In the fragrance industry, we use the term “anosmia” to describe losing the ability to detect a certain scent due to lengthy overexposure. Think of the sweetest little grandma you’ve ever seen, completely drowning in her favorite perfume. She wears too much because her nose can’t detect it anymore! The same is true of your favorite fragrances. The more they warm them, the more used to them they become.
Another term we use is “olfactive fatigue,” which is the temporary, normal inability to distinguish a particular smell after a prolonged exposure to it. To cure olfactive fatigue, one should remove the fragrance for a short period of time, and your ability to smell it will return. Here’s an example of olfactive fatigue: Your garbage is stinking up the house. After a while, though, it doesn’t smell so bad so you forget to take it out before you leave for work. When you come home, the stench hits you like a brick wall. Olfactive fatigue = no big deal. It’s normal, and it happens to us all from time to time. Anosmia can be more permanent, but it doesn’t have to last forever. We suggest that you remove whatever fragrance you can’t seem to smell anymore from your warmer rotation for a few months and avoid any other fragrances that feature common notes. Change it up with something on the opposite side of the fragrance wheel or put a different scent in each room so you experience a variety of fragrances as you move throughout the house.