Our sense of smell contributes to our enjoyment of life, our memory, our safety, and of course our relationship with perfumes.
Yet, many people feel they have a more or less significant loss of olfactory sensitivity.
The causes can be numerous: in the most significant cases, there is loss of smell after an infection, notably Covid-19 or a head injury. But there is also the decrease in smell linked to natural aging and sometimes repeated exposure to strong odors, or even olfactory saturation, which are then more temporary.
In the world of perfumery, we often speak of olfactory fatigue. After a few minutes of exposure to an intense odor, the brain gets used to it and eventually perceives it less, or even not at all. Some researchers even speak of a form of olfactory pollution when the environment is constantly saturated with perfumes.
The good news is that the sense of smell can often be retrained if it has already been present. Like a muscle, it can be stimulated, solicited, and trained.
The sense of smell relies on olfactory neurons located in the nasal cavity. These cells have a remarkable characteristic: they are capable of regenerating regularly throughout life. This ability explains why it is possible, in some cases, to gradually regain part of one's olfactory capacities after a loss or weakening.
But this regeneration requires regular stimulation. Without attention, without exercise, without a real olfactory experience, sensitivity can diminish.
Olfactory rehabilitation is based on simple but precise protocols led by experts: regularly smelling distinct, identifiable odors to stimulate neural circuits and relearn how to perceive nuances.
However, the current trend, as you may have noticed, is towards very strong perfumes, designed to last a very long time and immediately make an impression. Intense perfumes that leave their mark, but leave little room for nuances. Almost all of them are also perfumes loaded with synthetic ingredients (naturally, this would be far too expensive).
With Domaine Singulier scented rituals, you will rediscover the beauty, complexity, and subtlety of natural accords. The pleasure of conscious smelling: you decide when. And if, at first, you have the impression of not smelling them or very little, it is not necessarily the perfume that lacks presence. It may simply be that your nose has been too accustomed to very strong and undifferentiated perfumes. Sometimes you have to relearn how to smell, as when you approach your nose to a flowerbed or a freshly picked bouquet of flowers: take your time, smell gently, let the nuances disperse.
An invitation to take the time to smell and feel again.
Source: Harvard Medical School — study on the regeneration of olfactory neurons. Scientific source:
Hummel T. et al., Effects of olfactory training in patients with olfactory loss, The Laryngoscope.
Photograph ©️ emmadaum for Domaine Singulier
