If you enjoy chemistry and can’t stop watching your favourite beauty blogger’s haul vlogs, then a career in fragrance formulation could be for you. Fragrance formulation specialists test different products, manage tests and pilot runs, analyse results, and assist with product development. A fragrance formulation specialist focuses specifically on crafting the scent of different products, from fabric softener to lotion and perfume.

How to Get There

If you’re interested, majoring in chemistry would provide a great foundation to help you build a career. Some of the top US colleges to look at include Boise State University, Florida Southern College, and CUNY Brooklyn College. Besides majoring in chemistry, spending time in the lab and pursuing internships in your field will give you experience for your résumé and an idea of what a career in fragrance could be like. Some of the top companies to keep your eye on in the field are Estée Lauder, Le Labo Fragrances, and Proctor & Gamble.

While a strong background in science helps, fragrance formulation specialisation is not for the weak of nose. It takes considerable patience, teamwork, and analytical skills to succeed. A career in fragrance also requires creativity. If you want to pursue a STEM career, don’t believe the stereotype that it might limit your creativity. All STEM fields come with the ability to create and orchestrate scientific precision with creativity and art.

The Science Behind a Scent

The field of fragrance is a perfect example of how science and art can blend. The science behind a seemingly simple smell is incredible. In a TED talk on the science of scent, biophysicist Luca Turin explains the complexities behind what we smell. When your nose detects a scent, it is actually smelling hundreds of molecules. He concludes that there are five basic atoms that make up every scent we encounter and even goes on to propose a theory based on smelling molecular vibrations. Clearly, STEM and beauty go hand in hand.

At the end of his talk, Turin summarises why he loves working in the industry of fragrance formulation specialisation perfectly, saying, “But for the last three years, I’ve had what I consider to be the best job in the entire universe, which is to put my hobby – which is, you know, fragrance and all the magnificent things – plus a little bit of biophysics, a small amount of self-taught chemistry, at the service of something that actually works.”