Ruth Sutcliffe of The Scent Guru Group via Ruth Sutcliffe
Therapeutic fragrance entrepreneur Ruth Sutcliffe is a consummate professional well-known to many perfumers: for 35 years she was a fragrance designer for Coty and other large corporations, developing products ranging from the scent of Windex Blue to celebrity perfumes for Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Tim McGraw, Halle Berry, and Celine Dion. We first met many years ago at Elements Showcase in NYC; Ruth was on a panel and spoke of the importance of fragranced products in everyday life – citing laundry detergents in third world countries as an example. One might not be able to purchase scented soaps or other luxuries, but they can take pride in the fact that their families sleep on clean and fragrant linens. I was deeply moved by this, and have made it a point to follow Ruth’s exploits since that day.
Ruth Sutcliffe being awarded Dementia Friends Champion in 2018 via The Scent Guru Blog
The development of therapeutic scent became very personal when Ruth’s mother was diagnosed with dementia. Throughout my career in neuroscience, I can attest that one of the first telltale signs of dementia is the loss of smell, which often presages memory loss. In 2017, after her mother’s passing, Ruth began to develop Essential Awakenings® Smell and Memory Kits – an enjoyable way to encourage the elderly to retrieve memories and elicit conversation via such familiar aromas as chocolate, mint, or grass. It became evident that many underserved populations could also benefit – and speech and occupational therapists began to incorporate scent strategies in an effort to better communicate with the intellectually impaired, people on the autism spectrum, etc. A more inclusive aid was then developed, the Mind Scent® Multi-Sensory Communication & Educational Tool Kit, complete with visual clue and fact cards – which has been helpful for the non-verbal population.
Greenwich Sentinel article on Ruth Sutcliff and COVID-19
Ida Meister: Was your Scent Therapy™ CALM Essential Oil composed during the pandemic? Please share any factors which quickened your desire to create such a therapeutic olfactory adjuvant.
Ruth Sutcliffe: Scent Therapy™ CALM Essential Oil Perfume was that one particular fragrance that was developed for me back in 2018, but I did not launch it because I was in the midst of developing and manufacturing MindScent®. I had kept the fragrance oil in my archives back in Connecticut. When I moved to Atlanta in 2021, I brought it with me and decided to resurrect it in July, 2022. I realized that not only I, but millions of other people have suffered from anxiety throughout the pandemic. Its effects are lingering amongst people of all ages, socio-economic backgrounds and professions. The decision was made after having had conversations with holistic medicine practitioners about health professionals suffering PTSD due to what they have had to endure during COVID-19 – as well as teens who have been separated from their friends during lockdowns. A recent CNN survey stated that 90{2ac9033caf61aa83cf45584f992fcbdbe657ee6f770037f39c3ded45073822b8} of people feel that emotional health here in the U.S. is at a crisis.
Please tell us about the perfumer Raman Patel, who collaborated on Scent Therapy™ CALM. How did your paths cross?
Ruth Sutcliffe: Mr. Raman Patel is a co-founder of Custom Essence, now part of Givaudan. I met him with other key members of the Custom Essence staff while working on some organic fragrances for a brand I was consulting for in 2018. I spoke of my interest in how scent can be beneficial to us for wellbeing – and one subject led to another.
Ruth Sutcliffe (middle), holding a smelling session with Sunny and Sheldon at The Greens At Greenwich photo via Scent Guru Blog
What would you like to share with our readers and viewers regarding olfaction and your own mission?
Ruth Sutcliffe: I’ve always been aware of the importance of the sense of smell and its connection to emotional wellbeing, memory recall, and how it can change our lives for the better. I am very proud that I have been a “pioneer” in the areas for scent and memory recall for people living with dementia, and for the sensory kits I have developed for speech language pathologists working with people who are often ignored and shunned by many people.
What changes would you like to see in the fragrance industry with regard to therapeutic value? Goals? Education?
Ruth Sutcliffe: I will continue the path that I have made for myself, and will be taking on some speaking engagements outside of the “core” industry – such as Esxence in Milan on April 1st of this year. I will continue to go to professional conferences where my core audience goes – ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) AOTA (American Occupational Therapy Association). My goals and focus are to get into hospitals, autism centers, schools, and assisted living communities, where I have already placed my footing.
Would you care to share with us what new concepts might follow your current body of work?
Ruth Sutcliffe: I definitely want to expand on another Ayurvedic formulation that’s 100{2ac9033caf61aa83cf45584f992fcbdbe657ee6f770037f39c3ded45073822b8} natural for focus. This past July I developed the concept for a line of fragrances that has been in the back of my mind for decades, based on a psychological concept I studied in college. It will include 5 fragrances. I have registered for a federal trademark, have built a website, approved fragrances, bought the packaging and lined up the filler. I am waiting for that right moment to push the “go” button – which will hopefully be in March or April.
We at ÇaFleureBon would like to thank you, Ruth – for your contributions over the years in the service of olfaction and wellbeing. We look forward to your future endeavors, and appreciate your taking the time out of your hectic schedule to share your work and thoughts with us.
Scent Therapy Calm courtesy of Ruth Sutcliffe
Scent Therapy™ CALM
Created by master perfumer and natural product chemist Raman Patel, ScentTherapy™ CALM is a beautiful example of how Ayurvedic perfumery can be gracious, soothing and restorative at the same time. It is in oil-based format, which in itself means that wearing it (or applying it to the ceramic diffuser which accompanies the rollerball) is an intimate and discreet experience. Many of the components address a vata dosha imbalance, which is manifested by anxiety, agitation, palpitations, and sleep disturbance: this might explain why CALM’s chosen carrier oil is almond oil, which is preferable for those individuals who demonstrate an abundance of vata characteristics.
Every aromatic component employed in CALM is there for a purpose: the uplifting, anti-depressant attributes of lemon, orange, sage, eucalyptus, cardamom, cinnamon, and geranium; ginger is the ‘oil of empowerment’, and vetiver is the ‘oil of tranquility’. Patchouli is grounding; coriander, labdanum and olibanum promote relaxation. Basil is known to promote calm and uplift the mind; spikenard, also known as jatamansi – may improve one’s overall mood and outlook. These fragrant elements coalesce in a subtle alchemy as they foster a profound sense of repose and equanimity. CALM does possess a somewhat medicinal scent, due primarily to terpenic eucalyptus, but it never overwhelms the wearer.
Scent Therapy™ Calm Notes: essential oils of sweet almond (carrier oil), lemon, orange, eucalyptus, sage, patchouli, geranium, coriander, olibanum, cinnamon, cardamom, vetiver, ginger, cistus labdanum, basil, spikenard (jatamansi)
Fragrance and diffuser provided by Ruth Sutcliffe – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Thanks to the generosity of founder Ruth Sutcliffe of The Scent Guru Group, we may offer one Scent Therapy™ CALM Essential Oil Perfume Rollerball with Ceramic Diffuser to one CaFleureBon registered reader in the USA ONLY. If you are not sure if you are registered, click here (you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). To be eligible please leave a comment with what you found interesting about Ruth Sutcliffe answers, her mission, do you feel that emotional health and wellbeing is in crisis and ScentTherapy™ CALM
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