Why is everyone so fragrance obsessed?
So, I was sitting here this morning, preparing to write a blog on wax melts and my mind started to ponder, as it often does.
What is it about wax melts that so many of us love? Not only wax melts, but of course, candles, room sprays, soap, lotions, perfumes and potions - the list goes on!
And of course, it's doesn't just apply to fragranced products, what about those 'other' smells? The freshly-cut grass of summer, the scent after it rains on warm tarmac (Mr S&S likes this one), the oily, petrol smell at the mechanic's workshop (there's always some kind of gassy type smell which reminds me of those long sherbet straws you could get as a kid)
It's amazing how you can get a whiff of a fragrance and it instantly transports you somewhere in your mind. Why is this?
Well, the answer is science!
We actually smell with our brain. Yes, you read that correctly!
When we inhale a scent through our nose, it passes through the olfactory nerve and to the olfactory bulb, part of the limbic system. From there, it is transported through to the amygdala (emotional response), hypothalamus (like a body thermostat - it maintains the bodily balance - you know when you smell a food and you're instantly hungry?) and hippocampus (memory).
The link between smell, emotions and memory are well-researched and you can read hundreds of articles about this.
But what does all this mean?
At S&S we understand that everyone is different. We make hundreds of different fragrances, each designed to evoke an emotional response or memory.
Our customers can create bespoke fragrances to smell like a scent from their past to recreate a special memory of an event or loved one.
Some people just love a particular perfume as it reminds them of their mum. Others love a good old bakery scent as it can makes their mouth water!
I love an uplifting scent - my favourite being orange. Apparently when my mum was pregnant she had cravings for everything orange!
There's a wealth of information on mood-boosting fragrances too, such as those found in our essential oil blends.
Our sense of smell is so powerful, not only does it help to keep us safe, it has the power to evoke strong emotions and bring back memories. So in answer to our question, why is everyone so fragranced obsessed? We can thank our beautiful brains!
Leave a comment to let us know about your sensory experiences!
7 comments
This is so true! Love how wax can lift a mood- have it on at work and when I melt sweetie or fruity ones everyone is in a better mood.
Scents can unlock core memories from events & beautiful comforting times, this is why I love scents & scentsibility as the scent you have created over years , comes with beautiful core memories, as well as reminders of past memories gone by
Whitsand Bay smells exactly like my Nan’s bathroom, this is a scent I will treasure forever!
For me there are two scents that bring back memories, one is lavender in summer, my grandads garden had bunches of it which is why pink lavender haze is a favourite.
The second is salty ocean scents, growing up my nan and grandad took us on holidays and one was to saundersfoot in wales, the fresh ocean and salty air and all the foody smells just fill my heart with joy and also help settle my anxiety. I tried to come up with a bespoke mixing the two but I found lavender rain to be close.
This why I adore the variety of scents in your wax, they bring an inner peace that some people just don’t understand.
I had a scent once that took me straight back to being in my nan & grandads house (18 years ago) and bought back so many memories of them both.
I love the fact the scents can bring back so many memories, memories that you didn’t even realise were stored away.