Consumers are finding a spark of joy with every spritz as a number of scents launch within fragrance’s fastest growing new subcategory of mood-enhancing eau de parfums.
The sense of smell has always been a strong trigger of emotion, with experiential media company Mood Media reporting that 75% of all emotions generated every day are due to smell.
And fragrance brands are now finding ways to combine traditional aromatherapy with advanced technology to create fragrances that are as functional as they are beautiful.
These new debuts are transforming signature scents into sprays of joy, calm, confidence and even seduction as brands merge scent with science through functional launches, all built on the back of research exploring brain function, emotional response and more.
One beauty brand doing just this is Arkive, a wellness-focused hair care range founded by hairstylist Adam Reed.
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When launching Arkive’s first mood-boosting fragrance, The Brightside, earlier this year, Reed told Cosmetics Business how “I truly believe fragrance has the ability to make you feel enlightened, lifted, melancholy, whatever it is.
“But being able to prove it is wonderful from a consumer perspective.”
Functional fragrances' rise in popularity comes as consumers take mental health more seriously, and it is clearly a subcategory consumers are willing to invest in.
Jules Miller, founder of wellbeing brand The Nue Co, says:“When we first launched into the category, I named our first fragrance ‘Functional Fragrance’ and assumed it would remain our signature, our one and only.
“I never anticipated the level of demand we would see – within a year, it represented 20% of our sales, and we expect it to reach 65% by the end of this year.”
Penhaligon's Bold Blend
Why consumers are seeking out functional scents
Fragrance wardrobes and scent collections have long been a way for consumers to express themselves, but now they have become a tool to tailor and support emotions and mental wellbeing.
Victor Moll, Global Technical Manager for fragrance house CPL Aromas, sees several trends as the driving factors of this growth
Moll cites how wellness has become mainstream, as well as an increased demand from post‑stress lifestyles, consumer desire for products that deliver a perceivable benefit or experience, and the blurring of categories.
He explains that “emotion‑led fragrances strike a balance between
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