66
December 2019 | REDONLINE.CO.UKpromotion
H
ow did your fragrance make you feel when
you spritzed it on this morning? Calm;
happy; powerful; nostalgic: scent has a
potent power to evoke emotions and conjure
up memories. For me, it’s nipitella – a herb
commonly found in Italy that smells like sun-soaked,
lemony mint – that takes me directly to a mental happy
place; a relaxed, carefree, optimistic and self-assured state of
mind prompted by the memory of joy-filled childhood (and
adulthood) holidays in Tuscany. And I’m not the only one
who’s moved by fragrance’s ability to affect our feelings.
‘Research* shows us that the right scent can alter
our mood, increase our confidence and even improvethe way we hold ourselves,’ explains Tim Jacob, emeritus
professor of biosciences at Cardiff University.
The ‘how’ is a little more complicated: a combination
of physiology and personal experiences that creates
emotional associations. Essentially, our olfactory (or
smell) receptors have, unlike other senses, a direct line
to the limbic system in our brain. This part of the brain
deals with motivation, emotion and behaviour, and
pleasant aromas, which can travel to it super-swiftly,
have been proven to have a positive effect on all three.
Add to this the fact that our limbic system also deals
with memory and recall – meaning that scent can quickly
set off very personal associations – and it makes smell theTHE
PSYCHOLOGY
OF SCENT
It’s a scientific fact: fragrance
can alter our state of mind. Fleur
Fruzza reveals how it works