New York fragrance expert Sue Phillips is neither doctor nor scientist. Nevertheless, she’s been helping folks regain their olfactory (smell) senses during COVID-19 recovery. Her “fragrance journeys” are teaching brains to smell again.
A self-proclaimed “scentrepreneur,” Phillips spent decades developing perfumes for Elizabeth Arden, Lancôme, Avon, and more. Her nose knows fragrances.
Today, Phillips owns her own company, Scenterprises. Customers—including celebrities—visit her Manhattan shop to create custom perfumes. But this spring, Phillips found a novel use for her skills: smell coach.
“When smell is out of reach, it affects many realms of life, including eating and taste,” Phillips says. “It’s devastating.”
Marissa Karen contracted COVID-19 in March 2020. She couldn’t smell anything for over a year. Karen tried medical treatments and home remedies. Nothing worked.
This spring, she visited Phillips. Phillips asked Karen to sniff strips of paper dipped in hand-mixed scents. Phillips was looking for any kind of response. Scent after scent, Karen’s nose didn’t cooperate. Finally, Karen smelled faint citrus.
Phillips sent Karen home with a custom-blended fragrance using pomegranate, berry, honeydew, and strawberry notes to smell every day.
Phillips says the key is finding a scent that triggers something in the brain and then focusing on it. She calls the practice “exercising the brain” to smell again. “Our sense of smell is directly connected to the limbic system in the brain.”
What a glorious and gracious Creator to connect human senses to memory!
For Karen, her at-home practice also involved real lemons. “I associate [them] with going to a lemon farm . . . in southern Italy where I had a lemonade and limoncello tasting.”
For those who can’t visit Phillips in person, she recommends smelling citrus fruits, first with eyes opened and then closed.
Scientists are still studying the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain and body. But some doctors are open to Phillips’ therapy. Yosef Krespi, an ear, nose, and throat specialist, says, “It’s like training or rehabilitation of . . . the nerves located at the roof of the nose.”
Neuroscientist Venky Murthy also believes Phillips may be onto something. “By trying various different fragrances, . . . you hit upon one or two things that the leftover sense of smell is able to perceive.”
Karen isn’t worried about the science. “You don’t realize how important smell is until you don’t have it anymore,” she says. “I can walk outside now and smell the spring flowers.” For her, that’s the sweet aroma of victory.
Thanks be to God, who in Christ . . . and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere. — 2 Corinthians 2:14
1st Comment
Ok, um, that is a little weird. But if it helps people....
2nd Comment
Oh, and in that last picture, that mask is really doing a lot isn't it? (sarcasm)
why you havent been hearing from me
i have been more than a little busy with my first year of high school, my first fulltime job, my youth bible study, my knitting club, and writing a prospective debut novel. hopefully, that is.
its going to be a series called GIFTED, about a bunch of kids who band together to fight demons in another world. they have magical powers called gifts, and they are called gifteds.
there are a ton of main characters, because its planned as a 12 book series with 2 main characters, a boy and girl for each one. of course some of them are more major than the others, but that happens- :-)
4th comment
my characters are-
Aidan(minor, bodyguard of MDF)
Arrow, TELEPORTER
Arthur-minor, spymaster
Belle Ashlyn Brashe, princess, FIREWARDEN
Brian, ELECTRIFIER
Dagger (brother of Arrow, has the potential to access all power, which is called a COMMANDER)
Damian Hurricane, STORMCALLER
Dash, RUNNER
Flint ,STRONGMAN
Francis-minor, brother of Arthur, horsemaster
Genevieve (whom the demons posess) COMMANDER
Gemina, EMPATH who is the above's twin. marries Francis, the horsemaster
Hawkjet
Hyacinth Aspen Roseleaf, PLANTSPEAKER
James- minor brother of Francis and Arthur, bowmaster
Jasper
Kenneth, TELEPATH and MUSICIAN
Lea Gloria MUSICIAN
Margaret
Matthias Shadow, SHADE
Miriam Destiny Farsight, a Seer or prophet (prefers to be called Destiny)
Mirora Esther Shine
Nightingale (Gale)
Patrik
Raina, TIMECALLER
Sari, PERSUADER
Silas Luke Emmanuel, a HEALER
Shiara WATERCALLER, marries Kenneth
Trixin (Trix), TIMETRAVELER
Zak'ry(minor, bodyguard of MDF, along with Aidan)
this is not a complete or
this is not a complete or accurate list
the capitalized words
the capitalized words indicate magical abilities.
my characters are-
Aidan(minor, bodyguard of MDF), FLASHERnot much else is known about him.
