Everyday, we’re surrounded by unique scents: The rain brings its own calming smell, orange has a tangy smell. Though we perceive smells through one sensor, they affect various parts of our bodies. Since the beginning of recorded history, scents have been used for mental, spiritual and physical purposes. They’ve played roles from helping humans discover food to differentiating edible food from toxic ones. People even used to give the smells from incense as offerings to gods. Even now, the uses are gradually increasing in the medicinal and cosmetics industries.
But why is that? Why does the smell of wood remind some people of childhood camping trips? And why do some smells like coffee inspire others to work?
Scents and memories
We are more likely to remember what we smell than what we hear, taste or touch. Research has shown that the process by which odor affects our brain is based on what researchers call associative learning. Associative learning is when one event or an object becomes linked to another event or object. This means that a scent could trigger memories associated with it. When our brain processes smells, it stores memories. Studies have shown that smells can trigger more intense emotional memories than images actually do. This is why you may feel an intense feeling of joy, reminiscence or sadness before you may even become aware of what you are smelling or what memory it is triggering.
How scents affect our mood
Remember when you lit a candle to help you unwind after a stressful day? Maybe you felt calm and relaxed afterwards? Aromatherapy treatment is a natural way of healing a person’s mind and soul. Research shows that a person’s mood can improve after they smell pleasant scents. A study that was conducted in 2016 even concluded that scents that evoke positive memories can help to reduce stress, dispel negative emotions, improve positive emotions and disrupt cravings.
Around 300 active olfactory receptor genes in humans detect thousands of different fragrance molecules via a large family of olfactory receptors with a wide range of protein sequences. Our sense of smell is powerful. The smell of hot coffee could help you feel good about starting your day or starting a new project. Exposure to scents like lavender, jasmine, and chamomile among others can help to alleviate stress, increase self-confidence, increase sleep quality and even help with physical and cognitive performance. Those who understand the potential of scents are using them to the fullest capacity.
It’s important to understand the effects of scents in our lives because scents surround us. We live each day with different scents. Like Francis Kurkdjian once said, “Perfume is the art that makes memories speak.” Make new memories with your favorite scents. If you are feeling down and unmotivated, light up scented candles. You can even try to make yours with scents that you like. Surprisingly, making a scented candle is not as difficult as you may think it is.
When choosing perfume, it’s important that you like the scent that you pick out because it will stick to you all day, and leave a memory imprint on others.