From electronic diffusers to plug-in fresheners, there's no shortage of ways to make our homes smell good. Our living spaces can smell like anything we so desire, just about — from cinnamon spice to sea breeze (we're still figuring out what exactly that smells like — but we know it's good).
Although the technology to spread irresistible scent throughout our homes has advanced, we humans have always had a nose for a nicely scented space. In fact, it all started with Ancient Egypt, one of the world's oldest civilizations that's believed to have begun around 3000 B.C. (And you thought AirWick started the home scent revolution.)
Read on for a little Home Fragrance History 101. Trust us, you'll have a new-found appreciation for that Dyptique candle when you're done.
You've probably heard a thing or two about Ancient Egypt's sacrificial ceremonies. Combine that messy ritual with the relentless desert sun, and you have a bit of a smelly situation on your hands.
Enter Egyptian perfume makers. Hieroglyphics show the very first perfumers were Egyptian priests who used aromatic resins to make the scent of sacrificial offerings a tad sweeter. This was partly because the ancients believed burning incense was a way of connecting earthlings with the gods, according to The Perfume Society.
Apparently, special Egyptians (read: priests and their Pharaohs) were buried with the fragrances, some of which still held their smell when they were discovered and opened by archaeologists in 1897.
According to The Perfume Society, many of the ingredients are still used to make scents today, such as jasmine, Frankincense resin and lotus.
Meanwhile, across the globe, the ancient Chinese were developing a close relationship with fragrance as well. The Chinese focused on burning incense and other fragrance in special places, and considered perfumes a method of disinfecting and eliminating disease from rooms, reports Bustle.
Fragrant flowers and mandarin oranges were favorites among this group.
The empire of Ancient Greece took perhaps the simplest route of the ancients to freshen their rooms, scattering mint leaves on floors, according to Eater.
Talk about easy. Why didn't we think of that? (Oh, right. Sweeping.)
The Middle Ages
During this time, rose water was all the rage. Even though religious leaders gave a big "no" to secular use of perfume (they saw it as symbolizing a frivolity in the evil world), Crusaders returned from expeditions in the East, bringing rose water with them, according to the Société Française des Parfumeurs. The people couldn't resist.
It was also during the 14th century that the first alcohol-based fragrance was created. Known as the Queen of Hungary's Water, the fragrance was made from rosemary and wine, according to the Société Française des Parfumeurs.
At this time, fragrance was meant to be used more as aromatherapy than as, say, perfume, and was believed to ward off plague.
Fragrance was important during this time since bathing was considered to be dangerous and unhealthy, according to Fragonard Parfumeur.
Cue strong scents such as amber, jasmine, musk and tuberose that were intended to mask persistent odors. Paris became the capital of perfumed products trading.
During the 18th century, the focus of scents turned to fresh, lighter flower fragrances. Many households during this time planted lilacs around windows and doors.
The flowers were particularly popular with American settlers who planted the aromatic plant by their farmhouse doors, reports Northern California's Colusa County Sun-Herald. Talk about picturesque.
At this time, air fresheners were sought to cover up the smells of garbage, spoiling food an temporary storage of human waste indoors (remember, flush toilets didn't exist just yet).
According to archives of the Patent Trader newspaper, aromatic wood or pastilles were burned in small ceramic containers as air freshener. It was also believed that lavender vapors could kill tuberculosis bacteria.
In 1943, Air Wick was launched in the United States to offer home fragrance products specifically. Within ten years, the company expanded to Europe, Canada and Australia.
The iconic Little Trees air freshener was created in 1954 by chemist Julius Samann, who had studied Alpine tree aromas in the forests of Canada.
According to The New York Times Magazine, Samann heard a milkman complain about the stench of spoiled milk, and filed a patent for "odor-destroying, air-perfuming substances."
Shortly after Samann changed the course of car scents, Glade was created by the SC Johnson company to eliminate tobacco and cooking smells from the home.
According to the company, the first products available were Glade Aerosol Sprays and Glade Wick, both available in nature-themed fragrances: Blossom and Evergreen.
As the 70s approached, a 16-year-old high school student created a candle for his mother, which would eventually lead to 575 retail stores worldwide called Yankee Candle.
Over the years, the company was able to capitalize on scented candles that reminded customers of times passed or certain seasonal memories.
"We've found that customers seek out scents that evoke special memories or set a mood in the home," says Hope Margala, Yankee Candle's CEO. "Food fragrances that incorporate cinnamon and clove fare well in the fall, pine fragrances during the holidays and fruits and florals in spring and summer."
In 1975, SC Johnson eliminated chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) from aerosol air fresheners, three years before it became a United States mandate to do so.
During this time, the market was shifting dramatically away from CFCs over concern about the chemicals harming the ozone layer.
Air fragrances become increasingly creative and blended. The iconic Yankee Candle honeydew melon candle debuts.
Voluspa is founded by Traci and Troy Arntsen with a focus that returned to aromatherapy and simple ingredients (more complex fragrances, however, were still popular for certain customers).
"We started our line on an aromatherapy basis, like lavender to help you relax or peppermint to help you wake up," says cofounder and creative director Traci Arntsen. "But while aromatherapy is now growing, there are probably some people who will never give up their yummy, complex blended fragrances."
When Voluspa was founded, citrus fragrances were more popular than floral scents.
"There was a really strong trend toward citrus and spicy fragrances," says Arnsten. "Red fruit and really tart citruses were permeating the market."
The early 2000s put a notable emphasis on convenience, with new products from Glade including Glade PlugIns Scented Oil (2000), ExtraOutlet (2002) and Press 'n Fresh (2004).
During this time, demand moved away from tart citrus fragrances and toward softer scents.
"From about 2005 to 2010, there was a movement toward sweet florals," says Arntsen. "White flowers became a strong trend, especially in the South."
Customer demand continues to gravitate toward more "natural" scents, with Etsy reporting that in-demand scents include cedar and patchouli.
Now that's what we call coming full circle.