The Psychology Of Smell

Augustman takes a deep dive into the effects that perfumes and psychophysiological fragrances have on human beings

- Suffian Hakim

"WITHOUT PERFUME, THE SKIN IS MUTE." - ANONYMOUS

It was through representatives of luxury jewelers and perfumers Cartier that I learnt the etymology behind the word perfumer. It is derived from the Latin per fumum, meaning through smoke. Today, we think of perfume as eau or water-liquid sprayed on the skin, but its roots are in smoke. When we burn incense or any scented wood or herbs, we're engaging in the linguistic and historical origins of perfumery.

The effect that scents have on us, and the practise of using perfumery to calm and soothe is nothing new. Ancient civilizations from the banks of the Nile to the furthest stretches of the Yellow River have used aromatherapy to supplement - or even had them central to their traditional medicinal practices. In the ancient Roman and Persian empires, perfumes were used for hygiene and cleanliness as well as in religious and social ceremonies.

But surely, the simple act of smelling can't change our psychology or physiology?

Well, consider this: we have 300 active olfactory receptor genes devoted to detecting thousands of different fragrance molecules. From an evolutionary perspective, our olfactory system has helped us to identify food, mates, predators, and provides both sensual pleasure as well as warnings of danger, such as spoiled food or chemical hazards. In humans and animals, it is one of the important means by which our environment communicates with us. Our sense of smell is very much central to who we were and who we are as a species.