# Harnessing special scents. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 12, 2018, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harnessing-special-scents/814031 "2018-05-12T04:28:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harnessing-special-scents/814031/1 "2018-05-12T04:28:24Z")
A girl on my facebook page is creating a scented candle business where the scents are somehow customized and she is asking for suggestions. Her theme is nostalgic. This seems like it would be extremely difficult to have any kind of real accuracy with most scents. My suggestion was the scent of a frog pond in late spring. So I would have a light background of wild flowers and grasses with a dominant scent of slightly stagnant water. Can things like this be built into a candle? ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 10:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harnessing-special-scents/814031/2 "2018-05-12T10:29:27Z")
It would probably take a lot of experimenting to get close to the pond scent, but I guess she could try by adding a tiny amount of [geosmin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosmin) (though I don’t know if it’s commercially available). ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harnessing-special-scents/814031/3 "2018-05-12T14:49:46Z")
I used to collect bath & body products made by philosophy, which specializes in interesting familiar scents. Many of their products seem to have done a good job of capturing the right smell. I took my shower this morning with a fresh baked apple pie shower gel that was right on target. Most of the ones I have are food-based, so it might be easier to make it work. But some like beach party, with a pineapple coconut scent, or snow angel, which is just fresh and cool, are also evocative. ---
**Author:** ![GreenWyvern](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/greenwyvern/32/2834_2.png) [@GreenWyvern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreenWyvern)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harnessing-special-scents/814031/4 "2018-05-12T15:45:33Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > My suggestion was the scent of a frog pond in late spring. Something like Kramer’s idea for a cologne that smells like the beach? :) [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/NWCqu0VzYBg/maxresdefault.jpg "Seinfeld: The Beach (Clip) | TBS") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NWCqu0VzYBg) ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harnessing-special-scents/814031/5 "2018-05-12T16:17:09Z")
There is an entire industry that works to duplicate fragrances (and flavors) of all sorts. So yes, it’s possible. Whether it’s practical for a small entrepreneur to do this is another matter. ---
**Author:** ![HelenGawn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@HelenGawn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HelenGawn)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harnessing-special-scents/814031/6 "2018-05-12T17:36:28Z")
I would not care for a candle that smells like my old high school gym, dormitory or barracks. So pass on that data point. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [May 12, 2018, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harnessing-special-scents/814031/7 "2018-05-12T20:53:45Z")
> [@Ignotus](#): > > It would probably take a lot of experimenting to get close to the pond scent, but I guess she could try by adding a tiny amount of [geosmin](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geosmin) (though I don’t know if it’s commercially available). Amazing that someone would even know this!