Scent is inherently personal; it has the power to shift mood, elicit memories and boost self-esteem. So why not craft fragrance formulations that take advantage of these neuroscientific links?
This article is only available to registered users.
Log In to View the Full Article
Scent is inherently personal; it has the power to shift mood, elicit memories and boost self-esteem. So why not craft fragrance formulations that take advantage of these neuroscientific links?
“Wellbeing has become one of the strongest drivers of innovation in fragrance and beauty,” said Loïc Bleuez, director of innovations for consumer goods and fine fragrances at MANE. “Once limited to ‘feel-good’ personal care rituals, it has expanded into the home, where consumers seek comforting, multi-sensory environments.”
Mintel’s data shows that fragrances that improve mood are growing in online conversations. They’ve been mentioned over 2,200 times online in the last year, a growth of 39% compared to the previous year. Further, Mintel’s analysts predict that by 2030, beauty and home fragrance care products will actively regulate mood and emotions, not just enhance them.
Functional fragrances are not just a trend, but the latest evolution of intentional wellbeing. Whether it’s a perfume mist with mood-boosting effects or a home scent diffuser with relaxing properties, these products are helping people take care of themselves using positive sensory experiences.
Perfumer & Flavorist+ reached out to three companies that have developed new fragrance technology informed by neuroscience research. These industry experts explained how neuroscience knowledge can be a competitive advantage in fragrance to create innovative, functional and good-smelling formulations.
Turning on Emotions at dsm-firmenich
dsm-firmenich’s emotiOn program is right at the intersection of fragrance innovation, advanced technology and wellness research. The company has invested in neuroscientific research for over 30 years, contributing to more than 50 peer-reviewed publications in the fields of perception, cognition and emotion.
“Our long-term collaboration with the Swiss Center for Affective Sciences at the University of Geneva began in 2005,” said Christelle Porcherot, principal scientist, perception and cognitive neurosciences at dsm-firmenich. “We co-funded the Brain and Behavior Laboratory in 2009, followed by the launch of the Firmenich Cognition and Behavior Laboratory for R&D in 2018. This research has paved the way to understanding how molecular signals transform into odor, flavor and emotions.”
dsm-firmenich’s emotiOn program works in three steps: identify, create and certify. Researchers use the ScentMove database, which includes 40,000 fragrances tested by consumers, to identify the most appealing emotions, moods or wellness benefits. From there, a proprietary AI model can generate a list of fragrance materials that match the desired benefits, making it easy for the perfumer to develop their formula. These formulations are then tailored to prove the benefit with a neuroscientific validation.
“The role of the perfumer remains central and essential in the creative process,” Porcherot explained. “The creation rules are broad enough to allow perfumers’ creativity to express itself. All these help our perfumers in their work and complement their talent, intuition and experience. Perfume creation is an art that provokes emotion and requires human sensitivity and creativity.”
Company officials at dsm-firmenich say they hope to have a fully benefits-driven fragrance design platform in the future to cover new wellness territories, such as spiritual and social wellness. In 2025, the company launched its emotiOn social connection platform based on this idea of social wellness and helping consumers feel more connected.
Iberchem’s Wavemotion Measures the Unmeasurable
Iberchem introduced its latest neuroscientific investigation program, Wavemotion, at in-cosmetics 2023. Designed to scientifically evaluate the impact of fragrance on human psychology and physiology, Wavemotion unveils insights into how scent can influence positive neural responses to transform the emotional landscape of consumers and elevate consumer wellbeing.
“The Wavemotion technology integrates electroencephalography (EEG), electrocardiography (ECG), galvanic skin response (GSR) and facial expression analysis (FEA) into a single measurement point to capture the brain activity that a fragrance evokes,” explained Manuel Serna and Gemma Martínez, members of Iberchem’s neuroscience team. “The signals are processed with a machine learning algorithm that learns robust patterns associated with emotional and cognitive states, distinguishing the actual effect of the fragrance composition from that of expectation.”
Iberchem's Wavemotion is used in a variety of fragrance applications.Courtesy of Iberchem
With this program, researchers at Iberchem have made subjective elements of scent measurable. In one example study, the team created a “freshness score” to capture panelist perception of various liquid laundry detergents. This score helped product developers identify markers of both the emotional engagement to the fragrance and the functional efficacy. Another study measured panelist response to fabric softeners throughout the use experience, from in-store selection to damp fabric to fully dry fabric, to develop an “emotion pathway” of the consumer.
Iberchem’s Wavemotion program has been applied to several fragrance categories, including laundry care, air fresheners, candles and fine fragrances. Researchers on the neuroscience team said this allows perfumers to have an accurate understanding of the emotional attributes of the formulation, backed by robust data.
“The capability of this technology provides an emotional narrative for each fragrance and establish the rules for future innovation in the field of neuroscience,” Serna and Martínez concluded.
Innovating through Collaboration at MANE
In May of 2025, flavor and fragrance company MANE announced the launch of WELLMOTION, a new platform that analyzes and decodes emotional responses to scent. This platform is rooted in peer-reviewed science and powered by artificial intelligence to address wellness trends in the fragrance industry.
“With WELLMOTION, we are entering a new era where we design fragrances that evoke emotions with intention and precision,” said Caroline Dubourg, director of R&I, consumer goods.
WELLMOTION was developed in collaboration with the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) and French biotech company SkillCell. The platform measures emotions in real time through physiological testing.
“Consumers now seek products that delight the senses while supporting wellbeing,
MANE's WELLMOTION platform measures emotions in real time through physiological testing.Courtesy of MANE
The WELLMOTION platform uses two complementary tools: one to anticipate and evaluate the emotional impact of fragrances, and one to measure physiological responses using biomarkers. Further, this system allows researchers and perfumers to continue adding new data to the model, allowing the tools to continue to evolve.
MANE’s salivary biomarker technology, protected by a patent, combines four markers with a single, rapid and non-invasive test to give an analysis of emotional responses to olfactory stimuli. Company officials believe that this technology helps take the uncertainty out of the formulation process and helps design fragrances that meet consumers’ exact wellbeing needs.
“Neuroscience and cognitive sciences offer a competitive advantage in the fragrance industry by helping brands measure and understand how people respond to scent,” Bleuez said. “We could imagine using these insights to design fragrances that are more personalized, impactful and aligned with people’s daily moods and behaviors.”
