Preview: Psychoactive Scents

Swiss perfumer Valeur Absolue has developed a range of high-end fragrances that incorporate aromachology, the study of how smell affects human behaviour, to create a product that not only smells good but also acts as a scientifically established mood-enhancer.

President and founder Bénédicte Foucart explains that the neurocosmetics range uses Areaumat Perpetua, an odourless ingredient derived from the immortelle flower, to convey a signal to the nervous system, helping to alleviate stress.