A Master Perfumers’ Guide To The Psychology Of Fragrance

AirScent Diffusers • June 5, 2023

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

Inspired by the Aria Hotel Las Vagas (Asian Garden blend)

Encapsulating the vibrant energy of the Vegas strip and all it entails, the Aria Hotel's signature scent begins with bright, smooth notes of lemon creme.

This evolves into a vibrant heart of pomegranate and powdery raspberry, accented by subtle woody nuances.

The fragrance concludes with a soothing base of white woods and peony.

Nostalgia

Inspired by Tom Ford's Tobacco Vanille - No. 5008

Vanilla is one of the most popular and nostalgic fragrances, encapsulating memories from aged books to the comforting aroma of classic car interiors.

This engaging scent from our 5000 series of diffuser oils duplicated from renowned colognes and perfumes, opens with bold notes of whiskey-nuanced tobacco leaf and spicy clove, but it's the vanilla heart that truly evokes nostalgia.

The fragrance of vanilla recalls memories of warm, homemade cookies, childhood sweetness, and family gatherings, which is beautifully complemented by cacao, wild dried fruits, tobacco blossom, almond, tonka bean, and herbal nuances, creating a tapestry of reminiscence and warmth.

Productivity and Energy

Capri Brezza, Inspired by Capri Blue

This scent is an exact replica of the beloved Capri blend, designed to inspire productivity and invigorate your energy.

It opens with the vibrant notes of orange, grapefruit, and pineapple, evoking sun-kissed orchards and tropical blue bliss.

These are followed by a burst of guava, mango, raspberry, and grounded by the earthy sandalwood, all working together to energize your senses and boost your focus.

Relaxation and Serenity

My Way 1 Hotel Scent - A Warm Soothing Sandalwood Blend

This warm, inviting hotel scent, inspired by the breezy, tranquil atmosphere of The 1 Hotel in the heart of South Beach, Florida, is crafted to inspire relaxation and serenity.

It features a harmonious blend of bright orange blossom, neroli, tuberose, and sandalwood, further enriched with Indian jasmine, Madagascar vanilla, white musk, and Virginia cedar, creating a soothing environment that calms the mind and soothes the soul.

Sensual and Erotic

Patchouli Noir

Opening with a stream of head notes, this warm, sensual scent features cool, light green, woody berry, warm balsamic black cassis, and pleasant fresh elements in its opening notes.

It transitions into a heart of herbaceous and floral facets, including intense jasmine and green white tea leaf, it captivates the senses.

Its completes with a dry down marked by aromatic wood shavings, honeyed amber wood, earthy musk, soft powder, and sensual intoxicating patchouli.

In Conclusion

Find new adventures (psychological and otherwise) within the many, unexplored aspects of fragrance.

Discover new avenues to captivate customers and increase business traffic.

Final thought about the power of fragrance: The sense of smell is the hair trigger of memory. ~ Mary Stewart