Why Is Jasmine One Of My Most Special Scent Memories?

One year ago today I took this photo of jasmine that grew in the garden of the home where I was staying in a village outside of Paris. The smell of jasmine has held a special scent memory for me because it takes me back several decades as a young woman who travelled from a farm in Arkansas to New York and landed a job in the perfume business. But why jasmine? At the time, jasmine and rose oils were key ingredients in many fashionable and aspirational perfumes such as Joy and Chanel 5. Furthermore, when I was being trained as a "nose" I had to detect the differences of jasmine from various parts of the world.

This was my own personal scent memory story so you might be asking why I selected it as 1 of 6 fragrances for Essential Awakenings® Smell and Memory kits. Here is my reasoning:

Fact: Jasmine is known for having a calming effect and, according to the Journal of Health Research, inhalation of jasmine affects brain activity and mood states and participants in recent studies have reportedly felt more positive, energetic and romantic.

Who wouldn't want that?

I hope your summer is going well and that you continue practicing "mindful smelling". Don't forget that the sense of smell triggers memories faster than any other sensory function we have, so let's keep the summer of 2023 scent memories of beaches, farmer's markets, walks in the park, family gatherings and jasmine going forward to the future.