Can you imagine spending money on perfume without smelling it first and then discovering that it doesn’t smell like anything to you? Or maybe you smell it, but some people around you don’t. When we wear perfume, we want to smell good both for ourselves and for others. However, with some formulas this can be challenging. In recent years, there has been a lot of talk on social networks about perfume that doesn’t smell like anything some people and others. There are actually several perfumes with these characteristics.
The two most famous are Molecule 02from the Escentric Molecules brand and Not perfume, by: Juliet has a gun. Interestingly, both have something in common, as they are composed of water, alcohol and one other ingredient: ambroxan. It is for this reason that perfume does not smell like anything to some people. Your olfactory receptors are unable to detect the aroma of this molecule.
Something rare, because perfumers usually take great care that perfumes always smell like something. However, it may have some interesting function. Anyway, I wanted to test these differences by wearing one of these perfumes and letting a few people smell it. The results turned out to be very interesting,
Molecule 02: perfume that doesn’t smell like anything… or does smell
Before we begin, it should be noted that this is not a scientific study, but rather an educational experiment without any academic purpose. I only tested it with 10 people, so the sample size is extremely small.
To test the cologne, I received a sample box. They sell them in Nadya Perfumery and you can try the first five Escentric Molecules scents: Molecule 01, 02, 03, 04 And 05. The only one consisting of one ingredient This is number 2, and this is what we will talk about in this article.
To test, I used strips of paper similar to those used in perfumes. I sprayed it a couple of times and let everyone smell it. I was the first to smell the perfume, and to my surprise, it didn’t smell like anything. Initially I noticed smell of alcoholbut as soon as it evaporated, I felt nothing.
Then I gave it to my parents to smell. My mother had the same feeling as me. First alcohol, and then perfume that doesn’t smell like anything. My father, on the other hand, detected a subtle woody scent.
Then I gave it away 7 friends, 5 women and 2 men. They all detected some odor, but at different levels. Most described it as a very subtle, sweet scent. On the other hand, one of them said that the smell was very strong. So much so that it gave him a headache.
So we would collide 20% of people those who do not smell perfume at all, 10% for those who smell strongly and 70% who detect a very subtle aroma. I again insist that this is not research because neither the sample nor the procedure follows the appropriate experimental procedure. This is an interesting result. Nothing more.
What causes these differences?
In 2019, a group of scientists from Monella Chemical Senses Center conducted a study that explains very well why this perfume does not smell like anything to some people. For this they asked 332 volunteers who rated both the intensity and pleasure of 70 different scents. They all gave permission to extract and sequence DNA samples to look for differences in genes encoding olfactory receptors. These are proteins found in our nose that bind to molecules that cause various odors. Once this connection occurs, signals are sent to the brain, which are then converted into the form of odor.

It is known that several different molecules can bind to one receptor, and one molecule can bind to several receptors. For this reason, in the past it was believed that it was impossible for a molecule to smell absolutely nothing to anyone. Eventually he will have other receivers. However, this study showed that this is not the case.
Differences in one receptor can cause a person molecule To them it smelled like flowers, but to others it smelled like nothing. Moreover, the intensity of odor perception depends on genes, since there may be more or fewer receptors for its binding. This is all consistent with the results from my small sample. If I don’t smell ambroxan, it’s probably because I inherited from my mother a lack or mutation of some gene necessary for it. And my friend smelled the aroma very strongly, perhaps because she has a different receptor conformation than the rest.
Ambroxan in perfumery
As explained Hypertext Laura Lopez-Mascarac, CSIC neuroscientist and co-founder of the Spanish Olfactory Network, perfumers usually prevent this with their formulas. “Perfumers usually put the same molecules so that everyone can smell the perfume.” Thus, if one is not captured, another may be captured, with a similar result.

Ambroxan is a synthetic copy ambergris, a very expensive substance that is extracted from whales. It gives the perfume a woody aroma that is highly prized in the industry. It is said to add a certain sensuality to the entire look and helps enhance other scents. But why use it separately?
It is estimated that approximately 20% of the population has very low sensitivity to ambroxan. That is, the perfume does not smell of anything or smells very faintly. However, those who smell it really like it. It might be worth focusing your entire perfume on these notes, even though 2 out of 10 people don’t smell them. Also, there is some commercial benefit to being curious about the fact that there are people who don’t understand it. It’s still marketing.
Be that as it may, it is clear that if these perfumes had not been purchased, they would have been discontinued. There is something that attracts us to this olfactory lottery. The end result, with the smell of ambroxan, is something similar to the taste of cilantro. You may not be able to smell it, but if you can, it’s worth a try.
Source: Hiper Textual
