13 Fragrances that will take you down the memory lane

Fragrances that take you down the memory lane

Has it ever happened to you that you smell a particular fragrance and it reminds you of memories? 

Yes, it happens. Perfumes and fragrances play an important role in our life. The sense of smell is the first sense that is developed in a baby before it is born. 

It is said that when a baby breathes in its mother's womb it can smell amniotic fluid. This makes a baby familiar with the mother's scent. You may have seen a newborn stop crying when put in their mother's arms. It's because they are used to the touch and the scent of their mothers. 

In our day-to-day life, there are various fragrances that we smell but ignore. Some of the fragrances that are still fresh from my childhood memories are as follows. 

1. The smell of petrol and Kerosine- Some of my friends liked smelling the burned fule and some in the liquid form. lol
2. The smell of Wet Paint and Nail polish Remover. - It may sound strange but  many people like it 
3. The smell of lotions- Boroplus, Boroline, Ponds, Nevia, Vicco Turmeric, Yardley, Nycil & Ponds talcum powder, vaseline petroleum jelly, fair and lovely. I can still recall the fragrance. 
4. The smell of bathing essentials- Dettol, Lifebuoy, Lux, pears, dove, clinic plus, Medicare, Vatika. Not sure if I missed any. 
5. The smell of new Stationaries and Schoolbags- I use to smell New books and notebooks. The smell on the Camelin inkpot was so distinct. We use to have colorful erasers of different shapes and sizes with great fragrances. Lemon-shaped erasers use to have lime fragrance and similarly others.  There were perfumed pens. If you will write with that pen the paper used to smell great. Usually, teenage couples use to write letters with those pens. 
6. The smell of food- Sometimes during an ongoing class, some of the notorious kids use to start eating their lunch. The smell of the food used to quickly spread through the class making the teacher aware that someone is having food during class time. Especially if it was an orange The citrusy scent of the orange spreads rapidly. Also, the smell of eating pickles during a train or Bus journey. :-)

For now, I am only able to recall these but let me know in the comments if you remember any fragrance that reminds you of your memories. 

As we grow up our sense of smell also becomes sensible. Some of the smells that I can put in this category are as follows. 

• The scent of the soil- The best things you can ever get are from Nature and one of those things is the smell of soil especially when it rains. You can very well smell the fragrance of soil in summer.   

• The Religious fragrance- Whenever there is any havan done in a temple or home you can tell it from the fragrance even from a distance. It has a special fragrance of various herbs and woods. Before we start worshipping we light up an incense stick. Just to declutter our mind, relax and bring our thoughts together. People light up Camphor (Kapoor)and guggul (a kind of fragrant gum) during worshipping. It's said that it brings positivity to the house and also removes any insects. 

• Your Boyfriend's/Girlfriend's Cologne - I know this is quite self-explanatory and many of you may have already started recalling it.

• Old Perfumes/Colognes - Try using the perfume that you wore in your school, college, or maybe when you started working. As soon as you will apply it. It will bring a flashback of memories. A couple of years back I went on a trip and bought a deodorant. It reminds me of that amazing place and journey every time I use it. 
  
  
  
• The smell of Food -  If you close your nose and then eat something it may taste different. Without smell, foods tend to taste blend and with no flavor. You may have experienced this when you are suffering from the COVID or flu. Food tends to taste flavorless.  
  
• The smell of Wine It is believed that the older an alcohol is the better it is. The reason you smell the wine before drinking it is that it prepares your brain for the wine you are about to taste. Our sense of smell has a great impact on the way we taste things. For eg.  Close the nasal passage by holding your nose then put a strawberry in your mouth and start chewing. Halfway chewing release your nose and you will notice the difference in the taste.  

  

  
  
• Fragrance to lift the Mood- Nowadays various Spas have started using the fragrances as per your request.  So the next time you visit any spa do consider looking at this list of the ailments and the Scent that may help:

• Anxiety - jasmine, lavender
• Brain Stimulant - rosemary, juniper, sage
• Bruises - lavender, chamomile
• Burns - lavender, geranium
• Cold or Flu - eucalyptus, pine fir
• Depression - rose, basil, geranium
• Insomnia - tangerine, basil, lavender
• Migraine - peppermint, basil
• Muscular Pain - rosemary, lavender, nutmeg
• Sedative - juniper, bergamot
• Stress - fir, spruce, pine, clary, rose - jasmine, lavender
• Brain Stimulant - rosemary, juniper, sage
• Bruises - lavender, chamomile
• Burns - lavender, geranium
• Cold or Flu - eucalyptus, pine fir
• Depression - rose, basil, geranium
• Insomnia - tangerine, basil, lavender
• Migraine - peppermint, basil
• Muscular Pain - rosemary, lavender, nutmeg
• Sedative - juniper, bergamot
• Stress - fir, spruce, pine, clary, rose   

Even if you don't go to the spa you can buy these essential oils online and get benefitted from them and this is my personal experience. I have been making my own oils and getting benefits from them. If you suffering from insomnia or just completed a stressful day all you need to do is take two drops of Jasmine oil mix it with coconut oil or any other carrier oil and apply it to the bottom of your feet. You will sleep on time and wake up with full-on energy. 

Nowadays we all are so occupied with our work that we barely get time to be present at the moment and feel or sense things around us. During our childhood days, we didn't have phones to play therefore noticed even the smallest of the things around us and enjoyed the moment. Just take a deep breath, close your eyes and sense the environment you are currently in.