Psychology of Scents

scents are incredibly powerful. Scents hold a unique power to instantly transport us back to times of intimacy, joy or even despair. Over time the glass bottles that decorate our dressers can house something much more than the notes describing their contents; they become time capsules that can momentarily awaken emotions deep within our conscience. In our new 3-Part Psychology of Scents series, we’re investigating the scientific importance of scents.

Although each of our five senses contributes to the recollection and reconstruction of memories, scents are the most significant. A study by Dr Silvia Álava titled ‘Smells and Emotions’ found that people remember 35% of what they smell, but only 5% of what they see – and the majority of participants noted how specific scents reactivated happy memories.

This phenomenon can be otherwise known as the Proustian Memory Effect, the idea that scents evoke more emotional memories than other memory cues (Chu & Downes, 2000) is hardwired into human nature. Fast connections between brain regions are responsible for the processing of scents and retrieval of emotional information, or memories (Eichenbaum & Otto, 1992). For example, products are often more appealing when they are associated with pleasant scents, and so, they will also have a greater positive emotional appeal (Sugiyama et al., 2015). As there is a human tendency to remember highly emotional information, by association, it means the scent alone can trigger accurate recall of product information. But these associations don’t lie with objects alone.

The fragrances we choose to wear could also influence other people’s impressions of our personalities. For example, one study had 90 women smell three perfume samples and rate their level of agreement/disagreement on the types of personality traits a hypothetical wearer would display, as well as their subjective liking of the scent. The results were precise; perceptions of a person’s personality differed depending on the composition of the fragrance – much like how visual differences in appearance can influence prejudgments.

In comparison to oriental (citrus) and chypre (herbal, woody) scents, wearers of floral perfumes were associated with those who hold fewer ‘masculine’ traits and are likely to be more inhibited (e.g. less flirtatious, dramatic, fashionable). What’s also interesting is that the more similar two fragrances were in scent, the more similar their wearers were in personality. Therefore, there may be more to managing your impression than the simple presence or absence of a fragrance – it’s specifically what you choose to wear that seems to count.

Sure, these fragrance-based first impressions could help secure a job or find a romantic partner, but they also affect how likely you are to be supported, or help another, in a time of need. Being surrounded by pleasant odors such as roasting coffee, pastries, or perfume can cause strangers to act more prosaically. We see this effect both in busy shopping malls and at pedestrian crossings (Baron, 1997; Guéguen, 2001). As a subtle sniff of a pleasant scent can trigger recollection of associated positive memories or feelings, it helps to lift our moods. This mood change subsequently increases prosocial behaviors, which can be for several reasons.

What’s equally important, and perhaps more relevant to day-to-day life, is how we can use fragrance to help ourselves. As the practice of mindfulness teaches, tuning into our senses can be incredibly grounding and ultimately, improve our mental wellbeing. It can be challenging to detach from past and future demands, but being surrounded by pleasant sights, sounds, tastes, touches or smells can make a significant difference when trying to create a moment of peace and relaxation. One study by Field and colleagues showed that after sniffing a lavender-infused cosmetic cleanser, adults became more relaxed, had an improved mood and completed math’s calculations faster than before. Therefore, specific fragrances can be particularly useful at calming both the mind and body, improving focus on the present moment. Something as simple as using a lavender-scented fabric softener, or burning a candle in the evening could help to ease anxieties.

With this in mind, it is clear that fragrance has far more power and purpose than merely adding or masking an odor. The perfumes we all choose to wear can share something about who we are or change how we feel about ourselves. In the same way, we might think about what we are wearing; perhaps fragrance should be given more considerable thought; try asking yourself, how does this make me feel, or how do I want to feel.

Stay-tuned next week for Part 2 of the Psychology of Scents Series, when fragrance experts will reveal the key to finding your signature scent!

What perfumes say about us: the psychological effects of fragrances in our life

There are perfumes as cool as the flesh of children, sweet as oboes, green as meadows, and others are corrupted, and rich, triumphant, with power to expand into infinity, like amber and incense, musk, benzoin, that sing the ecstasy of the soul and senses.

A study by Rockefeller University in New York has proved that people can remember 35% of what they smell, compared to 5% of what they see, 2% of what they hear and 1% of what they touch.

There are studies on intrauterine life that exalt the mother -baby relationship also through the sense of smell. It assures the continuity for the fetus in between the inside and the outside of the womb. Once he knows the odor of his mother, the new born will be guided toward the mother’s breast.

It’s common knowledge that the olfactory system catalogs all the odorous molecules it gets in touch with, allowing humans to recognize what we like from what could represent a danger. This mechanism looks unconscious but it can influence our sentimental preferences and daily behavior.

