Smelling good at the office: scent, wellbeing and focus
Updated: 1 hour ago
In short: smelling good at the office does not work measurable miracles, but the smell of a workplace really does affect comfort, mood and how teams see their company. Research confirms the close link between smell, emotion and memory; it does not allow anyone to promise a precise productivity gain. The right approach: deal with bad smells first, then diffuse a discreet scent chosen together with your teams.
French is full of smell-related expressions: "avoir du nez" (to have a good nose), "ça sent le succès" (it smells like success), "je ne le sens pas" (I don't have a good feeling about it, literally "I don't smell it"). We literally have a nose in the middle of our face, and yet we rarely think about how our offices smell. At Eco French Lab, we work with companies that want their workplace to "smell like collaboration", literally as well as figuratively. Here is what we really know about the link between scent, wellbeing and focus, and how to go about it in practice.
Why does the smell of the office matter so much?
Wellbeing at work depends on many factors: interest in the job, relationships with colleagues, the company's reputation, and also the physical environment. Light, noise, temperature… and smells. That last factor is often forgotten, until the day a musty, kitchen or drain smell settles into the open-plan office.
What science says, with caution
Odour molecules are picked up by the nose and passed on to the olfactory bulb, a structure with very direct connections to the amygdala (involved in emotions) and the hippocampus (involved in memory). This explains why a smell can bring back a memory or an emotion before we have even put words to it: a parent's cooking, a loved one's perfume, the smell of a classroom.
A review published in 2014 in Frontiers in Psychology by Maria Larsson and colleagues concludes that most studies show an emotional advantage for memories evoked by a smell compared with those evoked by a word or an image. The authors point out, however, that not all studies agree. So let's keep the essentials: the smell of a place leaves an impression, and it does so mainly on an emotional level.
A shared olfactory language
At the office, this emotional dimension becomes collective. A pleasant, consistent smell can become a common reference point, a shared "olfactory language" for the team: the smell of reception in the morning, of the meeting room, of the break area. Conversely, an unpleasant smell creates a diffuse unease that nobody dares to name. We cover this in our article on bad smells in the workplace and how to fix them.
Can scent really improve productivity?
This is the question we are asked most often, and it deserves an honest answer. Scent acts first on how people feel: mood, a sense of comfort, the impression that the company takes care of its premises and of the people who work there. These elements contribute to wellbeing at work, which in turn influences engagement and focus.
On the other hand, many spectacular figures circulate online (a given percentage fewer errors thanks to lemon, a given memory boost thanks to rosemary). We have chosen not to repeat them: they rarely come with an identifiable study, and the effects measured in the lab vary widely between people, doses and settings. A scent does not replace good ventilation, a well-designed workspace or healthy work organisation.
What you can reasonably expect
An environment perceived as more pleasant, better cared for and more welcoming, for teams and visitors alike.
Better differentiated spaces: a fresh note for work areas, a more enveloping note for break areas.
A stronger identity for the place, which supports your employer brand.
The disappearance of unpleasant smells, provided their cause has been dealt with.
Which notes should you choose for your goals?
Each olfactory family carries associations that are deeply rooted in our culture. They do not guarantee the same effect for everyone, but they are a good starting point for a brief. Here are the guidelines we use with our clients.
Desired atmosphere | Note families | Suitable spaces |
Energy and liveliness | Citrus (lemon, orange, grapefruit, yuzu), fresh mint | Open-plan offices, morning meeting rooms |
Clarity and focus | Rosemary, bay laurel, aromatic notes | Workstations, private offices |
Green freshness against the afternoon slump | Green tea, fig leaf, basil, tomato leaf | Afternoon work areas, coworking spaces |
Calm and relaxation | Lavender, white flowers (jasmine, magnolia, honeysuckle) | Break areas, rest rooms |
Cocoon and comfort | Cedarwood, sandalwood, plant moss, soft spices such as cinnamon | Reception, lounges, cold season |
Lightness and inspiration | Lilac, wild rose, green notes | Creative rooms, workshops |
Seasons matter too. In spring and summer, many companies enjoy green and citrus notes; in winter, woodier and spicier accords. Changing your atmosphere through the year prevents fatigue.
