Throughout history, people have used fragrances to assert their own individuality, to make themselves feel better, and to attract members of the opposite sex. Science has shown time and time again that a particular scent can have either a positive or negative effect on a person’s mood—depending on whether it’s a good or bad scent.

That’s why we think that more people should consider celebrating National Fragrance Day on March 21st. After all, the right scent opens up a world of possibilities.

The History Of National Fragrance Day

National Fragrance Day was created by a collaboration between perfume manufacturers during the 1980s in order to sell more fragrances. This must have been a successful marketing ploy because this holiday continues to live on and is currently celebrated by people all over the world.

The History Of Perfumes & Colognes

Even though people most likely applied the scents of flowers and herbs that they liked to their skin for thousands of years, the first recorded history of a perfume being manufactured goes back to 2000 BC in Mesopotamia.

There, a cuneiform tablet mentions a perfume maker named Tapputi who distilled flowers and herbs and mixed them with oils to make fragrances. Perfume is also believed to have been made in other parts of the world as well. In India, it’s believed perfume-making has existed for over 5,000 years.

The practice of making perfumes continued to spread through Asia, Africa, and Europe, and as perfume-making techniques spread—the practice was refined. By the 18th century in parts of Europe, aromatics were being grown just for their use in various fragrances. Today, the fragrance industry is worth billions upon billions of dollars in revenue each year.

Statistics About The Fragrance Industry

Below are some statistics that we picked up about the fragrance industry. The following stats will show all of our readers just how large the fragrance industry is.

• In 2017, L’Oreal spent approximately $9.2 billion on promotional activities such as advertising.
• In 2015, U.S. department stores carried over 1,100 different fragrance brands. Just 13 years earlier, there were only 750 fragrance brands in stores.
• The value of the women’s mass-fragrance market in North America is over $465 million dollars.
• The value of the men’s mass-fragrance market in North America is over $325 million dollars.
• The fragrance White Diamonds By Elizabeth Taylor accounts for 5.5% of all U.S. industry sales.

Celebrating National Fragrance Day

A person can celebrate this holiday by buying themselves a special fragrance, by buying a friend or family member a special fragrance, or by simply wearing a fragrance they already own but haven’t tried in a while. And while they’re celebrating this holiday, they can use the hashtag #NationalFragranceDay to let everyone know that they’re smelling especially good this day.