The Power of Scent:
How Ecomist Is Elevating Wellbeing in Aged Care

Can Fragrance do More Than Just Smell Nice?

In a recent trial within an Australian aged care facility, Ecomist (a division of Damar), explored how targeted scenting could support one of the sector’s most pressing challenges: helping residents maintain a healthy weight.

40 to 70% of aged care residents experience unplanned weight loss which becomes significant if a person loses more than 5% of their bodyweight or loses weight consecutively for three months in a row. This could be due to food quality, difficulties with eating, underlying health conditions or age-related changes to the body, such as loss of taste or smell, changes to the digestive system or swallowing difficulties.

Ecomist partnered with an aged care facility and tracked 76 residents’ weight over a seven month period in four dining locations. The results showed that 49 (64%) lost weight while 27 (36%) gained or had stable weight.

Ecomist then introduced a vanilla caramel fragrance in the four locations and tracked residents’ weight for a further seven months. The results at the end of this period showed a remarkable turnaround: Of the 49 residents losing weight in the first 7 months, 24 (49%) gained weight and average weight loss in those losing weight was reduced from 4.4% of bodyweight to 3.0% of bodyweight.

Backed by Science, Refined by Experience

Ecomist has been working with French perfumist, Yves Andre, since 1994 and have introduced hundreds of fragrances into the market. They are now exploring mood-enhancing fragrance blends with access to a new range of scientifically studied scent formulations from France: calming lavender-based scents and special blends designed to promote focus and harmony in high-stress work environments.

Ecomist is reshaping how we think about fragrance - not as an afterthought, but as a functional layer of wellness.

What's Next?

Beyond scent, Ecomist is also innovating across the hygiene and pest control categories - from disposable pod soap dispensers to automated insect control solutions.