Why Pumpkin Spice Fragrance Oil Is The Ultimate Fall Scent

The true essence of the autumn season, the scent of Pumpkin Spice mirrors the cycle of life with the changing colorful landscape of falling leaves and their symbolic transition from life, death and renewal. A new chill pervades the air and ghosts and goblins await their annual invasion amid all things orange and bright.

Warm and inviting, our pumpkin spice fragrance oil is the quintessence of autumn and all its fleeting beauty and is available in four convenient sizes, including 10 mL, 30 mL, 120 mL and 500 mL. It can also be purchased in our Holiday Fragrance Oil Gift Set, pictured below.

But how has this gourmand scent become the ultimate fall indulgence? What does our pumpkin spice smell like? And what are consumer's impressions of our perfumer's take on this beloved and hallowed blend? We cover all of these questions and more below!

What Does Our Pumpkin Spice Smell Like?

Our master perfumers spent time analyzing the many pumpkin spice fragrances in the market; drawing inspiration from the best elements of each; and then blending these notes into their own unique composition, which ultimately went through a series of refinements to land on our recently launched Pumpkin Spice blend.

What does it smell like?

Head notes delicately meld facets of sugary, creamy pumpkin, lush orange and rich whipped cream. An aromatic heart soon follows marked by the spicy, warmth of inviting chai, fruity, mellow cinnamon, somewhat sweet nutmeg and piquant clove. A dry down featuring sugary, smoky and salty caramel drizzle, elegant and lush vanilla and warm tropical milk completes this delightful Fall scent.

A Quick History of Pumpkins and Pumpkin Spice

Scientists believe pumpkins originated in North America around 9,000 years ago, and they are native to the southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, Peru, Ecuador, and Colombia.

They were known to be an important food staple for Native Americans. The name, pumpkin, derives from the Greek word Pepõn, which means large melon.

American pumpkin pie recipes originated in colonial times but they were very different than those we know today.

Bakers would cut off the tops, remove the seeds and fill the pumpkins with milk, spices and honey. It would then be baked in hot ashes.

Irish immigrants brought the idea of the jack-o-lantern to America.

They had used turnips and potatoes in their native land, but found the pumpkin in the New World much easier to carve.

Pumpkin spice, a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, has become a hallmark of autumn, especially in the United States, and its origins trace back to the early 20th century, when it was used primarily in pies and other baked goods.

The blend gained significant popularity in the 1950s, thanks to the widespread use of canned pumpkin pie mix, which included a pre-mixed version of the spice blend.

However, pumpkin spice as a distinctive flavor profile began to take off in the 2000s with the launch of Starbucks' Pumpkin Spice Latte in 2003.

This seasonal coffee drink brought the flavor into mainstream culture, turning pumpkin spice into a seasonal sensation that extends beyond just baking to a wide array of products, from candles, diffuser oils and reed diffusers to cereals and other food products.

Why Is The Fragrance Of Pumpkin Spice So Popular?

According to Jason Fischer, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at Johns Hopkins University, whose team has been researching the science behind pumpkin spice’s appeal:

“It has to do with how we associate smells and flavors with fall. Those associations, we form year after year, and they give us this sense of familiarity…Pumpkin spice flavoring can be so evocative that it throws people off the scent of a very important fact: It doesn’t actually contain any pumpkin…That aroma comes from nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice which is why our brains can sometimes be tricked into mistaking pumpkin spice for apple pie…”

While no one really knowns for sure, it is likely that pumpkin spice, aka pumpkin pie spice, is highly desirable for several reasons.

For one, it is only available in the fall which taps its connection to the season, and for another, its unusual flavor is ideal for many holiday drinks and delectable desserts.

Perhaps the strongest reason lies in its profound capacity to evoke nostalgic memories from times long past. It is familiar and comforting and returns every year, emotionally translating into a visit from an old friend.

These factors coalesce, and in many instances, the desire for pumpkin spice can be a gentle, but nevertheless persistent obsession, whether within food items or fragrances.

A Few Interesting Facts About Pumpkin Spice

1. The earliest-known “pumpkin spice” recipe dates back to England in 1675, which also contained pepper, cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon. 
   
2. In the late 1930s, a spice company known as Thompson and Taylor gave pumpkin pie spice its name. This company, as well as McCormick, were among the first to place the delicious blend on grocery store shelves. 
   
3. Pumpkin pie spice, which is also known as pumpkin spice, was so named because it was used so often as a flavoring for pumpkin pie. Oddly, it does not contain pumpkin as an ingredient. 
   
4. Pumpkins are fruits. They are a family of winter squash that includes cucumbers and melons. 
   
5. Over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkin are produced each year in the United States. Out of that total, over 800 million pumpkins are ripe for the picking in a single month of the year.

Consumer Impressions Of Our Pumpkin Spice Blend

Reviewers adore our Pumpkin Spice blend, giving it an average 4.8 rating out of 5 stars. In addition to finding its concentration to be very effective in filling a room very quickly, most also appreciate the fact that it is not too sweet or overpowering in nature, describing it as "the perfect scent for autumn."

One reviewer stated it "smells of all kinds of wonderful fall spiced baked goodies", while another boasted, "As soon as you open the bottle, you get a whiff of fall. I smell a lot of spice, especially cinnamon and nutmeg, with pumpkin undertones and maybe even a touch of apple. It smells like something yummy baking in the oven when the air just starts to turn chilly. Good find, perfect for diffusers!" Read more reviews here.

Breathe In Our Pumpkin Spice Fall Scent

So take a whiff of autumn and stay awhile. This glorious season awaits and you are just one puff away from our pumpkin spice diffuser oil.