How to smell like a perfumer

Summary

In this video, the speaker emphasizes the importance of proper smelling techniques for those involved in perfumery. They discuss common mistakes, such as smelling directly from the bottle, which can lead to olfactory fatigue and an inaccurate representation of a scent's true profile. The speaker suggests using scent strips to dilute and evaluate fragrances, avoiding contamination, and maintaining an odorless environment for accurate scent perception. They also touch on the significance of hydration and exercise for maintaining a clear sense of smell, providing tips to enhance one's ability to understand and create perfumes.

Takeaways

• 👃 Smelling is a fundamental skill for a perfumer and should be second nature.
• 🚫 Avoid smelling directly from the bottle as it's unrepresentative of the strength in a real perfume.
• 💧 Dilute the material beforehand to get an accurate picture of how it might smell in a perfume.
• 🧠 Be aware of olfactory fatigue, which occurs when your nose becomes desensitized to a smell over time.
• 🌿 Use scent strips, which are absorbent papers, to properly evaluate a scent without overwhelming your nose.
• ⏰ Allow the scent strip to dry for a minute or two before smelling to let the volatile ethanol evaporate.
• 📝 Label your scent strips with the percentage, molecule, and time to keep track of your evaluations.
• 🏠 Smell in an odorless environment to avoid contamination and olfactory fatigue from lingering molecules.
• 💧 Stay hydrated and consider regular exercise to help maintain the clarity of your olfactory perception.
• 👃 When smelling, keep the strip about a centimeter away from your nose and take only one or two inhalations.
• ⏱️ Evaluate the scent over time to understand how it evolves, which is crucial for using it effectively in perfumery.

Q & A

Why is smelling properly important in the context of perfumery?

Properly smelling is crucial in perfumery because it allows for an accurate assessment of how a scent will behave in a final product. It helps to understand the true nature of a scent, especially since individual ingredients in a perfume are typically present at concentrations of 1% or less.

What is the common mistake people make when smelling scents from a bottle?

A common mistake is directly smelling from a bottle, which is unrepresentative of the scent's true strength in a perfume. This high concentration can lead to olfactory fatigue, desensitizing the nose and leading to an inaccurate perception of the scent.

What is olfactory fatigue, and how does it affect the sense of smell?

Olfactory fatigue is a phenomenon where the nose becomes desensitized to a scent over time due to continuous exposure. It occurs as scent molecules linger in the olfactory receptors, blocking them and reducing the ability to perceive the scent, eventually leading to a diminished or lost sense of smell.

Why should one not smell a scent immediately after dipping a scent strip into a solution?

One should not smell a scent strip immediately after dipping because the volatile ethanol solvent, which is used to dilute the scent, is still present. This can overpower the nose and lead to an inaccurate perception of the scent.

What is the recommended method for smelling a scent strip in perfumery?

The recommended method is to dip a scent strip into the diluted scent solution, let it air for a minute or two to allow the ethanol to evaporate, and then take one or two inhalations from about a centimeter away from the nose to avoid contamination and olfactory fatigue.

Why is it important to label scent strips when evaluating scents?

Labeling scent strips is important to keep track of the scent's identity, the concentration, and the time of evaluation. This helps in conducting accurate and organized evaluations over time, especially when assessing how a scent evolves.

What environment is ideal for evaluating scents?

An ideal environment for scent evaluation is one that is odorless and free from contaminants. This could be an area with fresh air, like near an open window or outside, or a room separate from where samples or chemicals are prepared to avoid olfactory fatigue and contamination.

How can one minimize the risk of olfactory fatigue when smelling multiple samples?

To minimize olfactory fatigue, one should smell only a few samples at a time and allow the nose to rest for a few hours before resuming. This gives the olfactory system time to recover and maintain sensitivity to the scents being evaluated.

Why is it advised to stay hydrated and engage in regular exercise for perfumery?

Staying hydrated and engaging in regular exercise can help maintain the health of the mucous membrane in the nose, which is essential for the docking of scent molecules. This aids in clearing out old molecules and regenerating the olfactory receptors, leading to a clearer sense of smell.

What are some external factors that can contaminate the sense of smell while evaluating scents?

External factors such as eating strongly scented foods, brushing teeth with minty toothpaste, or drinking coffee can leave lingering smells in the mouth or on the breath that can interfere with the evaluation of scents on scent strips.

How should scent strips be stored to prevent cross-contamination?

To prevent cross-contamination, scent strips should be kept at least 10 centimeters apart, especially when they are wet with ethanol and the scent solution. This allows the ethanol to evaporate without carrying scent molecules from one strip to another.