Forward:

I have gone back and forth about putting a chapter about sex and scents into the
Perfume Guide, and I've always decided against it because it didn't seem to fit in
with the "do it yourself" focus. But I figured now is a great time to do it because
Valentine's Day is coming up. Especially for those of you who sell your products,
using this information could give your sales a boost.

I've done a lot of research on this over the years, and I include the gist of my
studiest here with references. I don't have a lot of time to get this out before
Valentine's Day, so I hope you will forgive the rough-draftness of the writing and
structure. I'm sure that my grammar and comma use is quite "creative" in places.

Since this is done in haste, I would *really* like your feedback. I will graciously
accept your comments and suggestions on this report's improvement, so please send
them to info@excellentlivingguide.com. Thanks!

The Really Fast Guide To "Aphrodisiac Scents"

A Valentines Day Gift From Excellent Living Guide

There are many articles and books that want to convince you that fragrance has the power to
attract a romantic partner or enhance your sexuality. These articles are certainly fun to read, but
how truthful are they? Can certain fragrances act as a power-up to your love life?

Well... I would love to say yes, but those of you who have read the Fast Guide To Making Bath
Bombs know that I gotta keep it real. Unfortunately, there is a lot of speculation and junk
science in this area, especially because it's so easy to self-publish! Some of these pieces of
"journalism" read like they are 6th grade reports. It can be hard to distinguish between fact,
factoid, creative interpretation of facts, and fiction.

I've been studying perfumery and fragrance-related things for years, and most of the reputable
books that I have read on this subject have come to the same conclusion: Fragrance does affect
the emotions and the sexual response, but one size does not fit all. (This is not to say that I've
read every book! If you know of any good references, please let me know.)

Scent & Your Brain

 Some background information on fragrance and the brain, as I understand it:

Scent information is processed in the limbic system, the same general system of the
brain that controls memory and emotions. The limbic system interconnects with the
brain's pleasure center - in fact, the brain is connected all over the place, which
makes research on any one part kind of tricky.

Based on this information, it should definitely be possible for scents to arouse feelings of love or
lust. But which scents?

Like many researchers, I believe that there are no general fragrances or pheremones that arouse
everybody. Here is my reasoning:

If there were a magic fragrance, wouldn't the big perfume companies be all over it? If anyone
can figure this out, it would be them, with their infinite money and manpower.

There have been some studies to investigate whether people figure out potential mates by smell.
One study had women sniff men's sweaty tee shirts (!) It concluded that women are attracted to
men with a different genetic immune profile, while they aren't attracted by men with similar
genetic immune profiles. The researcher for this study admitted that there's no one constant (or
"Brad Pitt of smell," as she put it.) The same tee shirt could attract one subject but repulse
another.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20071228-000001.xml

Smell and Survival

In "The Emperor of Scent," scent-scientist Luca Turin claims that the sense of smell is connected
to the survival instinct of finding food, not mates. In the 1990's, researchers found that humans
across all cultures generally found the fragrances of food and plants pleasant, and rotting things
repulsive (from "Smell: The Secret Seducer" by Piet Vroon.) This could back up Turin's claim
because of the division between things that may be good to eat, and things that definitely aren't.

If there is a study that shows a direct connection between any particular scent and universal lust,
I haven't found any trace of it.

However, here is one study from a creditable source that does report results from certain
fragrances, though the author says that the effects could be due to a lot of different factors,
including cultural background:
http://www.scienceofsmell.com/index.cfm?action=research.sexual
He also has a book on this subject, which I plan to read. Look at the last one on the list for more:
http://www.scienceofsmell.com/index.cfm?action=books

About Pheromones:

First of all, the effect of pheromones on human behavior is an ongoing debate:

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2009/01/15/do-humans-communicate-
via-pheromones-the-jury-is-still-out/

Not even pheromones have shown a predictable effect in creating "love potion"
perfumes. In my experience, articles that have reported a positive effect are usually
from companies selling something, or fluff journalism pieces from those bastions of
research and scientific thought: Cosmo, Urban Male Magazine, and such. They are
usually so bare on details, and their studies have been conducted on such a small
number of people, that no reputable scientist would draw a conclusion from the
results.

These studies usually go like this:

In a test of GQ Cologne, 300 men were given a sample to wear. 71% reported
positive results, including being more approached by attractive women, more
touches and smiles, and increased sexual response.

