What role does smell have in wellness? A lot – perfume makers believe they can affect the body and mind, improve mood and prompt relaxation

Fragrances can remind us of moments or come to represent chapters in our lives – ‘perfume is about your childhood; the people you love’, industry insider says

Mental health professionals and industry insiders share how smells can evoke positive feelings and ‘put you in a completely different state of being’

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Perfumer Mark Buxton says putting on his favourite fragrance “gives me a smile on my face and energy”. Perfume makers like him believe certain smells can affect the body and mind, improve mood and prompt relaxation. Photo: Mark Buxton

Published: 11:15am, 10 Sep 2023Updated: 10:10am, 12 Sep 2023

“Fragrance is all about mood and souvenirs,” says perfumer Mark Buxton when I meet him at Nose, a leading perfume store in Paris.

Buxton, the first nose behind fashion label Comme des Garçons’ fragrance collection, has recently created a namesake perfume line. Of his favourite scent, Emotional Drop, he says: “When I put it on every morning, it gives me a smile on my face and energy.”

He is not the only one who sees selling scents as more than the business of smelling great – Nose founder Nicolas Cloutier says that, often, “perfume is about your childhood; the people you love”.

Fragrances can remind us of moments or come to represent significant chapters in our lives.

Parisian retailer Nose’s fragrance bar. Photo: Nose

My conversations with the olfactory experts lead me to reflect on how much joy and positive energy I feel when wearing one of my signature scents – Lalibela, by Memo Paris. With every spritz, its blend of rose, frankincense and patchouli lingers in the air, heightening my senses and lifting my spirit.