Estée Lauder explores fragrance and emotion connection in multi-year research

As surveys suggest that consumer interest in the functional benefits of fragrance continues to accelerate, The Estée Lauder Companies (ELC) seeks to better understand the role fragrance plays in evoking emotions.

Scents of nostalgia

The group thus entered into a multi-year scientific research collaboration with the Dresden University of Technology (Technischen Universität Dresden - TUD). Led by TUD’s Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, under the supervision of Professor Thomas Hummel, a world-renowned leader in olfactory science, the research will explore the neurological connections between fragrance and emotion. Findings from this research will be leveraged by ELC’s scientists and product developers to inform fragrance product and packaging innovation, consumer experiences, marketing claims, and more.

“Scents have long been associated with emotions and have a powerful connection to wellness,” said Sumit Bhasin, Senior Vice President, Corporate Fragrance Research & Development, Product Development and Innovation, ELC. “We are thrilled to be the first prestige beauty company to partner with Dr. Hummel and leading academic institution the TUD Dresden University of Technology on neuroscience research that will provide us with deeper insights into how fragrance plays a role in evoking nostalgia.”

Advanced measurements

This collaborative research spans a number of advanced measurement science approaches that assess the neuropathways associated with scent, psychometric and physiological analyses, brain imaging studies, and more to assess the correlation between scent and emotions. This will build upon existing studies the company has completed on the functional benefits of fragrance.

Estée Lauder said that key learnings will be used at the group’s R&D facilities worldwide, including its Paris-based Atelier, a new co-creation space opening in early 2025 exclusively focused on fragrance innovation and craftsmanship.

“There is a unique opportunity for academia and industry to partner together to explore the power of scent,” said Dr. Thomas Hummel.

An underlying market trend

Exploring the links between emotions and scents is based on the ancient and deeply held belief that scents have the power to help people feel better.

In 2022, the young French indie brand TiL drew inspiration from the benefits of linden to develop a perfume that is active both for the body and mind. The beneficial virtues of the eau de toilette L’Eau qui Enlace, created by Master Perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, were objectified and validated through a measuring protocol developed by a team of neuroscientists.

More recently, Charlotte Tilbury (Puig group) launched a range of six perfumes “infused with emotion-stimulating molecules”.

As early as 2020, Givaudan had seen that the quest for emotions and well-being, which had appeared in the world of skincare, could be transposed to the world of perfume. This is how the MoodScentz program, later expanded under the name MoodScentz+, was launched. In a study conducted by the fragrance giant, 85% of respondents said that fragrance could have a positive impact on their mood and well-being.

However, even though many testing protocols exist, particularly for cosmetic products, the industry still lacks robust large-scale data in this field. New research is therefore more than welcome!