What Benefits Can Fragrances Offer?

You may have clicked into this page with the intention of conducting some pre-purchase preparation for a fragrance, saving yourself from any post-purchase regrets. Or, very possibly, you may be here just out of sheer curiosity.
 
Whether you are here for the former or latter reason, I hope that this article could shed some light to your queries and help you gain a new perspective towards the benefits of fragrances.
 
1.  Cognitive Processing

Here’s a question for you! Do you know that when we are breathing, it is actually a form of learning? It comes so naturally, that we may not even recognize it as a skill, but this is what perfumers do for a living.
 
Any odor you breathe in sends electrical impulses to the limbic system, hippocampus and amygdala, which activates and gains information to understand the scent you are smelling. These three are parts of your brain that also influences and impacts your learning and memory (AYU, A., 2016).
 
Donald A. Wilson, Professor of the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience, researched and gained insight to our olfactory senses, concluding that our sense of smell greatly connects to our learning abilities.
 
And to add on, a published literature paper from Medical News Today written by Tim Newman, a major in neuroscience in U.K.’s University of Manchester, articulates that even during our sleep, studies have shown that fragrances have the ability to boost our memory retention.
 
Do note that, after cross-referencing with many resources and studies,  some aromas also do display more effectiveness in stimulating our focus and memory as compared to others (WorldHealth.net Anti-Aging Forum, 2020). The list of these fragrances will be listed in table 1 at the end of this article.

2.           Psychological Mind

As much as we recognize the usefulness of cognitive learning, our psychological well being is just as, or if not, more important. 
        
Very often we see that fragrances are tagged and labelled as aesthetic items or for cosmetic applications. However, they are also actually valuable mediums that provide mental support for people - invoking feelings of warmth, joy, peace and even pleasure when we smell them.
        
Evangelos Fradelos, a clinical Professor in mental health and psychiatric nursing displayed clinical evidence in his research paper, who noted that over time, results show a significant reduction in anxiety with patients that underwent therapy treatment involving fragrances.
 
Furthermore, Stephen Warrenburg who is employed by International Flavors & Fragrances Inc.had also supported in his research paper and noted that fragrances can effectively enhance our moods.
 
What’s more, these are only a meager pool of scientific articles pulled out, there are many more research papers readily accessible to the general public that you can find on the net. 
 
3.           Physical Attractivenes

I would comment that the fascinating point of perfumes or scents is in their instant ability to boost our attractiveness. This is supported by the long-standing fact that the majority of the human population love people who smell good.
 
Research led by Unilever has even shown that our facial appearance appears more pleasing just by applying fragrances on our body. 18 young adults of mixed genders were involved in this study, where results indicate the ones who are rated higher in attractiveness are all wearing perfume.
 
Another research conducted in the UK also supported this claim with their study, placing both women and men together in a room and requesting women to rate the attractiveness of men. In accordance with the evaluation results, men who are rated to be significantly more attractive were also ones who are wearing scented deodorant.
 
Since studies have shown positive results in regards to scents, there isn’t much to doubt if perfumes could help us elevate our appeal.
 
In Conclusion
We may start off with different intentions when purchasing a fragrance but with this article, I hope it helps you have a better idea of what you should look out for in accordance to your needs.
 
If you can’t seem to find or decide on a fragrance, you can even create your own personalized fragrance to cater more specifically to your needs. Just head down to the website below to register for a workshop! 
 
Perfume Workshop Website: https://www.perfumeworkshop.com
 
In the table below, a brief list of fragrances are included in regards to their respective benefits.

List of Fragrances with Their Respective Benefits
​
Stress, Anxiety and Insomnia
Bergamot, Chamomile, Cinnamon, Cloves, Frankincense, Lavender, Myrrh, Nutmeg, Orange, Peach, Rose, Sandalwood, Vanilla, and Ylang-ylang

Depressive symptoms
Bergamot, Clary Sage, Grapefruit, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon, Neroli, Orange, Petitgrain, Sage, Sandalwood, Tangerine and Ylang-ylang

Focus
Benzoin, Camphor, Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Eucalyptus

Cognitive Memory
Bay Laurel, Jasmine, Lavender, Lemon and Rosemary

Irritability & Anger
Chamomile, Jasmine, Patchouli, Rose and Ylang-ylang, Neroli, Rose, and Geranium

Confidence
Frankincense, Jasmine, Patchouli and Sandalwood

Attractiveness
Jasmine, Rose, Sandalwood, Vanilla and Ylang-ylang

Fragrance list (WorldHealth.net Anti-Aging Forum, 2020)

References: 
AYU, A., 2016. Can You Smell Your Way To A Better Brain? Science Says Yes.. [online] Inc.com. Available at: <https://www.inc.com/ariana-ayu/can-you-smell-your-way-to-a-better-brain-science-says-yes.html> [Accessed 11 June 2020].
 
Fradelos E., Komini A.. The Use of Essential Oils as a Complementary Treatment for Anxiety. American Journal of Nursing Science. Special Issue: Mental Health Care: Aspects, Challenges and Perspectives. Vol. 4, No. 1, 2015, pp. 1-5. doi: 10.11648/j.ajns.s.20150401.11  
 
Herz, R., 2009. Fragrant Attraction. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: <https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/smell-life/200903/fragrant-attraction> [Accessed 11 June 2020].
 
Mcdougall, A., 2014. The Power Of Perfume – Study Shows It Increases Attractiveness!. [online] cosmeticsdesign-europe.com. Available at: <https://www.cosmeticsdesign-europe.com/Article/2014/05/30/The-power-of-perfume-Study-shows-it-increases-attractiveness#:~:text=New%20research%20from%20the%20Monell,way%20we%20perceive%20one%20another.> [Accessed 11 June 2020].
 
Roberts, S.C., Little, A.C., Lyndon, A., Roberts, J., Havlicek, J. & Wright, R.I. (2009). Manipulation of body odour alters men's self-confidence and judgments of their visual attractiveness by women. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 31, 47-54.
 
Warrenburg, S., 2005. Effects Of Fragrance On Emotions: Moods And Physiology. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/7996053_Effects_of_Fragrance_on_Emotions_Moods_and_Physiology> [Accessed 11 June 2020].
 
Wilson, D. and Stevenson, R., 2006. Learning To Smell: Olfactory Perception From Neurobiology To Behavior. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287312708_Learning_to_Smell_Olfactory_Perception_from_Neurobiology_to_Behavior> [Accessed 11 June 2020].
 
Wilson, D. and Stevenson, R., 2003. The Fundamental Role Of Memory In Olfactory Perception. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/10761600_The_fundamental_role_of_memory_in_olfactory_perception> [Accessed 11 June 2020].

Yim, V., Ng, A., Tsang, H. and Leung, A., 2009. A Review On The Effects Of Aromatherapy For Patients With Depressive Symptoms. [online] ResearchGate. Available at: <https://www.researchgate.net/publication/24009906_A_Review_on_the_Effects_of_Aromatherapy_for_Patients_with_Depressive_Symptoms> [Accessed 11 June 2020].