that is part of the brain’s limbic system. It has receptors, and when they are aroused, they transmit impulses to the brain via a pathway that connects to this cerebral network.

Reactions are potent and last a lifetime, as smells are never ambiguous or forgotten within the range of human memory.

They are instantaneously good or bad, and that reaction is indelibly etched within the human mind.

Pleasant memories are always formed from fragrances that evoke home sweet-homey smells like baking bread and cookies, pine Christmas trees, wood burning in a fireplace and freshly cut grass.

According to psychotherapist, Daryl Appleton, MD:

“Understanding what helps to calm and soothe, or make us feel strong and powerful, is unique and important… Smell is a secret weapon in this arsenal that can be used to help us take on the task or moment at hand…When we are surrounded by things that make us feel good — makeup, clothes, sounds, smells — statistically we tend to perform better because we feel better…Our signature scent is more than just something we like; it can be tied into our confidence and linked to our ability to self-soothe by reminding us of times when we felt protected…”

The perfume industry of today is laser-focused on the fact that the human sense of smell is closely allied to our emotions.

Our master perfumers develop fragrances meant to convey a myriad of moods and feelings ranging from sexual desire to power to serenity and relaxation.

Although scent marketing is a venue commonly applied among modern business industries, there are still many in the world of commerce who underestimate its enormous psychological prowess when it comes to conjuring both positive and negative reactions.

Relevant Research About The Psychology Of Fragrance

It was within the world of literature that an important revelation of how memories long buried can easily return to the present moment.

French author, Marcel Proust, in his book, The Remembrance of Things Past, simply had his protagonist dip a biscuit into his tea and take a whiff.

In 2015, Haruko Sugiyama and colleagues at the Kao Corporation in Japan and Rachel Herz, a neurologist at Brown University and expert in the psychology of smell, conducted a study entitled: Proustian Products are Preferred: The Relationship Between Odor-Evoked Memory and Product Evaluation. It was published in the journal, Chemosensory Perception.

The focus concerned how scent recalls memories and how it can affect the perception of a product’s appeal and quality.

Lotions were the products used in this project, and results indicated pleasant fragrances evoked more powerful memories than those without scent by the majority of the 272 female participants, who were between the ages of 21 and 31.

The Power of Ambient Scent Marketing For Businesses

This sensory phenomenon is known to tap into the moods, linger time and spending of consumers in any commercial enterprise.

Scent creates positive associations between customers and products of all kinds in a way nothing else can.

There are two primary means by which it works well as a marketing tool. It can be ideal for an entire building or thematic when localizing the specific area of a retail or other type of business.

The potency of familiar scents lies in their ability to spark all our senses and connect them with real experiences, making us feel good inside intrinsically.

A brand new car is daring, leather and musk; a lemony kitchen seems clean and home baked apple pie is comfort, joy and warmth.

Fragrances And Their Diverse Effects on Mood

Whether for the purposes of ambient scent marketing within a business setting or for personal use, there is no question fragrance has a power of its own to enhance, uplift, soothe or improve our moods.

Mood categories include: memory formation and nostalgia, productivity and energy; serenity and relaxation; fantasy and adventure and erotic desire. Examples of each follows below.

Fantasy And Adventure

No. 1007 Inspired by Wynn Hotel Las Vegas

Inspired by the opulence, excitement and electrifying atmosphere of the Las Vegas Strip, this fragrance opens with invigorating streams of fresh, clean lemon and refreshing green melon.

A floral heart bouquet emerges, featuring bright, waxy lily and rich jasmine, while the fragrance deepens with iris-nuanced raspberry, woody oak moss, and sensual musk in its dry down.

Each layer contributes to its complexity, promising a sensory blend that is both refreshing and deeply alluring.

Nostalgia

Vanilla Bourbon

Opening with a refreshing burst of coconut and citrus, this scent unfolds into an elegant mix of white floral and a warm hint of spice.

Its heart reveals richness with tonka bean, delicacy with violet, and depth with bourbon.

Coconut milk adds creaminess, while sandalwood, musk, and a dominant base note of vanilla create a sensual foundation.

With each layer carefully blended, this fragrance offers a captivating olfactory journey, balancing freshness, warmth, and depth for an unforgettable sensory experience.