Arrow, TELEPORTER. marries Trixin.not much else is known about him.
Arthur -minor, spymaster, SHADE not much else is known about him.
Belle Ashlyn Brashe, princess, FIREWARDEN. marries Jasper.
Brian, ELECTRIFIER. marries Hyacinth Aspen Roseleaf.
Caesar- minor brother of Arthur, kitchenmaster, POLYGLOT not much else is known about him.
Dagger (brother of Arrow, has the potential to access all power, which is called a COMMANDER)dies in final book. had loved Trixin.
Damian Hurricane, STORMCALLER. dies sacrificing himself for his friends who had thought him a traitor.not much else is known about him.
Dash, RUNNER. marries Nightingale.not much else is known about him.
Flint ,STRONGMAN marries Miriam Destiny Farsight.not much else is known about him.
Francis-minor, brother of Arthur, horsemaster, CREATURESPEAKER. marries Gemina.not much else is known about him.
Genevieve (whom the demons possess) COMMANDER
Gemina, EMPATH who is the above's twin. marries Francis, the horsemaster
Hawkjet, FLIGHTMASTER. tall and skinny brown hair pale, with freckles. marries Margaret.not much else is known about him.
Hyacinth Aspen Roseleaf, PLANTSPEAKER. marries Brian.
James- minor brother of Francis and Arthur, bowmaster not much else is known about him.
Jasper, STONESPEAKER. marries Belle Ashlyn Brash. not much else is known about him.
Kenneth, TELEPATH and MUSICIAN. tall, brownhaired and eyed, tanned. marries Shiara. formerly assumed dead.
Lea Gloria MUSICIAN. Has brown hair with flecks of gold, hazel eyes, pink and white skin, and is tall. Marries Matthias after having been fighting with each other for years. best friend is Shiara.
Margaret, CREATURESPEAKER. Shy, but mischievious. Browngold hair, pale green eyes, and tanned. marries Hawkjet.
Matthias Shadow, SHADE. Pale, blue eyed, and black haired. Marries Lea Gloria.not much else is known about him.
Miriam Destiny Farsight, a SEER or prophet (prefers to be called Destiny), has black-purple hair, and deep purple eyes, a pale complexion, and a tall figure. Marries Flint.
Mirora Esther Shine, FLASHER. Petite, blonde, and silver-eyed. Marries Silas Luke Emmanuel.
Nightingale (Gale) , WINDSPEAKER. Tall, a dark brunette, tanned, with gray eyes. Marries Dash.
Patrik, POLYGLOT. Tousled brown hair, teasing hazel eyes, a tan skin, and a short stature. marries Sari.not much else is known about him.
Raina, TIMECALLER. has short shaggy black hair, is petite and fierce, with forbidding gray eyes. dies in final book.
Sari, PERSUADER. petite, redheaded, blueyed and freckled with a strange elegance and posture. marries Patrik.
Silas Luke Emmanuel, a HEALER. dark brown skin, with green eyes, deep black hair, and a wide smile. Marries Mirora Esther Shine.not much else is known about him.
Shiara, WATERCALLER, marries Kenneth after having thought him dead. Auburn, pale, with deep green eyes, petite.
Trixin (Trix), TIMETRAVELER, petite, blonde, pixielike, with flashing blue eyes. After having loved Dagger, she marries Arrow.
Zak'ry(minor, bodyguard of MDF, along with Aidan), SHADE not much else is known about him.
this is not a complete or accurate list, but MDF stands for Miriam Destiny Farsight.
SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sorry about the LENGTHY comment that wasnot really a comment but i think that the story was cool.
This is JENNA
If it works it works ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
that's so cool that you can
that's so cool that you can train your brain to smell again.
Ahhh!
I need this! My sense of smell is STILL whack from Covid!
Hello there people
Yeah, we have Covid right now and we can’t s taste or smell anything. I feel like I should go to the kitchen and try smelling some citrus, like recommended… :D
@GLORIANA B
what do you mean?
Interjection
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OOPS
Sorry. Was that kinda hard to read [ insert question mark here ] At least it was for me. I don't know about you guys though...
interesting
will u be able to remember all there names
with my memory
if i tried to write a book like that with i could not remember all the names or who all has what powers