Scent & the Mind

In times of crisis, we turn to art, but what about perfume? The term encapsulates the kaleidoscopic wheel of smell, therapeutics, pleasure, plant medicine, aromatherapy, science, and chemicals. Ok, I'm being uber-liberal with its definition, but the ability to use scent exactly how you want can be the catalyst for great change. In the face of austerity, what can seem obviously extravagant is anything but. Smell is our past, our present, our future, made even more potent because of its invisible, malleable, and mutable nature.

Even those who are scent averse can't deny that by the very nature of being alive, smell is the backdrop to life. From laundry detergent to candles, herbs, and spices used in the kitchen, fruit scratched and peeled, the aromatic symphony follows us longingly. And so I couldn't be more excited to talk to my guest this week, Saskia Wilson Brown, a true renaissance woman if ever there was one.

Saskia started her career in music video production. From 2007 to 2011, she headed the outreach & development department at Al Gore's Current TV before founding The Institute for Art and Olfaction, a non-profit arts organization devoted to experimentation, access, and cross-media projects with a focus on scent. Of The Institute and its inception in LA, she has said: "Los Angeles is the most postmodern of cities, the future-facing home of a thousand ideas that would have felt strange and audacious, anywhere else: The aerospace industry and the movie industry; fast food, lowriders, and Disneyland. This city popularized Korean tacos, method acting, satanism, fad diets, botox, yoga cults, gangster rap, neon, Mickey Mouse, red carpets, and reggaeton. Here, you can live and make a living in the most esoteric ways. Indeed, innovation and synthesis, populism, and sophistication are all core requirements to survive and thrive in this city. If we play our cards right, we might help instigate things yet to be seen: An aerospace engineer might collaborate with a perfumer to create a scent for outer space, a designer might develop a typeface around the idea of 'gourmand,' or a prisoner might work with a molecular biologist to create the scent of fear at midnight."

Talking with Saskia left me feeling hopeful about our capacity to create and endure. Oh, and I can't wait to visit The Institute's perfume garden! See you there!

The Institue for Art and Olfaction: https://artandolfaction.com

Today, I welcome Linda Song to the podcast. She's a female nose at the storied fragrance and flavour house of Givaudan, and lifts the lid on the rarefied and secretive world of creating perfume. What's a nose, you may ask? It's a term used to describe a perfume artist if you will, a creator of moods, memories, and scene-setting. Put simply, scent is pretty much everything; it somehow wraps up the entirety of our human experience. It’s not a stretch to say that how we consume fragrance, says a lot about our society, and where that's leading us. It's also not a stretch to say that we all want a smell that's going to hit us in the face (in the best sense) like an adventure. Ideally, if that's wrapped up in a millennia's worth of whispers, say on a hot dirt track if that's your jam, then even better!

I met Linda in the summer, and it was like falling in platonic fragrant love, which is always a thrill. Linda joins me to talk about the world of a nose, what goes on behind the scenes, the constant push for exploration, why gender is irrelevant in modern perfumery and memories of her beloved sister's first fragrance. She also talks about the challenging nature of personal desire in creating for big brands and the misnomer of "natural" in the perfume world. Fun fact: Brazilians don't like coconut in their fragrances, but Americans do! Another fun fact: supposedly there are more astronauts than noses in the whole entire world. Mind-boggling.

Thank you for coming on Scent & the Mind, Linda: you are fascinating and lovely!

Givaudan: https://www.givaudan.com

Disclaimer: Nothing in the content, products, or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This Site and its services do not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing, or other professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific health or medical needs. None of the products or services offered through this Site represents or warrants that any particular service or product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. We advise users to always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions regarding personal health or medical conditions. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or disease, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this Site.

You’re in for a treat with this one. Amy Galper is not only my former aromatherapy teacher but an all-round multi-hyphenate megawatt woman. She is the co-founder of the New York Institute of Aromatic Studies, a passionate advocate, entrepreneur, formulator, and consultant in organic beauty and wellness. Along the way, she has co-authored the best-selling “Plant Powered Beauty,” is a guest lecturer at NYU, and has presented at Nova Southeastern University (NSU) as well as being a member of the Visiting Faculty at Arbor Vitae School of Traditional Herbalism in New York City. In this episode, we dig deep and discuss everything from scents emotional resonance, favorite smells, the future of aromatherapy, and how essential oils and plant healing can improve the health of the body, mind, and spirit. 

