How Highly Sensitive People Can Use Smell to Feel More at Ease
Highly sensitive people can turn to comforting scents to calm their nervous systems and help the world feel more manageable.
As a highly sensitive person (HSP), navigating overstimulation can feel like running an obstacle course and a marathon at the same time. HSPs feel everything deeply — including the constant input from our senses.
(Are you a highly sensitive person? Here are 27 “strange” things sensitive people do.)
Sometimes, though, we become so focused on avoiding stimulation because it can be overwhelming that we forget we can also use our sensitivity to our advantage. As someone who has cried over certain smells and textures, I don’t say that lightly.
I’ve learned to embrace the way I experience my environment — and for me, it all started with scent.
Smell Overwhelm
In 2019, I moved from the U.S. to the U.K. with my husband and three kids. That meant packing our lives into boxes, getting five passports and visas, booking plane tickets, and figuring out food and housing in unfamiliar towns and stores. I managed all of it — except the laundry detergent.
I’d tried to prepare myself for the big differences that come with moving to another country. But I hadn’t considered how different the smells would be — not just the plants and flowers, but the fragrances in everything. I’ve always hated the cleaning aisle at the grocery store, but this was worse. None of the scents were familiar, and they all felt too strong, too synthetic, too much.
Eventually, I found a shop that sold the detergent I used back home, and it was such a relief. That small comfort grounded me in a way I didn’t expect. It was the first time I truly realized how much my environment affects me, and it helped me begin to name and understand my high sensitivity. It also showed me that honoring this part of myself wasn’t just helpful, it was necessary.
Work with Your High Sensitivity, Not Against It
I started paying closer attention to the sensory textures of my environment and how they made me feel. Habits others had teased me about for years — like always turning off the overhead lights in the bathroom — began to make more sense. My HSP brain craves diffused light, deep sounds, and familiar tastes. But more than anything, I’m affected by smells. The heightened sense of smell I developed during my first pregnancy never faded.
Whether scent is one of your biggest HSP triggers or not, it’s a powerful place to start when evaluating your environment — simply because of how hard it is to escape. You can wear headphones, eat your own food, or close your eyes to reduce stimulation from your other senses. But you can’t just turn off your nose. And smells are everywhere.
From a stranger’s perfume to engine exhaust, scent bombards us constantly. When we’re overstimulated and trying to figure out why, we often overlook familiar culprits, like strong cleaners or lingering fragrances. That’s why I now use smells I know and love, both as a calming response and as a preventative measure. They help soothe my nervous system and make the world feel a little less overwhelming.
By tuning into the smells around you, you can begin to shape your environment in a way that supports your sensitivity instead of fighting it. It’s a small but powerful shift, one that helps me feel more grounded and at ease every day.
5 Places Smells Can Make a Difference
1. At Home
Every time you walk through your front door, that first deep breath should remind you: This is your refuge, the safest place for your sensitivity to rest.
From my experience living in the U.K., I know just how impactful something as simple as laundry detergent can be for a highly sensitive person. It touches everything you wash — clothes, towels, sheets — and all of those fabrics spend a lot of time close to your nose. That’s why it’s worth finding a scent that feels comforting. Look for something that smells clean without being overpowering — a balance between “too strong” and “not clean enough.”
For bedsheets, I like to use a lavender spray to help ease into sleep. Just be sure to test it outside the bedroom first to make sure it doesn’t end up keeping you awake. Essential oil diffusers are another favorite of mine, especially in the warmer months. Once it gets cold, I tend to switch to candles for both scent and cozy ambiance.
When it comes to cleaning products, I usually stick with “eco” or plant-based options because they tend to have a lighter, more tolerable smell. But when I do need something stronger, like bleach, or when I’m cleaning litter boxes or kid messes, I wear a disposable mask with a drop of essential oil inside. It makes a big difference.
2. In the Car
Your car is an extension of your home — and just as important to your well-being as a highly sensitive person.
I’ve found that most store-bought car fresheners have headache-inducing scents. Instead, I use an essential oil diffuser that plugs into the cigarette lighter or USB port. These allow you to control both how often the scent is released and how much oil to use, which is ideal when even a little goes a long way for HSPs.
Before heading to work or an event, I’ll use a calming or energizing essential oil blend to help set my mindset. And when I need to mask lingering smells (like takeout that didn’t age well in the backseat), a few drops of lemon or another fresh scent does the trick without being overpowering.
Car wash cleaners are often heavily fragranced, so I prefer to clean my car at a self-service station. A compact vacuum and handheld carpet cleaner go a long way in keeping things fresh, without flooding my senses.
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3. In the Office
At home or in your own car, it’s easier to control the smells around you. If you work from home or have a private office with a door, the same strategies apply. But in an open-plan office or shared cubicle space, you’ll need to be more mindful of those around you.
For essential oils, a passive diffuser can be a great option. Unlike active diffusers, it doesn’t spray scent into the air. Instead, the oil is absorbed into a porous material that gently releases the aroma. Passive diffusers come in many forms, including small stones, desk accessories, or even wearable jewelry like bracelets or necklaces.
Fresh flowers on your desk can offer the same subtle effect. And if florals aren’t your thing, try herbs or green, earthy-smelling plants like rosemary or eucalyptus. They provide a light, natural scent without overwhelming the space.
If you can’t personalize your workspace much, even something small — like a scented lip balm or chapstick — can make a difference. Try dabbing a bit on the end of your nose to help block out unpleasant smells (like someone’s reheated lunch). It’s a discreet option that also works well on public transportation, especially when paired with a mask.
Being able to breathe deeply and feel comfortable in your workspace doesn’t just support your productivity — it’s also a powerful way to honor your sensitivity in every area of your life.
4. On Vacation
The farther we get from our usual environments, the harder it becomes to control them. But when it comes to smells, many of the strategies above can travel with you. If you’re going on a road trip, make space for your own detergents, cleaners, and diffusers. (Most accommodations don’t allow open flames, so skip the candles.)
When flying, a small bottle of lavender spray and some chapstick can easily fit in your carry-on, along with a mask. Pocket-sized hand sanitizer or lotion in a familiar scent can offer a mini-spa moment in the middle of a hectic travel day.
Taking time to pamper yourself with comforting smells while on vacation is more than a treat — it’s a way to make the experience work for you, high sensitivity and all.
5. Outside
Being outdoors comes with its own unique set of smells — some pleasant, some not so much. From freshly mown grass and blooming honeysuckle to sunscreen and bug spray, the sensory experience of nature often puts scent front and center. Because of that, when I’m outside, I focus on enjoying the natural smells by minimizing the artificial ones.
Unscented sunscreen makes sun protection much more tolerable for my sensitive system, especially when I avoid spray-on versions that tend to linger in the air. For bug protection, I opt for repellent bars or essential oil blends instead of traditional sprays — they’re just as effective without overwhelming my senses.
Caring for My High Sensitivity Means Caring for Myself
Navigating overwhelm is a very real part of being a highly sensitive person. But using my sensitivity to enrich my life — in small ways, like appreciating gentle, familiar smells — reminds me of how it also enhances my life in bigger ways, like my deep empathy for others.
When I surround myself with scents I know and love, ones that bring calm or joy, I’m not just creating a more comfortable environment — I’m caring for my sensitivity. And in doing so, I’m caring for and embracing myself. 