A highly interesting aspect (put in light by a research of University of Salento, Puglia), is the bond in between smell and emotional experience. We know that odors stimulate sentimental status; in fact, the olfactory system input, unlike other sensory levels, is only partially channeled into the thalamus. The amygdala and the hippocampus receive the input independently from the thalamus itself. This makes the smell more instinctive and spontaneous than the other senses: through it, our brain labels, in fractions of second, every smell according to the emotions that it provokes. Therefore, odors evoke affective status before entering the

consciousness. The sense of smell involves mnemonic processes either semantic or episodic, which means that smelling we identify, memories places, people and emotions; we capture the essence of things and we recognize them without seeing them.

Thanks to the episodic memory we can archive moments; on the other hand, with the olfactory memory we memories a particular smell or scent, with all its physical and emotional characteristics.

In fact, it does exist within ourselves the skill to recall very clearly a past experience, when we get in touch with a specific smell. This is because the smell is the sense that impacts the most our subconscious. This is the reason why memories deriving from a smell are immediate and clear.

Aspects such as education and culture can condition the cataloging of smells. Who lives in warm climate will privilege “stronger” smells, since high temperature exalts less volatile notes, making weak the lightest notes such as the citrusy ones. On the other hand, who lives in a low temperature climate, hardly perceives the base notes. Another very interesting study by Professor Fontanini of Neurobiology and Behavior department of New York University, says that: ” there is a database of words to describe odors”. (Atlas of Odor Character Profile) ” One of his analysis reveals the importance of hedonic value in the sense of smell”. The fact that smells and perfumes can be bad or good has no parallelism with the sense of sight. The color green for example is neither good or bad. Whereas the sewage smell is disgusting versus the delicious smell of freshly baked bread.

Give emotional value to odors makes us believe that we are strongly attached to our survival and to the history of our species.

We also wonder if perfumes could show us some personality traits. The wild musk could recall the manhood, not only in a man. A sweet perfume could remind us of feminine aspects which come from a ” primitive ” scent of mothers. Perfume has also an impact on our self-esteem and optimism: the perceived scent increases our sense of well-being which virtuously impacts the relationship with our self and consequently on our self-esteem.

This way the odorous wake satisfies body and mind. The sense of smell has the great power of join together human body and mind transforming a physical sensation into a complex emotional and psychological experience.

For many of us, spraying our favorite perfume is an essential part of our daily beauty routine and is something we couldn’t go without. Archaeological evidence shows that perfume was made as far back as 3,000 BC — but what makes fragrance so eternal? To understand why we love perfume so much, let’s look at some of the key benefits of wearing it every day.

Let’s begin with the most obvious reason to love perfume — it smells really good. Daily showers keep us clean and fresh, and deodorant prevents us from smelling bad, but only perfume will keep you smelling gorgeous all day. Keep a bottle of your favorite ladies’ perfume in your handbag, and you can instantly top up your scent throughout the day. A great smelling fragrance is so enticing, and it’ll even draw compliments from strangers.

The right fragrance will make you stand a bit taller and smile wider as soon as you put it on. There’s something about your signature perfume that feels like a suit of armor, giving you a confidence boost to start your day off on a positive note.

There’s no feeling quite like finding a signature scent that you keep coming back to. When you discover a fragrance you love and wear regularly, it becomes part of your identity and reflects your personality to those around you. Whether you’re going for understated and elegant, quietly confident, or bold and sexy, there’s a perfume out there that’s perfect for you.

When you meet someone for the first time, your scent is one of the first things that helps them form an impression of you. Combine your personality with the perfect fragrance to make it a memorable one.

A great-smelling perfume can enhance your mood, making you feel happier and better prepared for whatever comes your way. You can also wear different perfumes to enhance and reflect how you’re feeling, whether confident, playful, or polished.

The right fragrance can make you more desirable to others and attract that extra bit of attention. If you want to up your attraction game, consider a fragrance for women rich in pheromones to give off a subtle signal. Some perfumes are even proven aphrodisiacs, with certain notes that are known to trigger a biochemical response. Fragrances containing jasmine, rose, vanilla or sandalwood are just some of those thought to have aphrodisiac properties.

Scent and memory are closely intertwined, which is why getting a whiff of a particular perfume can trigger a happy memory. If you try new fragrances at different stages in your life, you’ll find that each scent comes to remind you of a specific time or place, helping you relive certain moments.

If you’ve ever caught a whiff of a fragrance that reminds you of someone you love, you’ll understand how scent can evoke strong emotions. By wearing a signature scent, the people you care about will begin to associate that smell with you, triggering a positive emotional response. Perfumes also have the power to evoke feelings of love, happiness, awe, power, and peace, which you can use to enhance your emotions or give yourself a lift when you need it most.

 Some perfumes contain natural ingredients that provide aroma therapeutic benefits. Florals and citruses can evoke feelings of calmness, for example, while jasmine oil and lavender are both associated with improved sleep. If you’re feeling stressed or anxious, spraying a calming fragrance may help you relax and unwind.

Perfume can act as the perfect accessory or finishing touch to complete any outfit. You can carefully select a fragrance to complement your style or bring your look together for a special occasion. It’s fun to experiment with various scents and find your favorites for different seasons, occasions, or styles.