Olfactory options for Offices

Olfactory or ‘olfaction’ relates to the sense of smell – and provides the brain with detailed information about the composition of objects. As humans, our sense of smell is one of, if not the most strongest of our 5 senses and while it’s not as strong as other species, such as elephants (who can smell sources of water up to 12 miles away!) damage to the olfactory system can have a lasting ramification on an individual and can affect other senses such as taste, too.

Many of us are influenced, either consciously or sub-consciously, by the smells we experience either in the home, in a bar, hotel and even in retail spaces. Many studies exist which have found that when our olfactory system is stimulated, smell can influence our attitudes and behaviours, such as purchasing decisions. Scenting systems within professional buildings such as corporate offices and a business environment are becoming increasingly more common due to the proven influence that scent can have on an individuals performance at work and how a visitor views a particular brand or business.

If we analysed how much time “we” spend in an office in a typical week, it would probably be similar or sometimes more than what is spent in the home (madness!). So surely you’d be doing your olfactory system a favour if you worked in an office that had a pleasant smell or ambience? We know we wouldn’t want to work in a building that had a bad stench. In the past, introducing scent to the ‘suits brigade’ in the office consisted of heavy deposits of chemical smelling citrus via a basic aerosol dispenser. In 2019, that’s so last decade and our noses demand better fragrances with a level of sophistication.

Understanding the particular fragrances that work in an office environment however, is where science and studies play and have played a pivotal role. We decided to explore what scents suit office spaces and how they help the working world.

1. Lavender – the smell of lavender creates a calming environment due to its clear relaxing properties. It’s a soothing scent used by many spas and gyms as it helps to de-stress – offices can be stressful, so why not make them less stressful with lavender oil?
2. Lime – part of the citrus family a lime based citrus fragrance can work wonders as it’s an energizing fragrance, relieving anger. It also helps to improve the perception of cleanliness, great for both staff and visitors.
3. Cinnamon – widely used in North America particularly, cinnamon is a well known ingredient for desserts. However when introduced into the working environment as a fine scenting oil, it can be an effective fragrance to enhance productivity and alertness.
4. Jasmine – bring the feel good factor to your workforce and introduce a subtly sweet Jasmine infused fragrance. It helps to revitalize and is an uplifting fragrance.
5. Peppermint – there’s a reason why casinos use mint as a fragrance solution and office buildings can benefit from a mint based fragrance too. Peppermint has been long known to help with alertness and mental clarity. So if a business is trying to come up with ideas for a brand or product, it might be good to scent the room with Peppermint.

In addition to fragrance, it’s important to know what fragrance system is suitable for the office. A business can have a great scent but not necessarily the right system for their space. Vectair’s range of scent marketing systems, large space air fresheners and passive air fresheners offer a unique method of improving any ambience in an office environment.