HYOGO, Aug 05 (News On Japan) - A perfume that recreates the scent of a baby's head is drawing attention for its ability to evoke feelings of happiness.
Developed over seven years by a startup in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, the fragrance was released in June and is made from a blend of over 20 ingredients including flowers and citrus fruits.
The product was created under the guidance of Mamiko Ozaki, an honorary professor at Kobe University who has spent decades researching pheromones in ants. She hypothesized that just as insects communicate through scent, newborn babies might also use smell to send emotional signals to their caregivers.
"Babies can’t speak, but when they’re born and emit that particular scent, maybe it’s their way of saying, ‘Please take care of me,’" Ozaki explained.
Focusing especially on the scent of a baby's head, the team collected odor samples from around 20 infants and identified 37 distinct aromatic compounds. Among them, one key ingredient stood out: nonanal, a compound with a floral note, commonly found in pleasant human scents and particularly abundant in babies.
The resulting fragrance, described by testers as "gentle," "natural," and "refreshing like citrus," was designed to mimic the soothing effect of that newborn scent. Some parents expressed nostalgic affection for the aroma, noting its calming and emotionally uplifting qualities.
In experiments conducted with the recreated scent, researchers found that it activated areas of the brain associated with mood enhancement. The findings suggest that the baby-like scent may serve as a form of non-verbal communication, conveying messages such as “I’m doing my best to grow, so please don’t get too stressed.”
The project has sparked renewed interest in how scent can influence human emotions and deepen our understanding of the subtle forms of communication that begin at birth.
Source: YOMIURI
