About the Webinar

Consumer awareness of the mind–body aspects of cosmetics increased significantly during the global pandemic. Since then, active ingredients with both emotional and skin‑related bioactivities have become increasingly preferred in personal care products. Essential oils have been used for their skin and emotional benefits for centuries, and their value is well documented in traditional and alternative therapies. Although numerous scientific studies have investigated the bioactivities of essential oils, their acceptance in cosmetic applications has historically been limited to their role as fragrance ingredients.

The emotional benefits of essential oils are directly linked to their specificity for olfactory receptors in the nasal epithelium. Activation of these receptors triggers parasympathetic nervous system responses via the limbic system. This mechanism can evoke emotional states and contribute to psychological benefits, including enhanced cognitive activity and reduced stress.

In recent decades, research has revealed that the skin also possesses the ability to “smell”, owing to the presence of specific olfactory receptors on keratinocytes, melanocytes, and fibroblasts. Activation of these receptors demonstrates a unique and targeted bioactivity of essential oils, primarily through stimulation of the cAMP pathway. This initiates intracellular signalling cascades that may inhibit inflammatory responses and activate the skin’s own antioxidant mechanisms.

This presentation will explore the historical use of essential oils in skincare and emotional wellbeing, followed by an overview of the established mechanisms of action—summarised as “Smelling Through Skin”. A case study on the bioactivities of sandalwood essential oil will be presented to establish the scientific background. Finally, the presentation will examine how combinations of essential oils may be used to achieve synergistic effects, reduce allergenicity, and provide a pleasant aroma suitable for direct use in personal care formulations.


About the Speaker:

Dr. Dhanushka (Danny) Hettiarachchi is the Innovation and Product Development Manager at Australian Botanical Products, part of the IXOM Group. He also serves as an Adjunct Research Fellow at both the University of Western Australia and Edith Cowan University. With more than two decades of experience in the essential oils and botanicals sector across the Asia–Pacific region, he specialises in cosmetic applications and the industrial chemistry of essential oils.

Danny holds a Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Products Chemistry and a Master of Pharmaceutical Science in Pharmacognosy from Curtin University, Australia, as well as a Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Sciences from Sri Ramachandra University, India. He is a Chartered Chemist of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute. His scholarly contributions include over thirty peer‑reviewed journal articles and book chapters in essential oils, botanical science, and cosmetic science, and he has co‑supervised four doctoral research projects.

He is a member of the International Standards Organisation’s committee on essential oils and serves as Western Australia’s State technical expert on sandalwood. Danny is also the current Chairperson of the Technical Committee of the Australian Society of Cosmetic Chemists.
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Beyond his professional work, Danny is an enthusiast and amateur instrumentalist in Indian classical music and enjoys experimenting with flavours.