This Works Expands Into Fine Fragrance

This Works, the British brand long associated with sleep solutions and aromatherapeutic blends, is finally stepping into fine fragrance, though not in the traditional sense.

Its first scent is Own Time, and it is billed as the world’s first fine fragrance neuroscent: a blend designed not just to smell beautiful, but to interact with the brain and Central Nervous System (CNS) to influence mood and behaviour. It does this by leaning into neuroscience, using behaviour-modulating terpenes to help calm the body and support more restorative sleep.

This expansion marks a natural evolution for the company, which helped popularise functional fragrance with the launch of its deep sleep pillow spray in 2011.

Own Time draws on seven years of neuroscientific research and was developed by CEO Dr. Anna Persaud — a biochemist and leading voice in circadian health — in collaboration with neuroscientist Professor Gaby Badre. Their goal was to create a wearable perfume that eases the transition from daytime alertness into evening tranquillity. In practice, that means guiding the body away from the sympathetic nervous system — the ‘accelerator’ responsible for keeping us wired and switched on — and into the parasympathetic nervous system, which slows the heart rate, encourages digestion, and prepares the body for rest.

The science centres on terpenes, the aromatic building blocks of essential oils. Found throughout nature, terpenes contribute to a plant’s scent profile and have been shown to interact with the CNS, helping to reduce stress, induce calm, and support better sleep quality. Drawing on research from Canopy Growth Corporation into their mood-modulating potential, This Works incorporated a next-generation sesquiterpene — a type of terpene known for its grounding and soothing properties — derived from Provence-grown lavandin. According to the brand, this molecule supports melatonin production when applied to the skin and, when inhaled, helps encourage deeper, more settled sleep.

There is even an odourless, light-activated molecule that releases a warming coumarin note when exposed to daylight. Coumarin is a compound associated with neurological pathways linked to emotional regulation.

As for the scent itself, perfumer Julie Noe translated the science into an elegant, comforting profile built around these aromatic molecules. Own Time opens with pink peppercorn, lemon myrtle, and rose; moves into a heart of cardamom, olibanum, and cyclamen; and settles into a soft, ambery base with sandalwood, musk, and clove: notes shaped by the very terpenes that support the body’s shift from stimulation to rest.

Own Time is now available at thisworks.com, with prices ranging from £10 to £80 ($15 to $115), shipping to both the UK and US.