The NOTEbook — fragrance facts

Honey is one of nature’s most incredible and versatile gifts. Throughout history, honey has been used in a variety of ways, ranging from nourishing skin treatment to delicious natural sweetener. Stored in wax structures called honeycombs, honey is produced by honey bees and gets its distinctive flavor and sweetness from the sugary plant nectars of the flowers the bees frequent. Honey can vary in color and flavor, depending on the plants it was sourced from. Some of the most common varieties include orange blossom, lavender, clover, buckwheat, wildflower, and manuka. Honey has been used for thousands of years - in...

The plastic or rubber of your raincoat as you splashed in puddles. Hot dogs, clay, and freshly mowed grass on the little league ballfield. Warm flannel pajamas. Soapy bubbles. Earthy mud pies. Juicy blackberries that stained your fingers and cheeks. As a child, we all have so many scents that we associate with our memories. In fact, our memory of those scents of our youth can be incredibly powerful! But as parents, it can be a little harder for us to recognize what scent can do for our little ones - including how we can use it to our child’s...

For troubled tummies or senses in need of invigoration, there’s nothing better than the scent of peppermint. As a cross between watermint and spearmint, this indigenous and highly aromatic herb to Europe and the Middle East is now widely spread and cultivated around the globe. The use of peppermint for medicinal and aromatic purposes dates back thousands of years - to 1,000 B.C. In fact, historical accounts dating back to ancient Chinese and Japanese folk medicine mention mint as a remedy in teas to soothe digestion and in the exploration of Egyptian pyramids, peppermint oil was found. Additionally, in Greek...

Our sense of smell is so important for telling and understand our own life stories. We use scent to build memories, recognize warning signs, and explore the world around us. But when it comes to the creation of new life, scent is an amazing component of birth and the bond between mother and baby. Every mother will claim that birth has a specific scent, but research into the scent of giving birth has been a challenge. While it’s hard to define that specific scent, which many describe as musky or potent, the hormonal effects are well-noted. Some medical professionals, birthing...