Life & Work with Melike Aktas of Los Angeles

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melike Aktas.

Hi Melike, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised on the Aegean coast of Turkey, surrounded by the sea, olive trees, and wildflowers. Looking back, my childhood was quietly aromatic. After majoring in law and working as an attorney, I began using essential oils in my personal life as a way to manage stress and support a non-toxic lifestyle.

In 2019, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue an MBA. During the pandemic, I chose to follow my long-time passion for scent and immersed myself in aromatherapy education. I became a NAHA Certified Professional Holistic Aromatherapist.

As I started creating custom blends, I saw both personal interest and a broader market need for a modern, intentional aromatherapy lifestyle brand—this led to the launch of Yoursy. A year later, I co-founded Banyo with my best friend from Turkey, offering natural, eco-friendly aromatherapy body care rooted in tradition.

Since launching, both brands have developed a loyal clientele who appreciate thoughtful, sensory-led products. I began receiving requests for signature scent creations from niche and independent brands, which inspired me to offer Scent Mentor services for B2B clients.

In March 2024, I opened the Scent Mentor Atelier to share my work, process, and knowledge. We’ve hosted 10 workshops so far, and the space has become a quiet destination for those who enjoy discovering Yoursy and Banyo essentials in person.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It wasn’t a smooth journey—we made several strategic mistakes along the way, but now I feel more experienced. The wellness market comes with its own set of pros and cons. It’s highly competitive and saturated with many brands, which led us to explore various digital marketing tools and agencies that often promise quick, sparkling solutions.

Over time, I’ve learned the value of going slow and steady. Beyond being a creative, I’m also an entrepreneur, and balancing both roles has been challenging—but ultimately rewarding.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I began my career as a professional holistic aromatherapist and entrepreneur. When I started offering custom blends to support well-being, the response from my clients was consistently positive. Over time, I saw an opportunity to help brands integrate scent into their identity in a thoughtful and natural way. This led to the creation of Scent Mentor, where we design signature scent compositions tailored to each brand and their audience.

Scent is directly linked to the brain and is one of our most powerful senses, yet it’s often overlooked in branding. While most marketing strategies focus on visuals and sound, scent can create emotional connection within seconds. At Scent Mentor, we help brands improve customer experience through natural aromatic compositions, without using any synthetic fragrance materials.

Our work includes scent development for spas, beauty centers, jewelry and accessory brands, and retail spaces. We’ve also created olfactory experiences for private events, brand activations, and curated spaces—such as Porsche’s 75th anniversary event and boutique gatherings across Los Angeles.

Our scent applications vary—from finished products like body oils and mists, to scent-infused packaging and ambient scenting. With a background in professional holistic aromatherapy, we’re able to create effective and non-toxic formulations, aligning with modern wellness standards. For ambient scenting, we choose technologies based on each space’s design and usage.

We focus exclusively on 100% natural raw materials. I don’t use any synthetic fragrances. Synthetics may be more cost-effective and widely used in commercial scent marketing, but they don’t have the same impact on the brain as natural aromas. In my experience, they can easily lead to discomfort—often causing headaches for clients, especially in enclosed spaces. A well-composed natural blend, on the other hand, never overwhelms. Even if someone doesn’t personally like the scent, it still creates an emotional response within seconds.

To further my expertise, I’ve traveled to France, Italy, Japan, and Turkey—visiting distilleries and attending events like Paris and Grasse Perfume Weeks—to learn more about extraction methods and raw materials.

At the Scent Mentor atelier, we host workshops and experiences focused on well-being and scent education. Participants explore the basics of aromatherapy and blending and create their own finished products. We offer those workshops also for corporates.

Due to growing interest, I’ve also started offering custom natural perfume design for individuals, addressing both personal preferences and wellness goals such as stress support or hormonal balance.

Currently, we’re building the Scent Mentor Natural Scent Library, which will soon be open to visitors.
This work combines both science and creativity—and continues to evolve with each collaboration

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up on the Aegean coast of Turkey, I was always surrounded by nature—olive trees, wildflowers, and the sea. I spent much of my time outdoors and eventually created my own small aromatic garden, which sparked a quiet, lasting interest in scent and natural living. I’ve always been thoughtful, creative, and curious—drawn to sensory details and how they shape experience.

That early connection continues to influence my work. Both Yoursy and Banyo have grown steadily thanks to our professional and reliable aromatherapy practices, guided by NAHA standards. These foundations help us support our clients with safe, effective, and thoughtful formulations.

Through Scent Mentor, we now collaborate with artists and galleries—bringing together visual, sound and scent elements to create immersive experiences. These projects allow us to explore scent beyond wellness and into art, memory, and space.

Looking ahead, my dream is to create Scent Mentor Aromatic Farm & Villa—a space rooted in nature, where we grow our own wildflowers and aromatic plants, and handle every step of the process, including on-site extraction. It will be a place for education, collaboration, and retreat—a community centered on scent, nature, and intentional living.

Pricing:

• Workshops starts $55
• Signature Individual Blend Creation starts $350
• Scent Branding Consultation starts $450
• Ambient Scenting Projects stars $450
• Corporate Events & Workshops : Please reach out

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.scentmentor.com
• Instagram: scentmentor