What the studies choose not to report is how putting on cologne, no matter what it
is, makes people feel more attractive! It could just be that wearing the fragrance
gave the participants more confidence, which is sexy in itself and would produce the
same results.

I Don't Think Thta Human Sexuality Can Be Reduced To A Love Potion

I'm actually a little relieved that there doesn't appear to be a magic fragrance. It essentially
means that there isn't such thing as a love potion, and human sexuality can't be reduced to a
simple formula.

It makes sense when you consider how complex and diverse human sexuality is. Different
people find vastly different fragrances sexy, and a lot of that has to do with their experiences
linked to the scents. My own ideas of sexy men's scents are unusual.

One is Tide, because it reminds me of my first boyfriend (age 15) who was too young to wear
cologne. When we "made out" in his basement, the laundry fragrance was overwhelming. To
this day, when I smell Tide coming from an apartment complex's laundry room, I always wonder
if there is some hot guy standing by the dryers.
The other sexy fragrance for me is fresh orange. A boy I liked in high school always ate
oranges, and the scent hung around him.

To you, Tide and oranges might be not sexy at all. But you may love rose, unlike me.

Fragrance & Memory

Scent, more than any other sense, has the ability to call up memories... including sexy, intense
memories. The personal meaning of scents is formed by association with emotional
experiences. But they are not always pleasant!

Rose is supposed to be a very pleasing scent associated with things like beauty, nature, and
femininity. I, however, always associate it with my childhood doctor and getting shots or worse,
strep throat cultures. The pediatrician's office had a bowl of rose potpourri in the waiting room,
maybe because of its aromatherapy use in restoring emotional balance. It sure didn't work for
me.

The Placebo Effect?

The best results for "aphrodisiac scents" may come from what makes people *feel* sexy. The
act of using scented products can put you in a romantic mood, just like how dressing up for an
interview can give you more confidence.

This is what a lot of those expensive perfume ad campaigns are set up to do. There are
fragrances made now that will never be found in nature; most modern perfumes have synthetic
molecules. The perfume companies create the meaning of sensuality, ruggedness, or whatever
their take is.

I don't feel that the perfume companies are unethically manipulating me with their campaigns. I
see perfume and its advertising as a fantasy, a part of the fashion world, which is hardly natural. I
mean, pencil skirts? Cummerbunds and monkey suits?? And no one smells like flowers or fruit
naturally.

Fashion and perfume are ways we express ourselves, and much of it is made up by humans for
humans. For example, pink is thought to be girly, and light blue is for boys. This is because
women like red and men like blue, right?

Not necessarily! In 1918, Ladies' Home Journal reported that the convention was pink for boys
and blue for girls because red was an aggressive, manly color, and blue was more delicate and
quiet. This remained the convention until some time in the 1940s, which is why you see men
around age 60 today wear pink shirts.
http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=238733
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baby_blue
http://www.fokal.com/designfile/knowdesign/Pink-is-for-Girls-Blue-is-for-Boys

Scents, too, have cultural meaning. Even if there isn't a primal connection between something
like patchouli and lust, there still may be learned responses based on people's emotional
experiences.

You can also make people feel sexy using new scents by creating experiences around them,
which is what the perfume companies do. I have a book about Egyptian cosmetics with
transcribed ingredients. It's not meant to be a recipe book, but of course I want to recreate them.

Why? Because of the mystique! I'm sure that some of them will smell very strange, looking at
some of the ingredients, but I can't resist the allure of making ancient Egyptian and Roman
perfumes. Even though I don't know what the final products will smell like, I will feel sexy if I
wear them because they already have a cool fantasy associated with it.

OK, Here's The How-To Section.

Since this was meant to be a write-up of scents that are supposedly aphrodisiacs, let's progress to
the actual do-it-yourself portion of the report. Since this is supposed to be a very fast guide, I'm
only going to focus on the most common areas: Orientals and tropicals.

While there may be no direct connection between these fragrance elements and lust or love, they
can certainly put people in the right mood. Many people equate oriental and tropical notes with
romance because they've already formed those kinds of memories or associations.

These fragrances can be used in any product, but the most popular Valentine's Day items in our
store were scented massage oil, body wash, and body mist. Body wash and body mist are
slightly more involved, but massage oil is easy.

