5 reasons to wear scents - Beauty in Action

Shape, April, 2002 by Suzanne Gleason

New research shows that fragrances can affect everything from your health to your sex life.

Historically, we used to dab a fragrance on our pulse points just to smell nice, but new research shows that there's more to the newest scents than meet the nose. Fragrances today can do everything from evoking happy memories of years past to enhancing workouts. So pick your fragrance carefully; look for one (or two or three) that appeals most to your personality. Here, we've done some of the legwork so you could avoid the department-store spritzers.

1. The right fragrance may make you more attractive to others.

If someone finds your fragrance attractive, chances are, they'll also perceive you in a better light, says Alan Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, who has conducted numerous studies on fragrance. When searching for the right scent, Hirsch suggests looking for light, subtle notes (like fresh florals) that are universally appealing. Try Chanel Coca Mademoiselle with jasmine and rose ($60;gloss.com), Hugo Boss Deep Red with black currant and ginger flower ($58; at department stores) and Anais Anais Toile de Jouy ($42; at department stores) with jasmine, hyacinth and iris.

If someone finds your fragrance attractive, they may perceive you in a better light.

2. Some scents may improve your overall health. "We've found that a group of orchid extracts have intensely beneficial health properties: Some are antibacterial, some work as antioxidants and some are extremely hydrating," says Demeter Fragrance Library nose and founder Christopher Brosius, who hopes to incorporate these ingredients in his Practical Perfume treatment collection (due out next year). Until Demeter's scents are out (and more research is done), opt for a relaxing fragrance that can lower your stress levels (a known health benefit). We like Histoires de Parfums 1873 with ylang-ylang and Moroccan rose ($90; histoiresde parfums.com) and The Healing Garden Waters Perfect Calm with lavender and cedarwood ($17.50; at drugstores).

3. Distinct smells can boost your mood. "More than ever before, people are turning to fragrance to modify mood, whether it's to relax or get energized," says Annette Green, president of the Fragrance Foundation in New York City. To calm you, spritz on Shiseido Zen ($38; at department stores) with rose and valerian, an olfactory chill pill sometimes referred to as "herbal Valium." Or opt for a fragrance to liven your mood like Laura Mercier Eau de Lune ($60; lauramercier.com) with an uplifting blend of mandarin, violet and white peach.

4. Your perfume choices say something about your childhood. Some scents can take you back to your childhood - the subconscious reason we prefer some of the scents we do (or love certain scents over others). Where you grew up also has an effect on scent choice, say researchers at the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago who conducted a "nostalgia" study. They found that the majority of people from the East Coast identified with flowers, while those hailing from the South found comfort in a fresh-air-based scent. The scents that take us back to our childhood: Vera Wang Eau de parfum spray ($60; at Saks Fifth Avenue stores) with gardenia, rose and iris (it's Wang's first fragrance - developed in memory of her own mother's rich floral scent), My Ocean for Her by Club Med ($28.50; at department stores) with mint and juniper-berry notes or Truth Calvin Klein Lush with wild rose ($38; at department stores).

5. Scents may enhance your workout. In a peppermint-scented treadmill-workout study, the athletic participants' perceived exertion and fatigue was significantly lower than that of controls who were sniffing other aromas. But if peppermint is not your thing, scents like citrus may also get you up and moving. Try Lancome AromaFit Health Body Treatment Fragrance ($48; Iancome.com) with a feel-good cocktail of celery, carrot, orange, tangerine and basil. Or opt for Biotherm Aqua Sport Energizing Mist with mint and sweet pepper ($35; biotherm.com).

Suzanne Gleason is a frequent contributor to Shape.

RELATED ARTICLE: Shape giveaway a scent that takes you away ... to club med

Club Med, Coty Beauty and Shape want to send you to find "your ocean." Logan to shape.com/myocean for the chance to win a seven-night/eight-day Club Med vacation for two to celebrate Club Med and Coty's new fragrance, My Ocean for Her. Club Med will fly you and a guest to its Turks and Caicos Resort. There, you can swim, windsurf, sail, snorkel, scuba dive or even try your hand at a flying-trapeze lesson. If you're a sports lover, you can join a beach-volleyball game or showoff your moves on the soccer field or basketball court - or just relax by the pool.

Though only one winner (and guest) will be whisked away to the resort, 200 second-prize winners will experience Club Med with a free 1-ounce bottle of My Ocean for Her (an $18 value). The light, airy floral scent blends notes of mint, coriander, blue rose, juniper berries and water musk.