Did you know that different scents have the ability to enhance or hinder your mood?

Whether you realise it or not, taking a whiff of a citrus scent like orange, grapefruit or lemon can be both energising and uplifting.

It’s an all-round scent and taste experience that attracts energy, brightness, cheer and refreshment.

Photo by Tron Le on Unsplash

According to Geraldine Augustine-Darwood from the perfume brand Gold Series, it’s proven that our sense of smell is linked to the part of our brain that controls emotional responses, meaning that by the time our brain has identified a certain smell, like lavender, the fragrance has already triggered an emotional response like confidence, relaxation or joy.

Of course, if you had a memory associated with the scent, like your mother used to wear a lavender scent, then you’d feel an even stronger reaction.

As we move into the warmer months, Augustine-Darwood suggests looking for fragrances that contain the following scents for a positive effect on your mood:

Citrus notes

The fragrance of citrus is calming and promotes concentration, especially when you might be feeling anxious. Spritzing a scent like Beverly Hills from Gold Series will help promote calm whilst still invigorating the senses.

In addition to the scent, using lemon in hot drinks additionally boosts the body’s immune system and helps with sore throats.

Photo by Estúdio Bloom on Unsplash

Lavender

The scent of lavender can have a soothing effect on your nerves which work to help anxiety and headaches. A few drops of lavender is a wonderful addition to your evening bath, or even your bed linen to ensure a restful night’s sleep.

Photo by Claire Gray on Unsplash

Jasmine

Jasmine, as you’ve probably experienced when walking past a flowering Jasmine bush, has an incredibly uplifting scent used to help conjure feelings of optimism, confidence and positivity. Augustine-Darwood suggests choosing a scent that embodies Jasmine, like the Gold Series Serendipity perfume.

Photo by Dagmara Dombrovska on Unsplash

Cinnamon

Although sometimes seen as a scent for colder months, the stimulating properties in cinnamon are substantial enough to be used all year round.

A cinnamon scent can help improve concentration and focus as well as combat mental fatigue, or even add it to your morning coffee or tea for the same effect.

Photo by Diana Polekhina on Unsplash

Ultimately, scent can affect our mood, concentration, memory recall, and emotion, all of which govern our daily lives.

Augustine-Darwood suggests choosing a perfume or body spray fragrance that aids in lifting your mood and balancing the sometimes overwhelming influence of the world around us.