Disclaimer:  Nothing in the content, products, or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This Site and its services do not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing, or other professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific health or medical needs. None of the products or services offered through this Site represents or warrants that any particular service or product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. We advise users to always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions regarding personal health or medical conditions. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or disease, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this Site.

This week, my guest is the biotechnology entrepreneur Dr. Joshua Silverman. As the new CEO of Aromyx, a company that’s digitizing the capture of scent and taste, the future of smell has never been more exciting and ready to enter our mainstream consciousness. Dr. Silverman joins me to talk about the science of smell, minimizing the environmental impact of aromatic ingredients, and the genetics of smell disorders. We also talk about whether he wears scent, why we have over 400 olfactory receptors in our nose, and how were can quantify a smell!

Disclaimer:  Nothing in the content, products, or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This Site and its services do not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing, or other professional health care advice, diagnosis, or treatment. You should always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific health or medical needs. None of the products or services offered through this Site represents or warrants that any particular service or product is safe, appropriate, or effective for you. We advise users to always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions regarding personal health or medical conditions. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or disease, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this Site.

Self-confessed scent neophyte Wynton Wong (my epic producer) and I delve into my top six essential oil picks for when cold, flu and allergies strike. Learn how to support your body and mind with simple inhalation and diffusing techniques, the importance of using carrier oils, why lemons and oranges will become your new best friends. Oh, and Wynton tells you what it's like to sit in my uber scented apartment.

Scent & the Mind is hosted by Kayla Jacobs and produced by Wynton Wong

Shop:

Tall White China Burner

Aura Cacia 

Stillpoint Aromatics

New York Institute of Aromatic Studies

The Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy

Emotions and Essential Oils

Studies:

Assessing the Metabolic Effects of Aromatherapy in Human Volunteers

Vapour-phase activities of essential oils against antibiotic sensitive and resistant bacteria including MRSA 

Disclaimer:  Nothing in the content, products, or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for, medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This Site and its services do not constitute the practice of any medical, nursing or other professional health care advice, diagnosis or treatment. You should always talk to your health care provider for diagnosis and treatment, including your specific health or medical needs. None of the products or services offered through this Site represents or warrants that any particular service or product is safe, appropriate or effective for you. We advise users to always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions regarding personal health or medical conditions. If you have or suspect that you have a medical problem or condition, please contact a qualified health care professional immediately. You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of information on this Site.

Essential oils and energy work go together like mac and cheese. Avo and toast. Barack and Michelle. You get my drift. They COMPLIMENT each other. In this episode of the podcast, I sat down with Lara Riggio, an energy healer from New York city who combines the time-honored techniques of tapping and acupressure point activation with aromatherapy.

In this episode, we pull apart stress and anxiety, while Lara explains how her particular patterns of bodywork in conjunction with essential oils, can be to help with adrenal fatigue, immune-boosting, and self-acceptance.

You’ll find Lara’s website fascinating, along with all the exercises we talked about HERE. I mentioned two of my favorite companies for buying oils too; check out Star Child in the UK and Stillpoint Aromatics in the US.

Image Source: VSCO/Image

When you’ve lost a parent, gravitating towards kindred spirits happens often and instantaneously. It’s as if your bodies know before your minds do that you should be in each others presence.

Suffice to say we became fast and firm friends, recorded a podcast together pretty soon after meeting (she graciously agreed to be my first interview) and went deep. Real deep. I hope you enjoy our conversation as much as I enjoyed having it. It’s not a straightforward listen in many ways, and yet in Rosa’s hands, trauma and pain become wonderfully legible. Check out her blog http://www.rosahoskins.com for more magic. Oh, and if it resonates, please do leave a review on iTunes (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/scent-and-the-mind). Thank you!