Just Whiff for Passion

A new patch for women was recently developed to enhance sexual desire. The twist? It uses our sense of smell to activate the ‘feel good’ vibes.

By Luke Vorstermans

While the pharmaceutical giants have been clamoring to develop a ‘pink Viagra’ in hopes of duplicating the success of the ‘little blue pill’ for men, research into aromachology – the science of smell – is pioneering a non toxic pathway into the pleasure centers of the brain using our sense of smell. The result? Helping women who suffer from a low libido or loss of sexual desire may be as simple as smelling the right scents.

Scottish biochemist and perfumer Dr. George Dodd, a leading expert in the science of smell, spent eighteen months combining thousands of scent molecules before he discovered the perfect blend that activates the part of the brain that deals with happiness and pleasure – including sexual desire. According to Dodd, the complex blend of scent molecules mimic the size, shape, and electrical charge of dopamine, the body’s ‘feel good’ hormone – the one that make us feel aroused.

Surveys claim that over 35% of women experience a lack of sexual desire at some point during their lives. Whether caused by external factors such as stress, fatigue and relationship issues, or by physical changes like menopause, the demand for female sexual products is expected to grow dramatically as our population grows older. Over the next ten years, over 35 million women will enter their menopause years and a concern for many is the loss of intimacy within their relationship.

Unlike most drugs or topical applications that are designed to alter the body’s chemistry, our sense of smell is non invasive and directly influences our moods and sense of well being. Our brain processes information delivered through sight, sound, taste and touch by identifying the incoming information first, which in then triggers the emotions. But our sense of smell does the reverse. Incoming aromas are first processed by the emotions and subsequently identified. Our most powerful feelings are triggered when the emotional centers of the brain are activated by the stimulation of different smell receptors.

Aromachology offers a holistic option to the growing concern over the alarming side effects of prescription and OTC drugs. Researchers are developing a growing number of products that use our sense of smell to enhance and alter our moods. Our olfactory system can help influence moods as:

• Assisting people with weight loss by using aromas to control their food craving.
• Aromas that alleviate depression and mood swings during menopause.
• Smart scents used to improve sexual well being and enhance performance.
• Aromas to reduce anxiety during stressful medical testing such as MRIs.

Many health problems, including s sexual dysfunction or low libido, stem from psychological issues and are difficult to treat with conventional drug therapies. This has become particularly evident in the pursuit of a drug to treat FSD; the magic pill is still very elusive and is probably years away from passing FDA approval. The growing concern over the side effects of taking more and more pills is also a turn off, particularly to women.

But Liz Paul, an advocate for female sexual health and Britain’s 2004 Female Inventor of the Year has a different perspective on where the research should be. “Sexual desire isn’t just about the motion,” says Paul. “A women’s sexual desire starts on the inside as an emotion. Isn’t that where the focus should be?”

Perhaps a solution to a lack of desire may have been under our nose all along. Scent therapy could well be the new medical frontier.