Just add a few drops of your fragrance materials to 2 ounces of your favorite unscented massage
oil. I like apricot kernel oil because it absorbs fast, it is light and almost scent-less, and it's not a
nut oil so there is less potential for allergic reactions. You can find it at any natural food store
such as Whole Foods or Henry's.

How to use this list:

 1) Each of the elements can be used on their own or in a simple blend. If you're
new to blending, I would suggest trying only two or three different scents in a mix.
Use fragrances that you like on their own, just in case you don't like the blend you
make. It's just like adding spices in cooking - trust your instincts, and go for it.

2) If you have questions, please consider that this report is going out to over 3000
people. As you can probably imagine, I simply cannot respond to all the questions I
get, even though I really want to. If you write to me and don't get a response, it's
not because I don't want to write back - it is because I can't. I only have about an
hour of writing time per day; the rest is taken up caring for my bright, energetic, but
high-need son.

3) I wrote this assuming that you've read the Perfume Fast Guide and Popular Bath
& Body, or have some prior knowledge of "making stuff." If you are a beginner and
need to learn more about making bath bombs, bath and body products, or perfume, I
have e-books that teach you the basics. Read more about them here:
http://www.theperfumereport.com
http://www.excellentlivingguide.com/bb_fastguide.html
http://www.excellentlivingguide.com/easyway_workshop.html

4) I am releasing some short video tutorials when I get a chance (see #3.) They will
introduce the four main kinds of fragrance ingredients used in perfumery and other
scented product formulation. Please join my list if you want to know when they are
released. You can sign up on the main page:
http://www.excellentlivingguide.com

Orientals

Oriental perfumes are probably the most overtly sexual of the perfume categories. In Western
culture, they're associated with a warm, mesmerizing, mature, and exotic person. Think woods,
spices, heavy florals, vanilla, and musk.

Rose - There are many varieties of rose, but choose the heavier ones for more
sensuality. Rose can be heady and potent, and linger for days. Most people equate
the scent of rose with comfort, beauty, love and romance, which makes sense - it is
the flower of love in Western tradition!

Jasmine - Jasmine is, for many, the ultimate exotic, romantic scent. Floral, sweet,
and a touch animalistic, sometimes the scent is described as "mesmerizing."
Jasmine, like rose, is found in many perfumes and is prized for its beautiful
fragrance.
Vanilla - Vanilla can either swing toward comforting or sexy, depending on the kind
of vanilla and what it's blended with. If you blend vanilla and cinnamon together,
you get cookies. But vanilla and sandalwood make a more sensual blend. Vanilla
goes with almost everything, but it is used so much that you may find it to be a little
too common.

Neroli - Some love it, some hate it. Neroli is also known as bitter orange blossom,
and it smells both spicy and floral. It's a heavy fragrance, but used in small
amounts, can be incredibly subtle and sexy. It blends well with natural "skin scent"
and if you use just a touch, it won't seem like you are wearing a fragrance at all.

Cardamom - Warm, fresh, and exciting, but best used in a blend, not on its own.
Cinnamon, like vanilla, is used so much that it is no longer exotic. Cardamom is an
alternative that is not as sweet and not as associated with baking.

Clove - Like the other spice fragrances, it is best used in a blend. On its own, it can
be a little medicinal, like tiger balm, but it can add a spicy, stimulating element to
even the simplest of blends.

Cedar - Warm, mellow, and dry, cedar is one of the most beloved of wood scents. It
may bring to mind images of cozy lodges and walking in the woods.

Anise - One of my favorite fragrances. I love anise's peculiar sweet scent. Yes, it is
almost medicinal, and if you hate liquorice, you won't want to use it, but an anise-
citrus blend is awesome in my opinion.

Sandalwood - True sandalwood is hard to find now because it was over-ntharvested

and now is protected. There is a limit on its use, but it's worth the trouble to find it.
Many people think sandalwood is inherently sexy, probably because it's one of those
classic exotic elements.

Musk - Musks are mostly synthetic these days, and they have a sweet, animalistic
odor. Musk alone can be rather unpleasant, but in a blend, musks can harmonize
and deepen different elements. Almost every fragranced product has some kind of
musk because it enhances other fragrances, even in miniscule amounts.

