Perfumes, a science in bottles

Among our five senses, olfaction has a privileged relationship with our brain. This is evidenced by the significant neural activities observed in contact with different fragrances, which captivate both the scientific community and the cosmetics industry.
At the Nice Institute of Chemistry, experiments are conducted to observe brain response to different scents in humans. If they vary according to age, level of education, and memories of subjects, they demonstrate the stimulating, soothing or stressful role of olfactory signals in our behaviour.
As a result of this research, the development of synthetic molecules and chromatography to break down a fragrance into different scents are of particular interest to cosmetic companies, where perfumers and chemists work together to design the perfumes of the future.