Can perfume help you feel better? The rise of mood-enhancing fragrances explained
From neuroscience-backed perfumes to scents inspired by comfort and nostalgia, experts explain why fragrance is becoming part of the wellness conversation.
Functional fragrances are the next big thing in wellness. (Photo: iStock)
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Once upon a time, perfume was primarily about smelling good. It was the invisible accessory that expressed personality, taste and style.
Today, however, fragrance is increasingly being marketed as something more. A growing category of functional fragrances promises to do everything from reduce stress and improve focus to boost confidence, elevate mood and support emotional well-being. Brands are incorporating the language of neuroscience, psychology and wellness into their storytelling, positioning scent not just as a luxury but as a tool for self-care.
But can perfume really influence how we feel? And what exactly separates a functional fragrance from a conventional one?
Functional fragrance takes a broader approach, often incorporating fragrance science, neuroscience research, and consumer psychology.
FRAGRANCE’S EVOLUTION FROM ACCESSORY TO RITUAL
French niche fragrance house Initio Parfums Prives recently launched Lift Me Up, described as a mood-enhancing fragrance designed to reduce stress, elevate mood and increase feelings of well-being. According to the brand, the impetus is cultural as much as commercial.
“We live in an era of constant stimulation, pressure and noise, and people are actively searching for tools to regulate how they feel,” a spokesperson of the brand told CNA Lifestyle. “Consumers now want fragrance to do something for them, not just say something about them.”
Initio believes fragrance has evolved from a finishing touch to a deliberate ritual. Rather than applying perfume solely as a form of self-expression, many people now reach for scent to mark transitions throughout the day – to feel more focused before work, more energised in the afternoon, or more relaxed in the evening.
Scent has direct access to regions involved in emotion and memory.
This shift mirrors broader changes across the beauty industry, where consumers are increasingly interested not just in how products affect their appearance, but how they affect their state of mind.
It’s a trend that Joyce Lian, founder of homegrown fragrance brand Scent Journer, has observed firsthand. “I think people are moving away from wearing fragrance purely for projection or external validation,” said Lian. “There is growing interest in scents that feel personal, comforting, skin-like or emotionally reflective.”
Instead of focusing solely on performance or compliments, she adds, consumers are asking different questions: How does this fragrance make me feel? Does it suit my lifestyle? Does it reflect who I am?
WHAT EXACTLY IS A FUNCTIONAL FRAGRANCE?
The concept itself sits somewhere between traditional perfumery and aromatherapy. While aromatherapy typically relies on essential oils and their purported therapeutic properties, functional fragrance takes a broader approach, often incorporating fragrance science, neuroscience research, and consumer psychology.
The idea is rooted in the unusually close relationship between smell and the brain. “Most of our other senses take a detour through the brain’s thinking and language areas before they reach emotion,” said Gemma Calvert, a neuroscientist and professor of marketing at Nanyang Technological University. “Smell bypasses most of that. It’s a sensory ‘one-stop shop’, directly into feeling and recollection.”
This helps explain why a familiar scent can trigger a vivid memory or emotional response almost instantly. As Calvert put it: “The reaction comes first, and the word lags behind.”
But while science suggests scent can affect how we feel, those effects are rarely universal. Lian, who studied Perfumery and Cosmetic Science at Singapore Polytechnic before completing a Chemistry degree at the National University of Singapore, cautioned against overstating its capabilities.
“There is genuine innovation happening, particularly around understanding how scent influences behaviour, memory and emotional perception,” she said. “But a perfume, no matter how powerful functionally it is, cannot solve stress or anxiety. It can only create moments of pause, comfort, grounding or familiarity within daily life.”
Calvert similarly described the evidence as “real, but modest”. “Scents can shift how we feel, particularly in terms of alertness and anxiety, but it’s more of a gentle nudge than a guaranteed result,” she said.
Responses also vary widely between individuals. Lian noted that soft musks, sandalwood, tea notes and airy florals are often perceived as calming, while citrus notes tend to feel energising – but context matters.
“In Southeast Asia, pandan or jasmine may evoke comfort and familiarity in a very different way compared to someone raised elsewhere,” she said.
HAVEN’T FRAGRANCES ALWAYS BEEN EMOTIONAL?
Here’s the thing: Many of us have been doing this for years without realising it, long before “functional fragrance” became a trend.
One of my favourite perfumes smells unmistakably of gin and tonic to me: a lift of citrus, and something clean and slightly botanical underneath. That interpretation is entirely my own – nothing in the fragrance’s marketing suggests a connection to the cocktail. Yet, every time I wear it, I’m reminded of the pleasure of that first sip after a long workday, or the slow luxury of one on a lazy afternoon.
For Sai Pogaru, co-founder of Singapore-based fragrance house Rahasya, this is precisely the point. Fragrance has always shaped how we feel, even if the industry only recently began putting labels to those effects.
