Sherri Sebastian in work mode

If there’s any silver lining to be had in these unprecedented & unpredictable times, it could be that we begin to indulge our underutilized senses to bring a much-needed sense of peace and calm to our daily lives.  Instead of listening (to the news) and seeing (the news) non-stop, I’m proposing that we use scent and aroma to calm our nerves and invite a desired mood into our daily lives.

Lavender and bee by Elise Pearlstine©

Instead of the typical aromatherapy suggestions to use lavender scent for calming and peppermint to invigorate, I propose we utilize what we already have in our homes to curate the mood and style we desire.  Besides conserving resources, we can gain a better awareness of how the little things—the feel of our sheets in the morning, the scent of the air outside, and the taste of perfectly spiced food—affect our moods.

As a perfumer I’ve been doing this for years—carefully choosing which shampoo to use lest it steer my desired mood in the wrong direction, and paying particular attention to my dish soap, hand soap, and any soap I use to avoid the dreaded clashing of scent.  I actually thought this was “normal,” but later realized most people don’t spend too much time making sure their conditioner doesn’t clash with the laundry detergent scent on the shirt they’re wearing that day.

If anything good can come of what we’re experiencing, let’s hope that it’s learning new ways to engage with the world around us in a truly mindful manner. Not in the marketing sense “buy this because it’s the newest trend” kind of way, but in the true sense of the word – focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, especially as part of a therapeutic or meditative technique.

 

Below I outline five ways to engage scent in the 5 W’s of Rituals of our daily lives today.  I’d like to invite you to create your own rituals based on these guidelines:

 Waking

 Have you ever noticed how much your mood in the morning can affect your whole day?  Life can be hard and sometimes taking a few extra moments as soon as you wake up can go a long way in setting the tone.  Take a moment to feel the texture of your sheets, the comfort of your favorite blanket. Savor the taste of your favorite morning beverage (in bed preferably), and make a mental note of how you feel nurtured and comfortable.  Lately I’ve been adding turmeric and honey to my usual morning coffee with goat milk. It costs me nothing to go to my cupboard and pull out a few spices, but the feeling I have when savoring this delicious treat each morning is priceless.

 

The scent of nature on Sherri’s walks

Walking

We’re being told to take walks and get some fresh air, keeping with the mandates of social distancing of course.  If you live in a big city you might notice something wonderfully different about the scent of the air these days.  Here in Los Angeles we’re experiencing uncharacteristically fresh air without cars on the streets and it’s incredible! The uninterrupted scent of orange blossoms and pink jasmine wafting through the streets now is a huge mood booster! If you already live somewhere with clean air, take extra notice of the botanicals you pass by, how they scent the air, and how they make you feel.  You might be surprised to find that even a seemingly non-aromatic hedge or tree changes the air quality, if only for a fleeting moment.  Use those moments to bring a sense of calmness into your day, knowing this exists now and will continue to exist in the future.

Washing

 Over the years I’ve written thousands of formulations for hair and body care products.  Shampoo and conditioner scents are my specialty and personal favorites when it comes to using scent in my daily life. Think – how many times in a day do you experience a nuance of the tenacious scent from your shampoo?  Same goes for every scented product that you use to wash your hands, body, hair, or clothes.  They are designed to elicit a feeling when you use them and beyond, so why not choose wisely?

Take a look at what you currently use and notice if you detect any scent themes.

Do you tend towards rich creamy scents, fresh green notes, or classic “types” like Dial soap or Tide laundry detergent?  Better yet, why not pull out all of your products and create your own “curated collections.”  There are no rules, so have fun!

Working

Right now most of our work is greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Whether you’re working at home or overtime in a hospital, we can all rely on the scent of our deodorant or antiperspirant as a reminder to “bring the calm.”  Like shampoo, being mindful of how your deodorant scent makes you feel is so important since you will no doubt be smelling it throughout the day. I’ve personally been obsessed with deodorant scents since I was a teen, wearing them to bed and having a collection to match with my shampoo scent!  It should come as no surprise then, that I developed what I consider to be the ultimate deodorant for my own line of body care. Purify natural deodorant is fresh and clean, with a nod to classic fougere compositions containing oakmoss.

Winding Down

Restful sleep is more important now than ever since we depend upon it to reset our nervous system each night. With nighttime aromas, it’s important to focus on what allows you to fully relax. Taking a bath or drinking a cup of herbal tea is nice, but don’t forget to consider the laundry detergent used on your linens, your face soap, your toothpaste, or any other scents you come in contact with before bed—do they calm or excite you?  Now is the time when less is more so choose wisely.

Rosemary flower by Elise©

If you prefer to go scent-free, you might want to use unscented laundry detergent, open your window and put a few sprigs of your favorite garden herb in a glass next to your bed. I’m particular to going scent-free and choosing only one scent to experience. For me it’s either a candle or room & linen spray.

Sherri doing yoga

Here’s my personal scent curation:

Waking: coffee with turmeric, honey, and goat milk.

Walking: pink jasmine and rosemary

Washing: Kevin Murphy Plumping Wash and Rinse shampoo and conditioner, Dial hand soap, Tone bar soap, Tide Free & Gentle laundry detergent

Working: Since my job is to create and evaluate scents I go scent-free when I work

Winding down: Marc Antoine  Barrois No 6 candle, Provision Dream Extract Room & Linen spray

I hope these suggestions will be helpful as you navigate the new normal we’re all experiencing. I wish you and your loved ones many healthy and peaceful days ahead.

—Sherri Sebastian, Contributing Editor

All Art by Sherri Sebastian and Editor Elise Pearlstine of Tambela

Sherri Sebastian is an independent perfumer and founder of an independent beauty brand, Provision Scents.  She’s based in Los Angeles and is the Vice President of the American Society of Perfumers (provisionscents.com) is available online and in stores nationwide

Provision Scents line of perfume and apothecary products

For Cafleurebon readers in the USA Sherry is offering us a gift of her entire range of scent and apothecary products site wide at a discount off 25 % the regular retail price through April 12, 2020 (ends 11:59 PM PST). Enter NOTESCFB at checkout to receive 25% while supplies last.

Thanks to Provision Scents and perfumer Sherri Sebastian there is a draw for THREE registered readers for her bestselling Purify deodorant (featured on oprah.com) for three registered CafleureBon readers  (if you are not sure if you are registered click here (you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed or learned from Sherri’s Five Ways to Wind down and engage scent article.  What do you do? Draw closes 4/1/2020

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