Why We Like and Dislike Scents
  • Post by: Admin
  • Date: 12-08-2022

Scents are always a good mood uplifter, no matter what trouble you have run into. Not only do they uplift our mood but also some familiar scents bring us back to our old encounters with that particular aroma. Imagine experiencing that pleasant smell of the food that your mother cooks. It does make your mouth go watery, doesn't it? But what if the smell you are experiencing is from a dreaded scenario in the past? Will it still lift your spirit even if others with you feel the scent to be pleasant? Have you ever wondered why we like and dislike smells? To know exactly why we like and dislike smells, we need to take a look at how we perceive smell and how it is connected with human psychology.

 

How We Perceive a Smell


Odours are airborne volatile chemicals that float. Air enters the nostrils during inhalation and is then drawn upward into the nasal passages, where odour molecules congregate. Specialized sensory cells, known as olfactory sensory neurons, are located in a small patch of tissue high inside the nose and are responsible for your capacity to smell. 

The brain is closely connected to these cells. One odour receptor can be found on each olfactory neuron. Because millions of olfactory neurons can identify odour molecules in your nose, your nose has the astounding capacity to detect thousands of distinct odours. These unique cells are triggered when you sniff the air.

 

The Feel of a Smell


Most odours have a feel to them, which is a crucial aspect of olfaction that is sometimes overlooked. For example, Ammonia is burning, and menthol is cooling. The trigeminal nerve, which travels down the cheek and nose, allows us to sense this sensation. The trigeminal nerve is also in charge of causing our eyes to water when we chop onions and our noses to runny when we smell pepper. 

Odours also get their heat and pungent properties from the trigeminal nerve. Trigeminal components can range from faint to strong in almost all scents. For instance, acetone is strong, geraniol (sweet rose) is light, and benzyl acetate (fake pear) is moderate. Trigeminal stimulation that is too intense might hurt or irritate you.

Vanilla and hydrogen sulphide (rotten eggs) are two exceedingly unusual odours that do not activate the trigeminal system. When smelling gasoline it might be challenging to determine whether the feeling is coming from the trigeminal system or the olfactory system. Why some scents might cause an initial dislike may be due to the existence of a strong trigeminal reaction.

 

Why We Like and Dislike Scents


Have you ever smelled a popular perfume and thought, "This smells dreadful." You walk away perplexed as to why and how anyone could like it. This is because the fragrance is extremely subjective, much like our sense of taste. Your brain is quite adept at remembering both positive and negative memories, as well as connecting specific odours to them. 

These are known as olfactory-associated memories. This can happen, for instance, when you smell your favourite food. It could make you think of someone who creates it for you, which causes your brain to generate feel-good and comforting neurotransmitters.

Naturally, negative memories can also be connected to smell. You've undoubtedly eaten some spoiled food, and you could discover that you no longer like it. This is a result of your brain associating becoming unwell with a certain fragrance, which prevents you from consuming potentially harmful foods. Positive and negative emotions can influence how memories of odours are formed.

But what about that thing you can smell even if you haven't experienced them? Do they smell pleasant or bad? Scientists have shown that instincts play a significant role in our feelings for a particular scent. Although many of the fragrances that people enjoy are a result of prior experiences, instincts also play a huge role in determining what is pleasant for our nose or otherwise.

 

The Future Smells Bright


Some studies recently have shown that there is indeed a connection between our moods and the scents we experience. The structure of the brain may be the reason why smell and memory are so tightly related. The olfactory bulb, a structure at the front of the brain, processes smells and transmits information to other parts of the body's central nervous system.

Our limbic system, which is the part of the brain that regulates memory and emotion, receives messages from scents. Several studies show that the uplifting feelings that particular scents may trigger might reduce stress and enhance one's mood in general. The first anti-stress product to be worn as a unisex scent was developed by a British business that makes natural supplements. It was developed based on studies that showed a connection between human experiences and how the olfactory system impacts emotions. Ninety-six per cent of participants reported feeling calmer after inhaling the perfume. 

As you probably would have inferred from the blog, scents are a great way to change or uplift your mood and make you calmer, cooler or relaxed. There is no better way to do so than with us, Atmocare, an aroma diffuser Dubai. We are the best scent marketing company in UAE. Our product lineup is wide and we have a lot of products in the budget or premium range that could lift your mood and make you happier. We are popularly called scent diffuser Dubai. Even when you are in a bad mood, don't hesitate to contact us because we can pull out the better version in you with the help of our mood-lifting range of products.