What exactly is an aroma compound?
Aroma compounds are chemical compounds which have a fragrance. They’re also described as aromas or flavourings. Humans are literally surrounded by these compounds – some smelling delightful, others not so much. We have a whole other blog devoted to the reasons why we interpret ‘good smells’ and ‘bad smells’!
Aroma compounds in the air, or attached to physical things around us (such as an INXHALE Olfactory Inhaler for example), enter your nasal cavity where they come into contact with olfactory receptors located in the nasal musosa. These receptors are able to detect different scents.
When the aromatic molecules bind to the olfactory receptors, they send signals to the olfactory bulb, which is part of the brain's limbic system. The limbic system plays a crucial role in regulating emotions, mood, and memory. As a result, the scents you inhale can have a direct and immediate impact on your emotional state and mood.
You might have spotted a difference between our two INXHALE Olfactory Inhalers as noted on their respective packaging. ALERT states that the ingredients used are naturally-derived, where CALM states that the ingredients are natural aroma compounds. This is not because ALERT is unnatural in any sense. Allow us to explain. The primary difference between ‘natural’ and ‘naturally-derived’ lies in the production process. While natural aroma compounds come directly from natural sources, naturally-derived aroma compounds are created by chemically mimicking the compounds found in natural sources using natural-starting materials.
Natural Aroma Compounds
Natural aroma compounds are extracted or derived directly from natural sources, typically from plants, fruits, flowers, herbs, spices, and obtained through physical processes such as steam distillation, cold pressing, or solvent extraction, which preserve the chemical composition of the original source.
They contain a complex mixture of volatile compounds that contribute to the scent or flavour. These compounds are naturally present in the source material and include terpenes.
Natural aroma compounds include essential oils from lavender or citrus, fruit extracts, flower absolutes, and natural extracts from spices and herbs.
Naturally-derived Aroma Compounds
Naturally-derived aroma compounds are synthesised in a laboratory using chemical processes, but the starting materials are derived from natural sources.
These starting materials are often called "natural isolates" or "nature-identical" substances. Chemists use various methods to isolate or synthesise specific compounds found in natural sources. The resulting compounds are chemically identical to those found in nature but are physically unable to be extracted directly from the natural source to be used in formulations.
These compounds can be single isolated molecules or mixtures, depending on the specific aroma compound being produced.
Naturally-derived aroma compounds include vanillin (naturally derived from vanilla beans or synthesised), limonene (found in citrus fruits or synthesised), and linalool (found in various plants or synthesised).
In other words, science is used to recreate naturally-occuring natural fragrances so that we can experience them in our own products. Both varieties of aroma compounds are safe to inhale.
For more on the fascinating world of aroma compounds, check out this article from Science Direct which explains the relationship between aroma and food.