Integration of essential oils to improve emotional comfort and commercial efficiency in beauty salons

Abstract

The modern beauty industry is evolving under the influence of technological innovations and the growing demand for personalized, emotionally comfortable experiences. The hair coloring procedure, one of the most sought-after services in salons, is often associated with pungent chemical odors that cause discomfort, tension, and decreased customer satisfaction. This is especially relevant in the context of raising awareness about the impact of the environment on the psycho-emotional state, where the sense of smell plays a key role in shaping mood and well-being. In response to this challenge, there is a need to develop techniques for integrating aromacology elements into hairdressing protocols. The use of natural essential oils to neutralize unpleasant odors and create a positive aromatic environment can not only mask chemical aromas, but also purposefully influence the emotional state of customers, increasing loyalty and competitiveness of services. This work is devoted to the study of the effectiveness and safety of adding standardized essential oil compositions to professional ammonia-free hair dyes in order to improve the customer experience. The study used seven types of natural essential oils of the therapeutic class (sandalwood, neroli, ylang-ylang, synthetic musk, sweet orange, lavender, amber), based on which four aromatic compositions were composed. The base was an ammonia-free permanent dye with a 6% oxidant in a ratio of 1:1.5. The sample included 160 women aged 25-50 years without allergies, divided into a control group (n=32) and four experimental groups (n=32 each). In the experimental groups, 6 drops of the composition per 60 g of the mixture were added. The assessment was carried out in three areas: subjective perception (questionnaires on a 10-point scale), technical parameters (viscosity, application time, ΔE using a spectrophotometer) and economic feasibility (willingness to pay extra). Statistical processing was performed in SPSS using ANOVA and the Tukey test (p<0.05). The analysis showed a statistically significant improvement in the customer experience: the average comfort score increased from 6.18 in the control to 9.46 in the «Fresh Awakening» group, satisfaction — from 6.74 to 9.62 (p<0.001). The compositions caused targeted emotional effects: relaxation (up to 84,38% for «Soft Romance») or a surge of energy (81,25% for «Fresh Awakening»). The technical parameters remained unchanged: viscosity change <1,5%, ΔE<0.32 (below the threshold of perception). Economically, 87,5-96,88% of customers are willing to pay 450-550 rubles extra, exceeding the cost. The results confirm that fragrance technology transforms a standard procedure into a personalized wellness ritual without compromising on the quality of coloring. This opens up opportunities for service segmentation, increased profitability, and application in other procedures. The methodology can be extrapolated to study the long-term effects on customer loyalty.