Smell Training: Sniff, Evaluate, Repeat
I continue to be fascinated and disturbed by the impact COVID-19 has had on people’s sense of smell.
Tejal Rao, a restaurant critic for The New York Times, recently shared her personal quest to regain her sense of smell after having Covid-19. Her attempt to re-train her nose reminded me of my first fragrance job interview, as well as my introduction to perfumer training.
I thought I had come as prepared as I possibly could for an interview for a fragrance & flavor global trends role. I had polished my resume, outlined potential practice questions and responses, researched the fragrance industry, etc. However, I did not anticipate that I would be required to take a “sniff” test and smell 25+ scent characters. As someone who had never had any fragrance training, I was so worried that the one thing I did not rehearse would cost me this amazing role. Waiting in the small huddle room while the results were being calculated was nerve racking. I was a bit shocked and very relieved to learn I had passed! Who knew that sniffing that set of amber-colored jars would change my nose forever?
A few years into this role, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to enter into a perfumer-in-training program. Again, as someone who did not “grow up” in the world of fragrance, I was a beginner in every way. I needed to train my nose to memorize the top 100 fragrance raw materials that make up the foundation of scent creation. As an art history major, it was second nature to find a system to help memorize significant facts, dates, visuals, etc. Flashcards and a pack of bright-colored Pilot pens were always on hand to help keep key Renaissance, Greek and Modern Art facts organized. What I adored about art history were the images, colors, patterns, textures, historical and narrative cues. The world of smell training was so intangible, I was challenged to find a way to connect scent to something more visual. During my time in this role, I learned about synesthesia and I became a firm believer in it. By nature, I am visual and often associate colors with different experiences and memories (e.g., days of the week – Friday is totally bright green, months – February is red of course!, etc.). For instance, when I began my scent training, I would create personal reference sheets that included an image of the first thing that came to mind when smelling the raw material. These one pagers were color-coded and included my gut reaction to the scent. I didn’t sugarcoat it. For example, when I smelled one material (Methyl anthranilate), I had a deep purple association. It reminded me of a gas station bathroom (not pleasant!) … and so instead of the typical “fruity grape” image that is often associated with this material, I have a tabloid picture of Britney Spears walking out of a gas station bathroom on my sheet. And for good or bad, that is forever the image I associate with Methyl anthranilate. It wasn’t ‘pretty’ per se, but it worked for me.
In addition to these reference sheets, I learned that repetition was key to training my nose. I would dip blotters and self-evaluate them 3-4 times throughout the day, research supplier compendiums, build on my one-page reference sheets, smell with the incredibly talented perfumers and evaluators on my team.
About a year and a half into training, I went on maternity leave. I was nervous that during my leave I would lose all of this hard-earned knowledge. So, while the babies — yes two — would nap, I would break out my top 100 fragrance raw material kits and blotters and practice my smelling. My dad, who is an incredible supporter of my creative interests, helped further the encouragement by dropping off The Perfect Scent by Chandler Burr and The Secret of Scent by Luca Turin during one of his baby visits. I was determined to finish those books, convinced they would keep me connected. To inspire me further, my Dad read the books too and we had our own little fragrance-themed book club.
Returning to work, I quickly learned that those scent training kits were critical tools. It did not stop with that top 100 raw materials. I continued to smell fragrance family kits. Sometimes my car or bag would smell like an unusual blend of raw materials, while a binder page with a drop of Phenyl ethyl alcohol would instantly take me back to my “rose” studies.
With the unfortunately increasing stories of smell loss, I continue to be grateful for the smell training skills and habits I formed. While it is somewhat thrilling that the sense of smell is getting its well-deserved time in the spotlight, I truly wish it was for another reason. For those experiencing anosmia and parosmia due to Covid-19 or other related disorders, I am hopeful that many of the incredible experts and resources can help with your personal version of smell training.
To learn more about Tejal Rao’s experience and other scent-loss encounters, please check out A Food Critic Loses Her Sense of Smell and Covid Stole Your Sense of Smell? Try Physical Therapy for Your Nose.
Be well!
Additional Reference Links:
Abscent
Anosmia
Monell Center
Nose University
Parosmia
If Everything Smells Bad, You’re Not Alone
