The Fragrance Renaissance

How wellness and the nostalgia economy are converging to harness the potentialities of scent.

Coined ‘the nostalgia generation’, Gen Z’s sentimental affection for the past is defining what Business Insider has termed the ‘throwback economy’. Whether it be people, things, places or even a version of ourselves, research shows that during times of economic hardship, we are more likely to be fuelled by feelings of nostalgia. With contemporary anxieties rife due to the climate emergency, increasing political unrest and the effects of living in a post-pandemic society, consumers are demonstrating a collective sentimentality for the past. Across multiple industries, this attitude has been identified as a key driver of purchasing decisions.  

With many macro trends emerging out of the nostalgia economy, the term ‘perfume regression’ is a recent entrant into beauty’s lexicon. Building on regression therapy, a treatment intended to resolve trauma from significant past events, perfume regression builds on this concept by harnessing the nostalgic power of fragrance and evoking positive memories. 

In 1991, Richard Axel and Linda Buck discovered the direct link between scent and our olfactory system. As the only one of the five senses with a direct line to the orbitofrontal cortex, their study highlighted that scent is directly connected to key areas of the brain responsible for behaviour, memory and emotions. Building on these findings, a study by neuroscientists at Brown University explored the role odor could play in emotional and physical wellbeing. The author, Rachel Herz, established that engaging in nostalgic reminiscence ‘strengthens the connection between one’s past and present..and infuses life with meaning.’ 

Catalyzed during the pandemic, a renewed desire to uncover life’s meaning was reflected in the shifting consumer attitude toward fragrance. With increased time spent at home, individuals began to seek aromas that evoked emotions and memories, leading to a rise in emotionally-driven fragrance purchases. Crucially, in the midst of social isolation, perfumes stopped being used as a way of preparing the body for social settings. The consumer relationship with scent took on a new significance and began to link directly to attitudes of nostalgia and self-care. 

A small number of fragrance companies have begun to utilise the link between emotional wellbeing and perfumery at a scientific level. Last year, Edeniste launched a selection of perfumes based on neurophysiological analysis and functional magnetic resonance imaging testing. Building on research that tracked brain pathways and emotional responses to scent, the fragrances are laced with molecules proven to stimulate olfactory pathways and the limbic system to induce emotional responses. In her laboratory in Amsterdam, artisanal perfume composer Francesca Bianchi crafts perfumes that she describes as ‘a symbolic language of emotions’, whilst leading fragrance brand Escentric Molecules uses a synthetic molecule called Iso E to stimulate brain receptors in a way that is said to replicate the comforting feeling of physical touch. By utilising the strong connection between scent and memories, these fragrances offer a sensory escape and a return to a familiar, comforting place. 

Supplement company The Nue Co uses patented neuroscience technology to create its selection of ‘functional fragrances’ harnessing the connection between cognitive function and the olfactory system. The brand’s fragrance ‘Water Therapy’ works as a sensorial supplement and draws on the belief that spending time near water positively impacts our mental health. Triggering calming neurochemicals associated with being near marine environments, the fragrance biohacks the brain and body into a meditative state by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system. Flo Glendenning, Vice President of product and sustainability for The Nue Co, told The Financial Times ‘It’s the next stage of aromatherapy – but with data behind it’.

As perfume brands and fragrance manufacturers continue to tap into wellbeing opportunities, aromatherapy and the essential oil market is expected to reach $15 billion by 2026. In light of consumers taking a more active approach to their mental and physical health, aromatherapy is now converging with neuroscience. Evidence-based aromatherapy company Aeroscena leads the way with therapeutic phyto-inhalants. The brand redefines plant-based therapeutic oils by using ‘the science of scent’ in clinical environments such as hospitals. 

Industry experts agree that fragrance continues to be a dynamic field. The Future Laboratory forecast that ‘scent will also conjure time’ and Firmenich predicted a rise in people using scent to optimise their schedules by using energising aromas in the morning and relaxing ones at night. Joanne De Luca, co-founder of Sputnik Futures asserted that ‘The future of fragrance will be using scent to ‘biohack’ our brains and bodies to perform better’. From studies exploring the healing role of particular scents for people suffering from neurological disorders, such as dementia or Alzheimer’s disease to a workplace research project involving diffusing a lemon scent which resulted in employees increasing their productivity by 54 percent, biohacking the brain and body to perform better demonstrates the cross-industry potentialities of fragrance. 

While consumers seek to align their emotional values and spending habits through sustainable consumption, transparency around clean ingredients and environmentally-friendly formulas remain an important selling point. TechnicoFlor focuses on formulations that protect the planet and its natural recourses, using upcycled raw materials to create its selection of fine fragrances. The brand’s communications manager Victorine Horem agreed that the future of fragrance is centred around sustainability, highlighting the interplay between the emotional and practical aspects of fragrance as consumers seek to align their emotional values with their spending habits. 

The 2022 graduating class of the Cosmetic Fragrance Marketing and Management course at the Fashion Institute of Technology described the parallel shifts in the technological and emotional as a ‘moment of historic beauty entropy’. With the wellness industry reported to now be worth 1.5 trillion dollars globally, the beauty sector’s convergence with wellness marks the beginning of a fragrance renaissance. With a clear demand from consumers to experience fragrance in a new way, the perfume industry continues to evolve with emotional and nostalgic formulations leading the way for innovation.