L'Oréal uses EEG headset to recommend fragrances based on customer's emotions

Our sense of smell is deeply connected to our emotions. Any scent can trigger a feeling. No wonder choosing a new perfume can be overwhelming. To streamline the process, L'Oréal is going straight to the source of those emotions: the human brain.

Working with neurotech provider EMOTIV, L'Oréal has developed a new way for consumers to select fragrances. At flagship Yves Saint Laurent stores, customers put on an EEG headset that records electrical activity from all cortical lobes of the brain. A YSL consultant then guides them through various fragrance families, tracking their neural responses to different smells and narrowing in on the scent that's best suited to their emotions.

According to Stephan Bezy, International General Manager at Yves Saint Laurent Beauté: "Through this immersive system, we were able to get 95% of people the right fragrance personalized to their needs and desires, which is enormously higher than without this technology. It's a huge first step in this category. Once we know which scents make people feel happy, energized, or other emotions, we can customize fragrances even more."

YSL's EEG-enhanced consultations will roll out in multiple countries later this year and in 2023.