“People wear certain fragrances because they remind them of someone they love, a place they’ve been, or a version of themselves they want to reconnect with,” said Pogaru. “That’s emotional functionality, even if we didn’t call it that.”
What’s changed, he argued, is less the relationship between scent and emotion than the language used to describe it. While many newer brands frame fragrances around wellness, mood or cognitive outcomes, Pogaru sees fragrance first and foremost as a medium for storytelling, memory and personal interpretation.
“We’re less interested in prescribing a feeling and more interested in creating an atmosphere,” he said. “We create scents that invite emotion rather than promise an outcome because scent is so personal.”
But a perfume, no matter how powerful functionally it is, cannot solve stress or anxiety.
WHY MOOD-ENHANCING FRAGRANCES ARE RESONATING NOW
Whatever one makes of the science, the appetite for fragrances that feel emotionally meaningful has clearly grown. At a recent Boutiques Singapore event, Lian noticed strong interest in Scent Journer’s Clouds in Heaven, inspired by pandan chiffon cake, and Soaring At Dawn, which uses Sichuan pepper as a symbol of courage and resilience.
“Sometimes people connect more strongly to the smell of pandan chiffon cake from childhood than to an abstract luxury note they have never encountered before,” she said.
Pogaru echoed this: “Scent has an ability to transport us somewhere else almost instantly – and in a world that feels increasingly digital and fast-moving, that matters. People want scents that reflect who they are, where they’ve come from and the lives they actually live.”
Calvert believes the popularity of mood-enhancing fragrances reflects both a genuine emotional need and savvy positioning by brands.
“There’s a genuine backdrop of stress here, and younger people especially are feeling it,” she said. “Constant connection, social media, a steady drip of bad news and geopolitical worry all add up to a generation that’s more openly looking for ways to self-soothe.”
She also noted that the rituals surrounding fragrance can become part of the effect itself. “Take a scent, call it ‘calm’, wrap it in a little ritual – pause, breathe, apply – and you’ve recruited the person’s expectation and the comfort of routine,” she said. “The ritual itself is soothing, almost regardless of what’s in the bottle.”
HOW TO HARNESS THE BENEFITS OF SCENT
Regardless of how a fragrance is marketed, scent is often most powerful when used with intention.
Lian encouraged people to think of fragrance less as an accessory and more as a ritual. Instead of choosing scents solely for occasions, she suggested assigning certain fragrances to particular emotional states or moments throughout the day. “For example, one fragrance for quiet mornings, another for creative work, another for evenings when you want to unwind,” she said. “Over time, scent becomes almost like an emotional bookmark.”
The key, she believes, is consistency. “Wearing a particular fragrance during moments of calm, reflection or confidence can slowly strengthen emotional connections to that scent.”
The power of fragrance, then, may not lie in its ability to instantly transform how we feel – but in the memories, associations and rituals we build around it over time. And whether that’s called aromatherapy, functional fragrance or simply perfume, there’s something worth pausing for in a quiet room, a familiar scent rising from warm skin, and the small ceremony of choosing how you want to feel.
FROM COMFORT TO CONFIDENCE: 5 MOOD-LED SCENTS TO EXPLORE
For focus and clarity: Aesop Virere, S$218 (50ml)
A green, aromatic fragrance inspired by summer afternoons spent outdoors. Bergamot, fig and green tea create an airy, clear-headed feeling that feels mentally refreshing rather than stimulating. Ideal for wearers who prefer subtle freshness over overt citrus energy.
Available at Aesop.
For quiet confidence: Scent Journer Soaring At Dawn, from S$128 (25ml)
This fragrance is built around the distinctive spice of Sichuan pepper, balanced with freshness and warmth to create something that feels quietly empowering. A thoughtful choice for those who gravitate towards fragrances that feel personal, reflective and emotionally resonant.
Available at Scent Journer.
For emotional uplift and energy: Initio Parfums Prives Lift Me Up, S$480 (90ml)
One of the clearest examples of the new “functional fragrance” movement, Lift Me Up is explicitly positioned around mood enhancement and emotional balance. Built around radiant citrus and musks, it aims to evoke the energising warmth of sunlight while supporting a sense of positivity and vitality.
Available at Amaris.
For comfort and grounding: Rahasya Chai Addiction, S$168 (50ml)
Rather than recreating the exact aroma of tea, this fragrance evokes the feeling of slowing down over a steaming cup – cardamom, ginger and tea leaves unfolding into creamy vanilla, soft florals and a milky accord, before settling into Mysore sandalwood, suede and cedarwood. Cocooning, nostalgic and reassuring.
Available at Rahasya.
For calm and restoration: Diptyque Lilyphea, S$479 (100ml)
This fragrance from the Les Essences de Diptyque collection opens with violet leaf and spiced vanilla before settling into a delicate, skin-like scent. Just like Monet’s Water Lilies series it’s inspired by, the perfume achieves a serenity that echoes a beautifully sun-dappled pond.
Available at Escentials and Diptyque boutiques.
Source: CNA/yy
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