Why Everyone Is Talking About Solar Scents for Summer

Dubbed “sunshine in a bottle,” solar fragrances offer an instant endorphin boost and upgrade to your summer scent wardrobe.

What are solar scents?

Though not a new concept, the “solar fragrance” category is considered a relatively new genre within the broader perfume world. “These fragrances evoke the feeling of being sun-kissed,” explains Caroline Ornst, senior director of fragrance development at dsm-firmenich. “Synonymous with vacations and pleasant moments, solar scents are meant to immediately bring a feeling of well-being and lightness, which is particularly sought-after in today’s often stressful world. They allow us to connect with positive emotions and escape to sunny climates. They can also be warm and inviting, radiant and skin-like. The warmth can bring a cozy feeling, like an embrace from the sun.”

Key Notes

“When creating a solar scent, we utilize notes that are vibrant and warm, and kiss the skin as the sun would,” says Ornst. “However, this can be a challenge because that’s an abstract sensation, so the perfumer can play with different types of notes to translate this scent.” Think bright and fresh citrus fruits, sunny florals like frangipani and orange blossom, creamy coconut for vacation vibes and amber and vanilla for a warm glow. As Ornst explains, there are also solar accords, which are combinations of a few different notes. Together, they create a unique scent that adds to the perfume’s overall sunny disposition.

Did you know?

One of the earliest fragrances marketed with a solar theme was Jil Sander’s Sun, which was released in 1989. “This fragrance set the stage for the solar scent category with its sunny, uplifting notes blended with a warm and sensual back,” says Ornst.