Neuroscents’ effects harken back to that of perfume with healthy, holy and healing properties beginning some 4,000 years ago. Then, fragrances provided spiritual and mental wellness, rather than just being used as a tool for seduction, which has essentially been their role in recent decades.
“The Proustian effect, it’s not that it just takes you to that moment. It takes you to how you felt at that moment,” said Simon Ellwood, head of health and well-being, fragrance and beauty at Swiss fragrance and flavors supplierThe now of this is manifold. Following coronavirus-related lockdowns, there is a swell of demand for perfume with wellness attributes.
IFF perfumers work with internal data scientists to know better and faster how to use an ingredient or ingredients. Firmenich takes a country-specific approach to people’s emotional response to fragrance. IFF’s method generally combines people’s verbal and neurological reaction to scents, allowing for an understanding of what is common among people and specific to a certain culture.
There is also ScentMove, the company’s model for the verbalization of emotional feelings stemming from fragrances. “It is actually more of a revolution than an evolution, because it measures blood flow in the brain,” said Ellwood. And that can change according to emotions.“The challenge for us was ‘happy,’” said Ellwood. “It’s finding those physiological markers.”
In the categories of personal or family care, other ideas for next-generation functional fragrance products include: What if people had many more touchpoints with scent across their day and life, and that those even respond to what’s happening, Magnani mused.