Written by Dr. Monica Riley, MD, MSJ, a doctor of integrative medicine and the award-winning founder of Dr. Monica’s Natural Beauty. With more than 30 years of experience in holistic health sciences, she creates sustainable, plant-based skincare, haircare, and bodycare for women 40+, with particular care for Melanated Beauty.
The idea for sustainable self-care, with special care for melanated beauty, really began in my Nana’s kitchen.
I was only four years old, but I remember being mesmerized by the plants and flowers she would boil in a huge soup pot every Saturday. The incredible aromas that wafted from that pot—lavender, lemon, orange, vanilla, lily of the valley, peony, and cinnamon—carried me into my own little world of happiness.
I was happy. I was safe. I was loved.
To my four-year-old self, I was living my best life—munching Nana’s homemade biscuits with strawberry jam and peach preserves while watching her create elixirs that healed the body, mind, and spirit.
“No matter what age or stage of life she’s in, a woman should never sacrifice her vim, vigor, and vitality,” Nana would say.
Our sense of smell is the sense most closely linked to memory. Studies have shown that people can remember a scent with 65% accuracy after one year, while visual memory drops to 50% after only a few months.
The smells we experience play a crucial role in how we associate with memories and places. Have you ever caught a whiff of something that instantly transported you back to another moment? Whether it reminds you of your mother’s cinnamon apples or a childhood trip to the beach, a distinctive scent sinks into your brain and stays there.
5 Ways Your Sense of Smell Influences Everyday Life
Smell and Emotion
Did you know that smell has a powerful influence on the emotions we experience every day?
The emotions we feel affect the way we relate to places, people, and even brands. The part of the brain responsible for smell and taste is closely connected to the emotional brain, where many aspects of our personality and emotional responses are formed.
Smell and Time
Smells can even influence our perception of time.
According to one study, 20 participants were exposed to a baby powder aroma, a coffee aroma, and no aroma at all. While the coffee aroma created a reduced perception of time, the baby powder aroma produced a longer perception of time.
Likewise, pleasant fragrances have been shown to increase “dwell time” in retail environments, making customers more likely to stay longer and make purchases.
Smell and Healthcare
Creating a comfortable and relaxing atmosphere for patients is a challenge for every healthcare facility, whether large or small.
For example, lavender fragrances are often used in nursing homes to help calm residents and in emergency rooms to comfort anxious visitors.
Hospitals, treatment centers, and nursing homes are also prone to musky smells and unpleasant odors. Lavender is considered an adaptogen and may help the body adapt to stress and imbalance. While it is well known for promoting relaxation, it also has balancing properties that may help boost stamina and energy. Lavender has also long been associated with emotional healing and recovery from trauma.
Smell and Productivity
Our sense of smell can even affect productivity in the workplace.
Specific scents have been found to increase alertness, which can improve productivity. One study found that when lemon oil was diffused throughout a Japanese office building, productivity among data entry operators increased by 54%.
Scents may also help combat the mid-afternoon slump by supporting focus and concentration.
Smell and Taste
Although many people use the terms interchangeably, taste and flavor are not exactly the same.
Your mouth detects taste, but your sense of smell largely determines flavor. If you cannot smell properly, your ability to experience the full flavor of food can be significantly reduced.
While eating, food odors travel to the nose, where receptor cells process the aromas—a process known as retronasal olfaction. Since eating is essential to human survival, this represents yet another important way our sense of smell influences everyday life.
Discover More
Want more scent sense?
Explore Dr. Monica’s Natural Beauty Aromatique and discover natural approaches to beauty, wellness, and self-care.
