Springtime Scents And Shaving

The arrival of spring means that the cold winter months are finally behind us. As the days grow warmer and the sun shines brighter, we begin to awaken our senses and enjoy the world around us. One of the best ways to do this is by noticing all of the wonderful smells that drift through the breezes.

The Scents That Remind You Of Spring

The smells of spring remind us of the season because they are associated with the things we typically see and do in spring. For example, the smell of blooming flowers reminds us of being outside and enjoying the warmer weather, while the smell of freshly cut grass reminds us of playing sports or going for a walk.

The smells of Springtime can take many of us back to happy memories and remind us of the warmer months ahead. There are many reasons why these scents evoke such strong reactions from us, but one of the most important is that they occur naturally during this time of year. Mother Nature creates special compounds in the air that affect our emotions and leave lasting impressions on our memories.

Here are the most commonly-thought-of scents related to Spring:

Fresh Flowers In Bloom

Spring smells like a variety of blooming flowers and floral scents. Depending on where you live, you might smell sweet, tropical citrus or milky vanilla in the air. You might also detect woodsy-honey aromas or a range of other fragrances. No matter what your favorite smell is, it’s likely that you’ll catch a whiff of it during springtime.

Cut Grass

In the spring the gardens go into hibernation and require little doing. Before you know it, the weather warms and it’s time to prepare everything for the changing seasons.  Flowers, trees, and grass all start green with the coming of spring. As it approaches, you can delight in the low whirring sound of mowers, and you can smell the aromatic scent of freshly cut grass. This effect is known as “the smell of cut grass’ and can be found in scientific research.

Rain/Fresh Laundry

As days start to warm, the cooling of the air combined with the changing weather begins to have an impact on the thunderstorm that accompanies April Showers.

In a place after a rain storm, the scent frequently appears warm and damp, but is earthy too. Those who live in more populated areas may also notice the flavor of solid rock or concrete. Petrichor is the term for an aroma that’s emitted from moist rocks.

We experience an enhanced sense of smell in humid conditions because our olfactory scent receptors are able to absorb more aromas in humidity. This, produces a more intense olfactory perception.

Alternatively, some perceive this particular scent as more like fresh laundry.

Earth

And what of the earthy smell?  That is an interesting story of chemical communications.  Earthy fragrance comes from several sources, but one major odor is geosmin. Geosmin is made by an important group of soil bacteria related to the antibiotic streptymycin. Some scientists suggest that geosmin might be a cue to the availability of water.

Joe Borrelli’s Wet Shaving Talk Podcast Comments

Joe Borrelli has mentioned Springtime scents a few times in his Wet Shaving Talk podcast.  Here are some of his comments from a previous discussion:

So what is springtime mean for seasonal scents? What do you consider springtime to smell like?

So I think a lot of people consider it to be more like a floral smell, but also that after the rain scent like that of dirt and like of like, you know, just kind of like just like a rain type scent, you know, it’s just like I forgot which a couple of companies make them.

I think I just picked up a soap the other day. It’s called After the Rain by Tallow and Steel. I’m, you know, waiting on it to get delivered. And I just saw some of these these scents. And I’m just really, really impressed with them because it does actually smell like rain now. Springtime usually brings lots of rain and growth of flowers. So that’s why floral scents.

And then after the rain type scent, too, as well, it’s just really also like that, not that moldy scent, but it’s like dirt. It’s like kind of like fresh dirt. Barrister And Mann have one that’s really good. A couple other companies, I think. Summer Storm by Chiseled Face is really nice. That’s a good one, too. That’s a good example.

Well, these some of these soaps are just really good and they just I really like that. Fresh after the rain scent just kind of reminds me of just hanging out on like a, like a spring day with the rain hanging out. Just, like, kind of like, I guess taking a walk right afterwards.

You know, I live in South Florida, so it’s a little different down here. The seasons don’t change quite as much. It’s already 90 degrees outside the other day, so around 88 degrees. So it’s getting hot. It’s getting to be summertime. But  when I lived up up north in the in New York for for the other part of my life, I used to love right after the rain during springtime because you get that really nice like dirt, dirt, that water, that smell, that fresh water, fresh rain. And it just was like that’s what reminds me of it. And just like, kind of like a dreary type day, but it’s a nice, nice weather. Not too cold, not too warm.

And I guess you would probably see stuff like that in the UK, like in Ireland. I think you would picture a couple of pictures if you look online of some fall days there, just the overcast and stuff. And Europe is definitely an area also with northern states. Fortunately here in Florida, yeah, it’s sunny all the time. We don’t really get too much of that. It does rain quite often, but you don’t get it to where it’s like that, that same sense.

Springtime-Scented Shaving Products?

[Note: Amazon, PAA, And West Coast Shaving links are affiliate.]

I trawled around the wet shaving forums for comments specifically about shaving products shavers liked in the Spring.  Here are some of the most commonly-mentioned ones (plus a couple of my own) along with their vendor/artisan descriptions:

Løthur Tears

“A nod to colognes of the past, ‘TEARS’ opens with citrusy bergamot, lemon and mandarin combined with delicate herbal notes. The heart is a full on assault of neroli blossom, lavender and jasmine resting upon a gentle musk accord at the base.”

PAA Mega Flora Artisan Shaving Soap

“Spring Is Here & with Spring Comes, Mega Flora! Scent Profile: French Lavender, Bergamot, Petitgrain, Rose Geranium, Tonka Bean, Clary Sage, Fir Needle, Pine, Juniper, Chamomile, Bamboo, Cedarwood, Haitian Vetiver, Rose Absolute, Hay Absolute, Oakmoss Absolute.”

Martin de Candre (Original)

“The Original or the first Martin de Candre Shaving Soap, the one we created in the 1980s. The discreet and elegant freshness of its perfume made from Lavender essential oils, Mint and Rosemary, was immediately successful! Within a few years, it has become the flagship product of Savonnerie.”

Saponifico Veresino Felce

“For the development of the Felce Aromatica shaving soap, we studied and extracted the essential properties of the roots and aromas of a specific and rare male fern (Dryopteris Felix-mas) which grows only in a microclimate area in the Italian Alps.”

Pre de Provence 63

“Scent is a perfect balance of aromatic, warm, & spicy described as peppery, with a citrus top note, rounded by cedar wood, juicy plum and violet leaves that finish into an ambery base of leather and tobacco.”

Stirling Varen

“This natural fougere is a powerful blend of oakmoss, lavender, coumarin, vetiver, sage, cedar, lichen, and geranium.”

Ethos Grooming Essentials Greenfresh

“Greenfresh Shave Soap contains pure organic vegan fruit emulsion of Cucumber as part of the aroma blend instead of traditional fragrance oil. Organic Spearmint and Lemongrass Essential Oils are also used in this refreshing aroma blend.”

Trumper Violet

Often described as having a subtle, powdery but earthy scent.

Summing Up

Each season has its own unique set of smells that are associated with it. Fragrance plays a large role in shaping our memories and moods about each season.  The smells of springtime can take us back to happy memories and remind us of the warmer months ahead. There are many reasons why these scents evoke such strong reactions from us, but one of the most important is that they occur naturally during this time of year. Mother Nature creates special compounds in the air that affect our emotions and leave lasting impressions.

What kinds of shaving products do you enjoy in the Spring?  Leave a comment below!