Clean personal care company Native's Scent Alchemy campaign invested in a partnership with cognitive neuroscientist, Rachel Herz, Ph.D., to educate consumers on the psychological science of scent and highlight how your favorite fragrances can "do much more than simply smell good, they can lift your mood, calm your mind, and evoke memories."
Herz (a World Perfumery Congress 2022 speaker) has been researching the psychological science of scent, emotion, and cognition since 1990. Her research has demonstrated how odor-evoked memory is emotionally unique and powerful compared to other memory experiences, and how emotions can become associated with scents and these emotions are instantly activated when we smell these fragrances again.
“The sense of smell is unique compared to any of our other senses because when we smell something, we are activating the same part of the brain that processes emotion and memory,” says Herz in a release by Procter & Gamble. “This is why a scent can bring back memories, make you feel transported, and take you back to the original time and place when you first connected the emotion.”
To guide consumers in their journey of discovering a new scent layering routine, Native chief fragrance officer, Natalia Lebedev, curated an assortment of its most popular scents and products into captivating scent stories, including Sparkling Citrus, Balancing Nature, Solar Florals, and Elevated Gourmands.
Each scent story features products like deodorant, body wash, shampoo, and conditioner that are paired to enhance a unique kind of mood:
Sparkling Citrus: An uplifting combination of citrus and herbal notes in scents like Citrus & Herbal Musk, Lilac & White Tea, and Grapefruit & Bergamot to help you feel uplifted, happy, and find bliss in your morning routine.
Balancing Nature: A soothing and calming collection of nature-inspired scents like Sea Salt & Cedar, Cashmere & Rain, and Blackberry & Green Tea that work to create a relaxing and grounding at-home ritual.
Solar Florals: Featuring invigorating and transportive scents like Palm Leaf & Agave, Cotton & Lily, and Almond & Shea Butter to inspire a sun-kissed and beachy feeling no matter where you are.
Elevated Gourmands: A focus on creamy and delicious scents like Coconut & Vanilla, Sandalwood & Shea Butter, and Coconut Milk & Turmeric that promote all-day comfort and indulgence.
“At Native, we believe the scent journey for consumers is key,” said Lebedev. “We joined together with Dr. Herz to bring an educational moment to share why we pair our scents the way we do, providing insight into the feelings of joy we aim to spark when using Native—since your personal care routine should be a time of self-care!”
“Smelling scents that we really like and give us positive feelings are good for our overall mental health and well-being,” said Herz. “For example, I love the Sea Salt & Cedar in the Balancing Nature set because it reminds me of being in a cool pine forest when I lived in British Columbia. Whenever I smell it, I instantly feel restored, calm, and relaxed.”
