Though just about anything can create nostalgia, there’s something special about fragrances’ ability to evoke fond memories. Something about memories triggered by scents seems to reach much further back in our minds and conjure up much clearer images than almost any other sense. So, why is that? How are scents linked to memory, and how do smell and memory interact? Let’s take a closer look.

What is Scent Memory?

Once your brain has been given a new scent and registered it as a memory, coming into contact with that scent again may remind you of the first encounter, especially after many repeated exposures. This is why we may get hungry when we smell food cooking or leave the room when there’s an unpleasant scent. More importantly, however, this allows us to associate long-term memories with scents, often causing certain scents to be our favorites as a result.

Here, we need to take a look at the brain as well as the nose. Explicit memory, which encompasses memories of sights, sounds, experiences, and the like, is stored in a part of the brain called the hippocampus, while the limbic system handles emotional responses and instinctual reactions to these memories. As they are closely linked, the limbic system often carries an emotional memory of sorts, where the emotions one felt during a certain experience are felt once more when that experience is recalled.

Our brains are designed to recognize patterns, and though its original purpose was likely a survival instinct, it now serves as the driving force behind our likes and dislikes in general. When we undergo certain experiences that we associate with a smell, we may form an opinion of that smell based on the positivity or negativity of that experience. The result of this is a conditioning of sorts. A smell causes memories to be recalled and those recollections cause an emotional response. After numerous exposures, recollections, and responses, we often begin to associate emotions with the scent itself, firmly cementing the emotional response in our minds.

Nostalgic Scents

Now that you know what goes into the process of scent memory, you may be looking for the perfect fragrance to recall your favorite moments and relive the best times of your life. If so, take a look at a few fragrances that may remind you of different times, moments, or experiences in your life.

Whether you want to find the perfect fragrance for the sake of nostalgia or to add a new signature scent to your wardrobe, we at Fragrance Market are here to provide, so feel free to visit our shop!