ELLE Exclusive: Can Neuroscience Change The Way We Wear Perfume?

I’ve always thought fragrance was quietly fascinating. You can forget someone’s name, their job, even what they were wearing, but you’ll remember how they smelt. One whiff of something familiar and suddenly you’re 15 again, getting ready for a party, or standing in duty-free debating a bottle that feels impossibly glamorous. Scent is emotional, but it’s also deeply personal.

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So when I heard about Daily Compounds, a new fragrance brand launching soon that blends perfumery with neuroscience, I wanted to know more. I caught up with founder Sharvi Mehta, the force behind Daily Compounds, to talk lab breakthroughs, clean beauty myths and all things fragrance.

When you think about the future of perfumery, what excites you more, technical innovation or emotional storytelling?

Sharvi Mehta (SM): Technical innovation, definitely, because it’s the bridge to emotional storytelling. It shifts fragrance from pure marketing into functional reality. Scientists and perfumers are doing extraordinary things, from ‘ghost scents’ made with bio-engineered yeast to recreate extinct plants, to technology that can analyse the mood of a photograph and turn it into a perfume. That’s where the magic lies. It’s emotive, playful and unexpected.

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Was there a moment in development where science completely changed the direction of a fragrance?

SM: Absolutely – Tropics 12. It actually began as a classic rose, designed to be a happiness-boosting crowd pleaser. But it felt too broad; we couldn’t quite define the ‘why’. So we went back to the lab and shifted from a general mood booster to a scent designed to support focus and memory. The result was a layered blend of ylang ylang, jasmine and frangipani, grounded with benzoin and citrus.

Usually, it has to smell incredible first, benefits come second. This time, we let neuroscience lead. If it’s not a 10/10 on both science and soul, it doesn’t leave the lab.

You talk about scents supporting energy, confidence and mindfulness. Which emotion was hardest to translate into fragrance?

SM: Mindfulness, without question. I was navigating hormonal shifts and big life changes at the time, so I became the test subject. I was fascinated by how safe, stable ingredients could activate Theta brainwaves, linked to meditation and flow, while lowering cortisol. That’s how Seaside 09 was born.

Fresh, aquatic and balanced, it’s an easy everyday scent for chaotic moments, easy on the surface, intentionally formulated for mindfulness underneath.

The word ‘clean’ is everywhere in beauty. What’s one myth you’re determined to dismantle?

SM: That alcohol-free automatically means clean. It’s not that simple. Alcohol can carry scent beautifully and act as an effective preservative, not all alcohol is created equal. The clean movement can get caught up in optics; I’d rather be transparent and let people decide what works for them.

What ingredient did you refuse to compromise on, even though it made the formulation journey significantly harder or more expensive?

SM: Oil quality. Your oil budget determines purity, origin and traceability, and that’s where many brands cut corners. We use LMR naturals, the gold standard, alongside carefully chosen synthetics. It’s more expensive, but worth it. In Forest 36, for example, we source sage clary from France, patchouli from Indonesia and use lab-based saffron accords. We start with the best.

Is there a childhood fragrance memory that still shapes how you build scents today?

SM: The smell of my dad’s warehouse, rows of perfume stacks reaching the ceiling. That feeling is my blueprint. We may be new, but we’re backed by years of wisdom and big ambition. I don’t just want to launch a perfume; I want Daily Compounds to fit into every moment of your day.

What old-world fragrance wisdom are you keeping, and what are you leaving behind?

SM: We still believe scent clings to fat and flees from water; moisturised skin helps it last. But we’re moving away from animal-derived ingredients traditionally used for depth and fixation. There are too many brilliant alternatives now. We’re keeping the results, just changing the source.

If Daily Compounds proves anything, it’s that fragrance can be both functional and evocative, grounded in science, shaped by experience and driven by intention. And on an ordinary Tuesday, that might be exactly what we need.

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