The Science Of Scent: How To Strategically Influence Your Brain

The most powerful human sense is also the most under utilised. Scent is not only the very first sense activated when we're born, but it is surprisingly our strongest human sense as well.  

Science is only now starting to understand how deeply interconnected the olfactory system is with an individual's emotional state. Where actions such as choosing what we eat and how we schedule our day are mechanisms thought to effect our productivity, scent has been shown to have a correlation to areas of the brain responsible for focus and motivation. This makes it a powerful strategic tool for changing our behaviour and moods.

Historically, scent has been used around the world as a way to prepare for ceremonies, whether increasing alertness before battle or covering up bodily odours for a special occasion. Crafters of fragrances and perfumes have been studying scent for decades. Still, there has been a lack of 'cause and effect'-related scent design. Synthetic smells and marketing allures have turned the art of aroma into a business that puts more emphasis on the shape of a bottle, rather than the story of the molecules within it.

Research has established the strong effects fragrance can have on emotions, moods and physiology. Neuroscience is finally catching on to the science behind leveraging the intrinsic functioning of the limbic system to influence moods and behaviours, a practice known as ‘scent association’. 

Aromatherapy

This phenomenon refers to using the same aroma repeatedly for specific tasks and activities, as to train the brain to associate a specific scent to a certain behaviour, or cognitive state. For example, if an aroma with calming notes is used during meditation sessions regularly, and then the scent is isolated away from the practice, the brain will still be able to reach the same state of cognitive relaxation as it has been trained through this association. This is also true for experiencing pleasure and closeness. Think of when you smell the shirt of a loved one, or the comforting scent of home.

Does this mean we can get a runner’s high or yogi mind just by smelling things? Perhaps. The limbic system, which is the area of the brain responsible for smell and emotion supports a variety of functions including motivation, long-term memory, behaviour and of course, smell. However the most powerful function of the limbic system is to set the tone for our emotional self— changing throughout the day to create the energies and emotions we need to get tasks done and store memories.

While these changes are happening, the olfactory centre used for sense of smell interacts directly with the hippocampus to help with the formation of new memories. Unique to smell, no other sense has such powerful access to your memory, suggesting that your ability to recall information may be improved by inhaling an odour you were previously exposed to while originally shown that information. Just think of the rush of memories you get when catching a whiff of a perfume a loved one wears, or the instant queasiness that comes with the smells of something that once made you physically sick. 

Weaving different scents and botanicals throughout your day can become a means of living intentionally. By associating certain tasks with certain aromas, you are in fact training your brain: from waking up with an aroma of juniper, and going to bed to set a sleep routine with vetiver, designing a pattern of your day with scent is a beautiful way of guiding the limbic system throughout the day. 

Scent Pairings

Peppermint is generally invigorating and increases the activity in the brain that wakes us up in the morning . Use it as soon as you wake up. 

Cedar, orange and lavender have been shown to help to reduce tension and anxiety. Use them before a stressful meeting or when you need to relax throughout the day.

Lemon and rosemary can enhance focus and cognitive performance. Keep these at your desk.