Tips for Creating a Signature Scent at Your Spa

Spas everywhere are using the fact that smell conjures up memories and emotions to their advantage by creating signature scents that reflect their overall vibe and surroundings in hopes it will relax guests and remind them of their experience there. “A scent can and should be part of the brand identity of your spa,” says Body Bliss’s Nick James. “A carefully crafted signature scent can help you tell the story of your spa, reinforce its identity, and promote positive wellness outcomes that will be forever associated with your name.” Here, experts share their tips on choosing the perfect signature scent:

“Identify first the intent of the blend. Work then through the types of aromas that reflect the brand and then develop a brief. Work together with master blenders who can create the formula. Blending is like an art, and blenders can provide you options that you connect with and reflect your identity and brand.”
—Nick Irani, director of operations and brand development, Subtle Energies

“Think about your spa, about its vision and purpose, and try to express that through the signature scent. If you are all about stress reduction, craft a blend of anti-stress oils unique to your spa; all about elegance and luxury, try oils that speak to these qualities, such as neroli or jasmine. It is then up to you to weave this scent into the guest’s experience in creative ways.”
—Nick James, founder, Body Bliss

“Your signature scent should align with the mission, atmosphere, and aura of your spa. Because smell is so closely tied to emotion, your scent will determine how guests feel when they are in your spa.”
—Nicole Stevens, managing scientist for essential oils, research, and development, DoTerra 

“The trick is ensuring you are selecting a scent that is considered pleasing by the masses. We all perceive scents differently due to our emotional link to scents. If you can get it right, then you have the ability to create memories for your guest spending time in your spa. When they smell this signature scent, they will be reminded of how they felt emotionally and physically—craving that experience again.”
—Kerri Nau, educator and business development, Aromatherapy Associates

“As a signature scent, you want it to be unique to your spa and not easy to replicate by another unrelated spa. Scents made up of a single essential oil can easily be adopted by any spa, whereas a mixture of essential oils become a symphony of aromas that is not easily copied but requires expert perfumers to duplicate it.”
—Vivian Valenty, Ph.D., president, VB Cosmetics