Increasing stress levels related to urbanisation and global instabilities like the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic have awakened a strong need for well-being.
“With the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, physical and mental well-being have become a priority for consumers. Products that are able to create moments of relaxation and well-being are on-trend, leading to what we have defined as mindful hedonism,” said Ben Webb, Givaudan’s regional head of fragrances, APAC.
At the same time, the consumer’s notion of well-being is evolving and becoming more complex, he added.
“People are more and more aware of the importance of their holistic well-being, and especially the emotional side of well-being. The majority of them are more likely to buy products and services from companies that effectively engage in well-being.”
Webb noted that our sense of smell played a significant role in well-being as it has direct access to the emotion and memory processing regions of the brain.
“This enables fragrances to create a rich and vivid representation in your mind, more than just a chemical or molecular representation. Attractive odours or odours associated with positive memories can immediately influence a person's emotional state and this is why fragrance has a significant and positive influence on an individual's mood and well-being.”
As such, fragrances are becoming more crucial into manufactures looking to forge an emotional connection between its products and the consumers.
“Asia Pacific is going through several stages of poised growth as the next economic global powerhouse which entails urbanisation and a more sophisticated way of life. This has created more expectation from their daily use of personal care products and more interest in leisure and well-being,” said Webb.
With the COVID-19 outbreak, these trends are set to accelerate swiftly and remain long even after the crisis blows over.
“Frustrated by several weeks of lockdown, consumers will luxuriate in simple joys of product and treatment, using beauty for escapism. This desire for feel good products consumption will last even after the crisis,” said Webb.
Measuring well-being
To mark Global Wellness day, Givaudan announced that it has developed Vivascentz, a tool to help guide developers to develop fragrances with well-being benefits scientifically.
The technology was developed by Givaudan’s Health and Well-being Centre of Excellence in Ashford in collaboration with a renowned research academic partner.
The technology leverages on the Swiss firm’s 30 years of expertise in neuroscience to build a metric that measures overall well-being, covering the psychological, physiological and social dimensions in a fragrance context
The tool was validated by rigorous tests carried out by more than 2,000 consumers, which concluded that it was possible to demonstrate that fragrances created with the VivaScentz technology were able to positively impact the user’s overall state of well-being
“Thanks to VivaScentz technology, our perfumers have the knowledge to create tailor made fragrances and Oral Care flavours that delight consumers while enhancing their well-being, covering a wide range of olfactive areas,” said Webb.