I love the smell of suntan lotion.
I wouldn't say it's the most attractive smell in the world, though. Fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies or Polo or Tommy cologne for men are usually more enticing for me. However, the scent of suntan lotion usually falls among my top ten favorites.
But anyway, one day I was sitting in my Social Psychology class when I was suddenly struck by the scent of suntan lotion on the girl in front of me. The hybrid of bitter and sweet scents with the hint of UV protection and coconut fragrance [forgive my horrible description] made me melt. It started a daydream of summer memories of concerts in the park, beach bonfires, pool parties and sunny days of roaming the city. I was struck by the impulse to grab my bag and make a run for the lake. All of this was because of a burst of fragrance.
Whenever I have a smell moment like this, I'm reminded of the 2004 Old Spice Red Zone body spray commercial. In the commercial, two guys are watching a football game while their annoyed girlfriends look on. When the game goes into overtime, the boys prance around with excitement and one of them runs to hug his girlfriend in celebration. The girlfriend gets a whiff of his body spray and starts reminiscing about romantic moments with her man. As she completes the reverie and her boyfriend rejoins his buddy, she swoons about how amazing her man is.
Anyone remember this? [I had to look it up, not gonna lie.] Anyway, the only part of the commercial that has really stuck with me all these years was the announcer's line, "Scent is the strongest sense tied to memory."
I remember my first date. The guy I was with smelled amazing (Sorry, that was not supposed to come off as creepy). I assume it was because of whatever body soap he had used when he showed that afternoon, because we were 13 and probably too young to even consider body spray, cologne, etc. Now, whenever I get a waft of that same scent, I think of that former crush. However, the scent-memory link becomes a curse. Last weekend, my cousin smelled the same as the boy I went on my first date with. Needless to say, throwing my cousin into the memory mix was a tad awkward. On the upside though, I'm still friends with the boy I went to the movies with almost six years ago, and he still smells the same way. Even though a lot has happened between us in the past six years, because of his scent, I have a hard time staying mad at him. When I'm standing downwind of him, I catch his scent and recall the good old days.
According to Kristen Cole's interview with Rachel Herz (see Cole's article "Whisking up a memory with a whiff"), who explored the "psychology of scent," people often take their sense of smell for granted. However, those who have lost their sense of smell report a loss of "emotional intensity toward life," and "experiences are flatter" for these people.
According to Kristen Cole, it is still being debated whether or not smells trigger more accurate memories than other stimuli. However, researchers have found that smells trigger more emotional memories than other stimuli. Cole uses the example of memories of the deceased and emotional reactions to such memories. When viewing a photograph of a deceased loved one, we may be able to hold ourselves together. However, when we smell a scent that relates to that loved one, we may feel like breaking down.
Clearly, the sense of smell is a blessing. Even though the scent of skunks, spoiled milk, rotten eggs and dirty diapers may not he be highlight of our lives, think of how less rich our lives would be and how our memories would be affected without the sense of smell.