"Amber" - Amber started out as ambergris, aged whale vomit, but is now more of a
class of scents than any one ingredient. Warm, sweet, and a little animalistic,
ambers can function like musks as blend-enhancers but can also stand alone.

Frankincense - Deep, resinous, and edgy. Frankincense has a dark scent that takes
some getting used to. If you need your blend to come out "darker," I suggest trying
 a little frankincense and seeing what happens. It only takes a little to make a big
difference.

Coriander - Sweet, woody, and a little green. One of my favorite elements in

toiletries, just because it's fresh and not used that much. Coriander goes very well
with jasmine and spices and "squares off" a blend.

Tropicals

Sun, sand, and faraway lands. Tropical fragrances evoke images of a different kind of sensuality
than Orientals. Here are the notes that I think are the most sensual:

Coconut - Creamy, sweet coconut has been rated one of the sexiest fragrance of all
time because it's the traditional suntan oil scent. Coconut oil itself is also a great
massage oil. But coconut doesn't just go with pineapple and mango; it can also
blend well with woods, spices, and florals.

Ylang-ylang - Like neroli, it is a spicy floral. Ylang-ylang doesn't have the citrus
tone that neroli has, and it is heavier and more "drugging." Some people love it,
some hate it, but it always gets a reaction. I like it in combination with frankincense
and amber.

Plumeria - Sweet and beautiful, also called "frangipani." By itself, it is not that
sexy, but in combination with other ingredients, it can elevate a blend to beauty and
refinement.

"Rain" - Rain scents are pure fantasy; they don't really smell like rain, but they do
smell like exotic, wet flowers. My favorite is a traditional blend called "China
Rain," a heavy blend of musk and lilies. Rain-type fragrances are used in upscale
body care products and have an aura of sexy sophistication about them, and they
also tend to blend well with your natural skin scent.

Tiare - Tiare is ladylike, yet heavy and intoxicating. It's a sweet type of gardenia
that grows in Tahiti and is used to make leis. A heavy floral, but not spicy like
ylang-ylang or neroli, and not as sweet as plumeria.

Tropical fruits - passionfruit, pineapple, mango. These have an air of freedom about
them because they are the scents of summer.
More About Blending

You may be a bit frustrated at not receiving any "blending recipes" in this report (or ever!) I am
a firm believer in letting you do your own trial and error. I want to guide you away from my
ideas and toward your own.

You will learn so much that way, and I don't want to cheat you of the experience of discovery.
Cooks follow recipes, but chefs create! My goal is to lead you to your own creativity, because
that is where you will get spectacular results. Again, I encourage you to trust your instincts. If
you think that nutmeg and rain might go well together, try it out! That is the only real way to
learn.

For Sellers & Serious Gift Givers

If you sell your products, or want to give them as professional-looking gifts, you probably
already know this: you need to effectively communicate to your buyers why your products are
sexy.

I know that most of you are not large companies with a huge packaging budget. In fact, I have a
feeling that you're probably in the "hobbyist who makes money sometimes" or "serious gift
giver" categories. As one of those folks myself, I, too, am familiar with the frustration of not
being able to spend a lot on the design and packaging of your products. I will tell you the same
thing I tell myself: These are challenges that can be overcome.

The question you must ask is: What can you do? What's within your skill and budget? How can
you communicate the desirability of your special handmade products so that more people will
buy and appreciate them?

The cheapest way to do this is with words. Just make like J. Peterman and tell a romantic story.
J. Peterman's catalog doesn't even have photos of their products, just sketches with text. Not
much of a writer? Well, here are a few ideas to help you along:

- Describe in rich detail what using your product will be like.

- Is there any kind of history behind the fragrance or showcase ingredients? Be specific.
- Don't try to cover up the fact that you're a small operation, but try to use that fact to make your
products more desirable.
- If your product has a specific purpose, explain why it will fulfill that purpose in specific detail.
Don't just say, "My massage oil will get you in the mood for romance," explain why. Even if
you're giving a gift, you still want your products to be used and appreciated, and you still have to
"sell" them.

Now, go for it. Make stuff and prosper,

- Katherine
info@excellentlivingguide.com
http://www.excellentlivingguide.com

PS - I would LOVE to get photos and descriptions of your Valentine's Day products. Even if
they're just cell phone photos... even if your stuff didn't exactly turn out... it doesn't matter. It
warms my heart to know that you're out there and making stuff!