Does seasonal change influence people's fragrance preferences?

In the northeast we are getting ready for the beautiful Autumn weather to be ushered in. It is a time for apple picking, pumpkins,  baking, pulling out your warm blankets and of course all those apple pies! Having been making soap for a while now I have started to notice something interesting, people are drawn to certain "types" of scents during different seasons. Now part of this is obviously due to advertisement, in the fall it is "everything pumpkin spice", in the warmer months it is "cool and refreshing, get ready for vacation".  The constant barrage of advertising  most definitely influences some but I think there is more to it, something very personal about which scents we choose and the season.

It is well known that scents are often times connected with memories, be they good or bad. We carry these sensory memories all our lives. When I sell my soaps in person I have noticed that in the fall and winter, people tend to buy soaps that have a much warmer scent, sandalwood, patchouli, anything pine, pumpkin spice (of course!) frosted cranberry etc. These are scents that may remind them of something from their childhood, the feeling of being inside more as the weather became colder and mom baking or cooking, the scent of home, a scent we wore going back to college after summer vacation etc. I call these my cold weather soaps. Conversely in the spring and summer the scents that sell are lighter. Citrus scented soaps like bergamot, lemon and tropical soaps like coconut or a sweet fruit combination. Maybe these soap scents  stir up memories of a vacation or just being more relaxed in the warmer months. These are my warm weather soaps.

Then there are scents that always sell, lavender and oatmeal milk and honey, they are both very calming gentle fragrances. I have included an interesting article on the power of scent. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200711/the-hidden-force-fragrance

I encourage everyone to pay attention to their nose, and really take in the scents all around you. Your sense of smell has so many layers to it that you don't realize it until you loose the ability to pick out the subtleties. The olfactory world may have more an influence on you than you think! Give it some love!

Gina💗

Buddleia or Butterfly Bush Flower in front of my house. It has such a sweet honey like fragrance.

Dried Chamomile flowers. Fragrant both dried and steeping in tea.