Scent of a Mother - How I Accidentally Created a Wellbeing Routine with #SOTD
Scent of a Mother
“Today, I relive memories through scent, keeping in mind that soon I will be able to do those things again.”
@Perfume.Curious
Postpartum challenges left me no option but to smell perfumes in my work room at night. I could not walk properly—let alone travel or do any kind of activity outside the house. My work was paused. I was physically incapable of doing anything else but being at home, taking care of my newborn, and smelling perfumes in between feeds, cries, and diaper changes. During the day, there was just me, the baby, and my perfume collection.
SOTD (Scent of the Day) became my daily accountability partner—every day I posted a perfume I managed to smell that day. #SOTD was born from visual memories of the past: times when I could travel, run, and dedicate lots of time to experiences. Today, I relive those memories through scent, keeping in mind that soon I will be able to do those things again. Postpartum is no joke. I’ve noticed that it’s still taboo to talk about the struggles after birth, which makes me want to write this article even more—combining it with a practical solution for enhancing your well-being through scent therapy, especially when the things you used to enjoy aren’t possible anymore, or at least not yet.
The Birth of Project #SOTD: From Hospital to Home
I accidentally created a method that calmed me, brought back good memories, and gave me escapism from ongoing worries. Project #SOTD was born out of necessity but quickly turned into an exciting routine—something I looked forward to each day (or night).
I started the initial preparation at the birthing hospital. Of course, at the time there was no “project” in mind—I just wanted to associate the memory of birth with a scent I could revisit later, remembering this life-changing experience. I carefully chose one perfume to take with me: Chipmunk by Zoologist, created by Finnish perfumer Pia Long. I chose it because of its nest-like association I had formed in my mind based on a product marketing picture I saw on Pinterest. I thought it would be a cozy and calming scent that reminded me of nesting, Finnish woods, and weasel-like animals (I still don’t know how, in my mind, chipmunks and weasels are related—but somehow they are).
After delivery, the perfume stayed with me for several days, in combination with another Zoologist fragrance sample—Moth by perfumer Tomoo Inaba. Unlike Chipmunk, which comforted me in the present moment, Moth gave me the association of classy older ladies wearing pearls and expensive furs—something to aspire to in the future.
Zoologist - Chipmunk. Picture from here.
Balancing Motherhood and Creativity Through #SOTD
Little by little, I began to regain my regular sense of smell, which I had lost during pregnancy. Each day, I added a new perfume from my collection to my evening sniffing sessions. At some point, I even gathered the strength to take all my perfumes out of their boxes and display them in a vitrine. This was the first step toward creating a daily #SOTD process. Honestly, it should be called Scent of the Night (SOTN), since I was trying to avoid spraying perfume near my baby during the day, and would only wear perfume at night, when I had a few hours to myself.
From then on, #SOTD became a daily evening practice. At one point, I felt guilty for not continuing my blog, but I knew realistically it was impossible to dedicate hours to writing. So I decided to revive my social media accounts with these daily scent posts—starting simply by taking a photo of the perfume bottle I was wearing each night. Over time, as the baby’s schedule shifted, I could commit a few more minutes to the practice. I started introducing photo backgrounds from my phone archives. Day by day, my appetite for creativity grew, and I began experimenting more with visual storytelling. In my perfectionist mind, I wished I could create more polished and coherent visuals, but I knew that wouldn’t be possible while being interrupted every 20 minutes. So I accepted the fact that what mattered most was staying consistent and feeling fulfilled, rather than chasing anxiety-inducing perfection.
Traveling Through Memories with Fragrance
Through this #SOTD process, I was able to travel back in time—experiencing once again a narcissus flower field, cherry blossoms from the park last spring, a trip to London’s British Museum, cafés in Milan, the Cinematic Miniature Museum in Lyon, fresh lilacs in summer, and many more moments from the past few years—all stored on my iPhone. This method gave me moments of alone time and escapism from the struggles and pains of postpartum life. Sometimes, mom guilt creeps in, making me think I’m spending too much time on this little project, and that I should dedicate this time to my child. But the rational part of me reminds me that I’m allowed to have my own interests too.
SOTD Progress: Pillow background, Lilacs near my house from 2024, Cafe in Milan in March 2024, Miniature Museum in Lyon during summer 2024, Trip to London in 2023. @Perfume.Curious
Lately, I’ve created unique scent associations that include our nursing couch, (our Italian leather couch that quickly became my go-to for everything—naps, SOTD background photos, feeding station, movie theater) milk, perfume, and my baby. It feels like many of my perfumes now carry this undertone, or “accord,” of all those elements. I call it a postcard to the future, because I’m confident that this will become my scent memory of maternity leave in a few years. Hopefully, my boy will associate those nice vintage smells with his mother and maybe even continue this fragrant journey forward.
I’ve read articles about scent enhancing well-being, and in the past, I thought it was a marketing trick to get Gen Z to buy more fragrances to match their vibes. But now I can confirm—there is truth to it. Fragrances really do support emotional health. They transport you. They help you remember, distract, and reframe the present. I’m looking forward to continuing this journey—sniffing fragrances daily, posting #SOTD visuals, and coming up with new ideas, while trying to manage motherhood and my inner expectations. I know that eventually, I’ll be able to create and write more again. But for now, I’m sticking to my everyday practices: nurturing my mental well-being through the scents of the days.
Nursing Couch
“I’ve created unique scent associations that include our nursing couch, milk, perfume, and my baby.”
@Perfume.Curious
