You know, because science…
When working on one of her new aromatic treasures, our product development manager, Christine, often takes said product for a spin around the office, prodding the FP team to try it out and provide some feedback. (Think reviews in real-time.)
Let’s just say the answers often vary… a lot. One person’s surfside bonfire might be – and often is – another tester’s moonlit stroll through the woods.
Christine, who was responsible for developing our in-house fragrance collection, along with our FP candles, notes that such hyper-specific responses are typical. In fact, she says, there are scientific studies that support why fragrance conjures up such distinct associations.
Scent is our strongest sense, so it’s no wonder that it can be linked to personal significance, whether that means a mood, place or memory. For example, if the scent of chocolate chip cookies makes you think of your mom, that’s likely because you have a strong memory of baking them with her.
If you take this one step further, you should be able to apply the use of aroma to aid your memory, too. Read a book while smelling essential oils and the scent can act as a reminder when you’re trying to recall this information later. To boot, some fragrances simply elicit a mood, positive or negative, that can be harnessed to boost productivity even more.
Let’s just say the answers often vary… a lot. One person’s surfside bonfire might be – and often is – another tester’s moonlit stroll through the woods.
Christine, who was responsible for developing our in-house fragrance collection, along with our FP candles, notes that such hyper-specific responses are typical. In fact, she says, there are scientific studies that support why fragrance conjures up such distinct associations.
Scent is our strongest sense, so it’s no wonder that it can be linked to personal significance, whether that means a mood, place or memory. For example, if the scent of chocolate chip cookies makes you think of your mom, that’s likely because you have a strong memory of baking them with her.
If you take this one step further, you should be able to apply the use of aroma to aid your memory, too. Read a book while smelling essential oils and the scent can act as a reminder when you’re trying to recall this information later. To boot, some fragrances simply elicit a mood, positive or negative, that can be harnessed to boost productivity even more.
In one study, when comparing clementine and vanilla, clementine was shown to make participants feel stimulated, while vanilla (a base note in FP's Gardenia + Cedar candle) had a relaxing effect.
One could assume, then, that clementine is a better aroma to spur you into working, while vanilla, meanwhile, is suited for winding down. (German researchers have also uncovered that jasmine, for example, has similarly calming effects.)
Another article, aptly titled “The Smell Report,” dives into the link between work productivity and fragrance. One experiment asked subjects to see connections between words that normally wouldn’t seem related and showed that pleasant scents can boost performance on creative problem-solving tasks. A Japanese study, meanwhile, demonstrated a strong link between citrus scents and efficiency at work.
Whether it’s keeping you calm and collected or alert and sprightly, the feelings that fragrance elicits is no joke. And while I’ll always enjoy a dip into my essential oils or a spritz of fragrance, I’m intrigued by its added ability to boost my brain.
Another article, aptly titled “The Smell Report,” dives into the link between work productivity and fragrance. One experiment asked subjects to see connections between words that normally wouldn’t seem related and showed that pleasant scents can boost performance on creative problem-solving tasks. A Japanese study, meanwhile, demonstrated a strong link between citrus scents and efficiency at work.
Whether it’s keeping you calm and collected or alert and sprightly, the feelings that fragrance elicits is no joke. And while I’ll always enjoy a dip into my essential oils or a spritz of fragrance, I’m intrigued by its added ability to boost my brain.
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