Walking in a fragrance or candle store, such as Yankee Candle Company, can be overwhelming in itself. Whether you’ve gone looking for a specific scent or just to browse, there is always one thing the sales associates advise: “clear your senses by smelling these coffee beans.”

Taking a whiff of coffee beans after each scent has many uses to the brain and the sinuses. The smell of coffee is known to increase moods and hold alertness, which adds to the effect of wanting to continue shopping. An uplift in mood might even encourage one to buy more products or even just spend more time scent testing.

A major reason the coffee aroma is used throughout scent stores is because the beans serve as a sinus cleanser. They reset the nose in order to prepare it for the next fragrance. This action could prevent smells mixing together and providing an inaccurate scent.

Another alternative to “resetting” your nasal palette is the smell of an article of clothing between fragrances.