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
I like smells that remind me of my childhood (lots of fantastic sweetie smells) and holidays. We never went very far on holiday as kids but we lived by the sea so my parents would hire a beach hut for a week in the summer holidays. I love watery scents so much and outdoorsy ones too.
I really enjoy being able to create my own blends and S&S have made me some amazing ones over the years xx
There are quite a few smells of you’re waxes that give me a strange sensation to my chest and floods me with a knowing , a knowing of childhood , past memories and emotions that I can’t always pinpoint , it’s like a form of deja vu but through smell rather than sight .
You have alot of wonderful waxes that do this to me and it’s so comforting to me .
Thankyou for all the memories and emotions I’ve had the chance to re experience .