How do you choose your company's room fragrance?
The right office scent is not necessarily the one management likes best. It is the one that expresses the company's identity and is accepted by the people who will breathe it every day. Here is the approach we recommend.
Start from the heart of the company. Its values, its history, its sector, its key moments. A creative agency, a consulting firm and a tech start-up do not tell the same story.
Look for balance. An office scent should be soothing without being sleepy, present without being overwhelming. Subtlety is the rule.
Involve your teams. Let them smell two or three proposals, gather opinions, take sensitivities into account. This small shared moment often strengthens bonds and buy-in.
Test in real conditions. A smell behaves differently depending on volume, ventilation and materials. A trial of a few weeks lets you adjust the intensity.
Get support. Our perfumers can adapt an existing accord or create an exclusive signature, which can then be extended to reception, meeting rooms or corporate gifts.
How do you scent an office without bothering anyone?
Deal with causes before scenting
A scent should never be used to mask a bad smell: the mix of the two is often worse than the original smell. Ventilation, drain maintenance, waste management and the eating area come first. The scent then dresses clean air.
Choose the right diffusion method
Several solutions exist, from the simplest to the most professional:
Fresh flower bouquets for a light, natural floral touch.
Scented sachets of dried plants (rosemary, lavender, citrus peel) on desks.
Room mists to freshen up a meeting room from time to time.
Scented woods and resins (cedar, sandalwood) for a soft fragrance.
Professional electric diffusers, with no combustion or residue, which release the scent steadily and on a programmable schedule throughout the day. This is the best option for shared spaces, because the intensity can be set precisely. Discover our electric fragrance diffusers.
Respect sensitivities
Some people are more sensitive to smells than others. A few simple rules: low intensity, scheduled diffusion periods rather than continuous diffusion, fragrances that comply with IFRA (International Fragrance Association) standards, and an open channel so anyone can report discomfort. In large spaces, you can also leave some areas unscented.
Frequently asked questions about smelling good
Which scent should you choose for an open-plan office?
Favour fresh, light notes: citrus, green tea, green or aromatic notes. Avoid overly sweet or heady accords, which quickly saturate a shared space.
Can a room fragrance increase productivity?
It can improve comfort and mood, which play a part in wellbeing at work. We do not promise any figure: the available studies give variable results, and the numbers that circulate are rarely sourced.
Doesn't the nose end up getting used to the scent?
It does. The brain eventually stops perceiving a stable smell. That is why professional diffusers work in cycles of diffusion and pause, so the scent stays perceptible without becoming overwhelming.
Should you ask employees for their opinion?
Yes, it is the key to buy-in. Letting people smell a few proposals and taking their feedback into account avoids rejection and turns the choice of scent into a team project.
Can you change the scent with the seasons?
Absolutely. Many companies alternate between a fresh atmosphere in spring and summer and a warmer one in winter, while keeping a recognisable signature at reception.
Make your office smell good, for good
Smelling good at the office is neither a gimmick nor a magic wand. It is a matter of comfort and identity, just like light or acoustics. Well chosen, well dosed and shared with your teams, a room fragrance transforms the everyday experience of the workplace. To go further, also read our article on individual space and group space in the office and the one on a scent signature for corporate headquarters.
Would you like to scent your offices? Tell us about your spaces and your teams: we will suggest a suitable atmosphere, or a bespoke fragrance creation that reflects who you are.
Article written by Anne-Marie Spencer, co-founder of Eco French Lab.
Sources
Larsson M., Willander J., Karlsson K., Arshamian A. (2014). "Olfactory LOVER: behavioral and neural correlates of autobiographical odor memory". Frontiers in Psychology, 5:312. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00312/full
To go further: discover our scent marketing service for offices and businesses.
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