Though just about anything can create nostalgia, there's something special about fragrances' ability to evoke fond memories. Memories triggered by scents reach further back in our minds and conjure more explicit images than almost any other sense. So, why is that? How are scents linked to memory, and how do smell and m

Fragrances & Memory: Exploring the Connection Between Scent & How We Experience Memories

Knowledge

24 Mar 2023

3 Min Read

By: Alireza Naghdian

Fragrances & Memory: Exploring the Connection Between Scent & How We Experience Memories

Knowledge

24 Mar 2023

3 Min Read

By: Alireza Naghdian

Let's take a closer look.

Burberry

London Eau De Toilette

$31.95 $69.00 Save $37.05

For people who are always waiting for the holidays to roll around again, Burberry London for Men by Burberry is the perfect fragrance. Described by many wearers as a cologne that smells like Christmas, it features warm, comforting, and nostalgic scent notes like spicy pepper and cinnamon, soothing lavender, dry leather, and rich, smoky tobacco. It's perfect for reminiscing about the holidays on a chilly winter day.

TOP: Black Pepper, Cinnamon Leaves, Lavender And Bergamot.

MID: Leather, Mimosa Flower And Port Wine.

BASE: Oakmoss, Tobacco Leaf, Guaiac Wood And Opoponax.

Demeter

Petrichor Cologne

$25.43 $44.00 Save $18.57

Like many people, if you can't get enough of Petrichor, the scent of rain on fresh earth, Petrichor for Women & Men by Demeter is just what you're looking for. Featuring only two prominent scent accords, water notes, and an earthy tincture, it's a fragrance that finds beauty in simplicity. It's perfect for someone who takes life slowly and appreciates the little things, like the first few delicate moments after the rain has passed.

TOP: Soil Tincture, Water Notes

Tommy Bahama

Set Sail Martinique Cologne

$19.95 $75.00 Save $55.05

For those with fond memories of the ocean, Set Sail Martinique perfectly captures the feeling of a day out on the coast. It's a sharp, aromatic marine fragrance that features titular water notes with a few subtle hints of bergamot and lavender for added complexity. Its light, airy, almost ephemeral nature makes it the perfect choice for a hot summer day and will surely bring up calming memories of a day out on the water.

TOP: Bergamot, Musk, Water Notes And Lavender

Gucci

Flora Parfume Eau De Parfum

$69.95 $85.00 Save $15.05

Flora by Gucci is a luxurious floral fragrance that embodies elegance and sophistication. Featuring a blend of fresh citrus top notes, heart notes of rose and osmanthus, and a warm base of sandalwood and patchouli, this scent offers a harmonious balance of freshness and warmth. Flora is perfect for any occasion and is designed for the modern woman who exudes confidence and grace.

TOP: Citruses, Mandarin Orange, And Peony.

MID: Rose And Osmanthus.

BASE: Patchouli, Pink Pepper, And Sandalwood.

What is Scent Memory?

Once your brain has been given a new scent and registered it as a memory, coming into contact with it again may remind you of the first encounter, especially after many repeated exposures. This is why we may get hungry when we smell food cooking or leave the room when there's an unpleasant scent. More importantly, however, this allows us to associate long-term memories with scents, often causing certain scents to be our favorites.

Here, we need to examine the brain as well as the nose. Explicit memory, which encompasses memories of sights, sounds, experiences, and the like, is stored in a part of the brain called the hippocampus. At the same time, the limbic system handles emotional responses and instinctual reactions to these memories. As they are closely linked, the limbic system often carries an emotional memory, where the emotions one felt during a particular experience are felt once more when that experience is recalled.

Our brains are designed to recognize patterns, and though its original purpose was likely a survival instinct, it now serves as the driving force behind our likes and dislikes in general. When we undergo specific experiences that we associate with a smell, we may form an opinion of that smell based on the positivity or negativity of that experience. The result of this is a conditioning of sorts. A smell causes memories to be recalled, and those recollections can cause an emotional response. After numerous exposures, recollections, and responses, we often associate emotions with the scent itself, firmly cementing the emotional reaction in our minds.

The Olfactory System Explained

The olfactory system is responsible for your sense of smell, using specialized sensory neurons to detect different scents. Anything that emits a scent is emitting scent molecules. When these molecules come into contact with an olfactory receptor neuron, an electrical impulse is transmitted to the brain, interpreted, and registered in your memory. Most of these cells can be found in the olfactory bulb, a small lump of nervous tissue in both nasal cavities.

Though not directly linked to your memories, the olfactory system plays a role in recalling specific experiences. So, where exactly does the connection between odors and memory occur? To answer that question, we'll have to delve deeper into the biology of the brain itself.

Nostalgic Scents

Now that you know what goes into the process of scent memory, you may be looking for the perfect fragrance to recall your favorite moments and relive the best times of your life. If so, look at a few fragrances that may remind you of different times, moments, or experiences in your life.