The Science of Scent

Does Wearing Perfume Affect How We Perceive Other Odors?

Can the perfume we wear affect our ability to perceive other odors? A study testing 19 people with no perfume, three sprays, and ten sprays explores detection, discrimination, identification, and why perfume is discouraged in sensory evaluation.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

How Are Fragrances Linked to Migraine in a Patient Survey?

A survey of 101 Japanese migraine patients found reported associations between attacks and odors including perfume and fabric softener. What does grouping odors into six categories reveal, and what is needed to investigate causation?

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Why Does the Same Musk Smell Weaker to Some People?

People can differ greatly in how intensely they perceive the same musk. A study analyzing 1,357 people in China and New York helps explain differences in odor receptors and what genes alone cannot account for.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

How Are Workplace Fragrances and Asthma Reported?

What did California surveillance record about workplace fragrances and asthma? We examine the 270 cases, the denominator behind 3.8%, the study's limitations, and the authors' prevention proposals.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Does Adding Forest Scent to Hypnosis Audio Make It More Calming?

A four-week trial combining forest-associated scent with hypnosis audio increased subjective calmness compared with rest alone. However, a distinct benefit from adding scent and conditioning that later allowed scent alone to evoke calmness were not established.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

How Do a Thousand Non-Perfumers Perceive Fragrance Materials?

A total of 1,119 laypeople each evaluated ten fragrance materials. We explore what a 2025 open dataset reveals about collecting freely chosen descriptions and differences in the stability of pleasantness and intensity.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Can We Find an Odor Blend in a Single Vessel?

One-pot Bayesian optimization reduces sample use while matching sensor responses. Matching a machine signal does not guarantee the same perceived odor.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Are Simple Ambient Scents Better Than Complex Blends in Shops?

In a study comparing purchases by about 400 customers in a Swiss homewares shop, average spending was higher with an orange scent. We examine the hypothesis involving scent complexity and processing fluency, and its limitations.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Can Scent Ease Anxiety at the Dentist?

A scent trial at four dental practices enrolled 515 people and analyzed 486, finding no statistically clear overall difference in anxiety. We distinguish additional analyses in women and other groups, scent types, and the conditions of real clinical settings.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent

Can Odors Change How Pleasant Photographs Seem?

A study of four odors found small, image-dependent changes in pleasantness, with individual emotional associations influencing the results.

2026.11.03

The Science of Scent