Yes, we develop noses before we are born, but what I am going to talk about is fine-tuning the sense of smell.
A good perfumist develops a nose after a length of time which enables them to distinguish between pure, quality essences and those that are poor quality or adulterated (extended or modified by the inclusion of chemicals or other oils).
I call myself a “budding perfumist.” My olfactory system needs many years of training before it will tell me everything I need to know when greeting new essences. Training consists of a lot of sniffing, and studies that include reading, and comparing-grouping of essential oils in general.
I was surprised when I opened a tiny bottle of chamomile that I purchased from a different supplier. It didn’t smell right. In my mind, it had to have been adulterated. For the aromatherapist, one that needs pure unadulterated oils, the chamomile that I purchased would act as a placebo. It simply is not workable.
What does this mean to me? I am not exactly sure, except that I am developing a nose for something, something other than the man-made deodorants that can fill our air. Is this a good thing? I believe so. It is one more step towards knowing what I do not want to smell in a perfume formula.
For those of you who are not perfumists, have you developed a nose for particular fragrances and oils through the years?
For those of you who work with essential oils on a regular basis, or have studied them, or better yet, for those of you that are experienced perfumists, when did you notice your nose developing, and would you say it is still in-training? My thought is, for those of us passionate about fragrance, our noses will always be learning. I find it fascinating.
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