How much does fragrance affect clients' haircare choice?

Just how are important is scent when it comes to the professional products you use at the backwash and have sitting on your retail shelf? HJ breaks down what your need to know when it comes to fragrance in your salon. Scent plays a huge part in the way we feel about what we use in our day to day lives. Think about the skin and body care products you use and the candles you might have dotted around your own home. They are likely to evoke a mood or memory that you find comforting but might be less welcomed by others.

Fragrance trends

While certain scents have common associations such as mint for freshness and lavender to help aid sleep, fragrance trends do change from year to year. According to online perfume encyclopaedia fragrantica.com the trending notes for 2020 fragrance launches are of the woody ilk. The survey says half of the perfumes from their research contain woody notes so consider stocking product ranges that contain sandalwood, cedar and birch to keep up with this year’s signature smells.

A nose for scent

One professional hair brand that has successfully included a signature scent within its products is SACHAJUAN. The professional hair brand created by Sacha Mitic and Juan Rosenlind retails a hair perfume containing its signature scent as one of its key products. “Scent is a key issue for many consumers,” explains Sacha. “When you see consumers exploring products, they always want to smell it first to see if it aligns with their own tastes and expectations.” https://www.instagram.com/p/B-kmXqAF4S-/ The brand received lots of positive feedback on the fruity and floral fragrance within its wet line of products. This led to the founders exploring the idea of a hair perfume.

The fragrance minefield

A recent survey conducted by onbuy.com found there are five main reasons why clients dislike particular scents: 1. The scent is too strong 2. The scent reminds them of an ex 3. The scent is too sweet 4. The scent gives them a headache 5. The scent is too commonly used Scent is extremely subjective so how can you ensure the products you stock won’t be found to be offensive or overwhelming for the majority of your clients?

Are these the worst scents?

You won’t be able to please everybody, but you can err on the side of caution when it comes to choosing the fragranced products you stock in your salon. One option is to stock products that have no scent or a minimalist clean scent. Alternatively, you could invest in a variety of scented products to suit different tastes and moods. It is worth noting fragrances contain many scents that complement one another within the top notes, middle notes and base notes. According to the onbuy.com survey, you should be wary if the following are the only listed scents within a professional hair product: • Patchouli • Bergamot • Mint • Citrus • Vanilla This feature originally appeared in the June issue of Hairdressers Journal magazine