Scents and sensibility
Tree twigs were ablaze in Grant Achatz's kitchen, just as the Chicago chef had planned. Capturing the smoke in glasses, the waiters then brought out plates of prime rib-eye of beef and smoked tongue to hungry diners and released the trapped air as the food was served. "It smells like a roasting fire, and it punches that smoked-meat flavor forward," says Achatz, winner of the James Beard Foundation's 2003 Rising Star Chef of the Year award. Achatz pioneered the use of aroma at Trio and plans to continue cooking up scents at his new eatery, Alinea, opening in January. "Customers love it," he says. "They're eating food that's delicious but also emotional."
Achatz isn't the only one with a nose for the nose. Smell, long the forgotten sense, is finally getting its due. In the quest for a more aromatic existence, Americans spent $1.7 billion on air freshener products last year, 5.1 percent more than in 2002, according to market research firm Euromonitor International. Last month, the Nobel Prize in medicine went to two researchers who studied how humans can recognize (and recall) 10,000 distinct scents. And most of those aromas, it seems, are finding outlets in the form of scented consumer products ranging from action figures that release anchovy essence to wristwatches with cigar smell infused into the band.
Mmmm, cookies. And there are plenty of customers. As a manager furiously spritzed a can of the Perfect Christmas ($9), a cookie-scented room perfume, around a Bath & Body Works store in Arlington, Va., shopper Charlene Detterman proved to be the consummate aromaholic, examining the shelves for orange-ginger products. "A massage therapist just used the combination on me, and it's such a nice aroma," she says. "This way, when someone asks, 'What can I get you for Christmas?' I'll know what to tell them." Smell matters quite a bit to Detterman, who uses plug-ins, candles, and sprays to scent her life just the way she likes it--citrusy, with a hint of vanilla in the winter.
Fragrance makers are eager to please Detterman and her ilk with new home products. Wisp ($8) shoots out puffs of "citrus & herb," "Hawaiian breeze," or "mystery garden." Oust Fan ($8) wipes out icky odors and substitutes outdoor or citrus ones. And Renuzit Airlets ($5.50), thin plug-ins, are designed to be less visible than the competition. While these perk up the air with a single aroma, Scentstories by Febreze ($35) is an alarm clock-size machine that plays CD-like disks packed with a variety of related smells. Pop in "relaxing in a hammock" or "exploring a mountain trail," and a new smell will waft every 30 minutes. The individual odors have names like "following the winding creek," but they tend to smell like any old Glade scent--although one U.S. News tester found "under the palms" surprisingly transporting. "It's not just about freshening the air," says Procter & Gamble senior perfumer Carl Kaiser. "It's a journey to take you away from the doldrums of ordinary life."
The idea that scent has power over moods is an ancient one. Aromatherapy, the art of using essential oils derived from natural substances to improve one's physical or emotional state through massage, inhalation, or other methods, has been around for thousands of years. But it's only just become a common term, and most people still don't understand exactly what it is. "Before I educate somebody, they think it's just something smelly like a candle," says Kelly Holland-Azzaro, vice president of the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy. That hasn't stopped companies from tapping into the movement to hawk everything from "anti-stress" Palmolive dishwashing soap with ylang-ylang (a flowering tree grown in Madagascar) to NordicTrack treadmills that spit out peppermint essence placed in the fan to promote a better workout. Aqua, a resort opening in Cancun in December, will dispense aromatherapy oils in diffusers throughout the hotel. Pooches can even get aromatherapy at finer canine spas, like LA Dogworks, which offers the service starting at $30 in its Zen Den.
Skeptics may, um, turn up their noses at the claims. (Because really, wouldn't dogs prefer the odor of Alpo to a whiff of lavender?) But there is some science behind aromatherapy. The Sense of Smell Institute, which promotes the importance of smell through education, outreach, and research, has funded several studies. At Wesleyan University, for example, psychology Prof. Namni Goel tested the effects of lavender on sleep patterns and found that the smell can increase the amount of time both men and women spend in the most restorative stage of sleep. Other research has indicated that peppermint can invigorate exercisers and that various scents, including vanilla, can calm patients undergoing traumatic medical procedures. Then again, these studies have not been published and peer reviewed. "It's not a replacement for Prozac by any means," SOSI Executive Director Theresa Molnar notes. And even Molnar is dubious about lavender-enhanced dishwashing soap: "There's no way that could be a relaxing activity."
Homey whiff. But even if smells aren't scientifically proved to boost a bad day, lots of folks think they do. Melanie Porter puts Yankee Candle Housewarmer electric fragrancers in every room--Clean Cotton in her bedroom and Home Sweet Home everywhere else. "I like how it smells, and everybody who comes over says how great it smells," Porter says.
What happens when eau de cotton becomes commonplace? "We're looking at new olfactory ideas, like patchouli [a musky herb], that are more mysterious," says Veronique Ferval, chief fragrance evaluator for International Flavors & Fragrances. One of the firm's newest products is Liquid Karl, the unisex scent Karl Lagerfeld launched at H&M stores last week. Its dominant aroma? "Crispy bread." "It's comforting and addicting," Ferval says.
A yeasty perfume is only the beginning. IFF, for example, is now trying to create meteorite and body odors for exhibits at the New York Hall of Science. Ferval foresees fragrance as a key part of architecture and advertising.
And that's nothing to sniff at.
News your schnozzola can use
In the world of aroma-therapy, every smell casts a spell. Here's a rundown of the alleged benefits of popular oils--and products that use them.
Lemon. Associated with a spic-and-span home, the smell of lemon can spruce up cleaning products and household objects, like this "purifying" candle ($22, left) from L'Occitane en Provence, which is also infused with eucalyptus.
Eucalyptus. Aromatherapists believe eucalyptus can fix up the immune system. Bath & Body Works sells the oil in its cold and sinus therapy line, which includes a travel inhaler ($6) and "congestion ease" cubes ($15).
Peppermint. NordicTrack's RejuvenAire aromatherapy--on most of its top models--sends mint scent through the fan so exercisers can take advantage of its supposedly stimulating, pain-lessening properties.
Ylang-ylang. The smell derived from this flower can be found in "sensual" massage oil ($10, right) from the Body Shop, which plays off the scent's image as a muscle tension reliever.
Parsley. Putting it on a plate isn't just decorative if you believe it can live up to its rep for helping digestion. Williams-Sonoma sticks it into hand lotion for cooks ($12.50).
Lavender. Along with chamomile, it's used as an utterly relaxing sleep aid. Hammacher Schlemmer's Progression Wake Up Clock ($50, right) doesn't just awaken you--it lulls you to slumber with the fragrance of lavender. -Vicky Hallett
This story appears in the November 22, 2004 print edition of U.S. News & World Report.