Scents and what to replace them with

Citrusy, sharp

Swap for: grapefruit — just as bright; orange and mandarin are softer, better added later.

Limonene. Maximally contrasting with warm smells.

Floral, velvety

Swap for: geranium, jasmine, ylang-ylang — though what "clicks" differs from person to person.

Geraniol, citronellol. A rich molecular profile.

Warm, bitter

Swap for: freshly ground coffee, beans, cocoa (softer). A strong smell — good from the start.

Over 800 aromatic compounds. Highly persistent in olfactory memory.

Cooling, fresh

Swap for: eucalyptus, menthol, peppermint. Menthol also triggers the trigeminal nerve, so it is often felt even with weak smell.

Menthol (TRPM8). The best differentiation trainer — maximal contrast with the warm phantom.

Spicy, powdery

Swap for: rosemary, sage, lemon balm. A soft aroma — do not worry if it stays silent longer than the others.

Linalool, linalyl acetate. The most studied in neurorehabilitation.

Spicy, warm, sweet

Swap for: cloves, cardamom, nutmeg. Bright and persistent — good from day one.

Cinnamaldehyde. A strong trigger of long-term memory.

Citrusy, sweet

Swap for: mandarin, grapefruit, lemon zest. Orange is softer than lemon — if it stays silent, come back to it later.

Limonene with a high share of aldehydes. Softer than lemon — a citrus for the second round.

Floral, honeyed

Swap for: jasmine tea, rose, geranium, ylang-ylang. A rich aroma — good once rose has started to register.

Benzyl acetate and indole. A complex floral profile with a dark animalic note.

Warm, bittersweet

Swap for: coffee, toasted seeds, toast. Cocoa is gentler than coffee — a useful swap if coffee has turned unpleasant with parosmia.

Roasting pyrazines — the same classes of compound as coffee, but softer and sweeter.

Cooling, resinous

Swap for: tea tree, camphor, a menthol chest rub. Cineole also triggers the trigeminal nerve, so it is often felt even with weak smell.

Eucalyptol (cineole). One of the four odours in Hummel’s classic set.

Herbal, piney

Swap for: lavender, sage, thyme, pine needles. Fresh rosemary smells brighter than dried — crush a sprig between your fingers.

Cineole and camphor. The closest in this set to the warm phantom — the finest task of the six.

Spicy, burning

Swap for: cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg. Clove is very strong — a couple of buds is enough.

Eugenol. Also from Hummel’s classic set; it slightly numbs the tongue and gums.