Hope In A Bottle

Audrey Gruss knows far too much about depression. Her mother, Hope, battled the debilitating illness for decades.

Gruss, who established the Audrey Butvay Gruss Science Award for Women at her alma mater, Tufts University, was determined to honor her mother and help fight what the World Health Organization calls the leading cause of disability worldwide.

So, in 2006, she founded Hope for Depression Research Foundation to fund cutting-edge neuroscience research into the origins, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of depression and other mood disorders.

Recently, the group launched Hope the Uplifting Fragrance. Inspired by her mother's love of white flowers, Gruss teamed with fragrance giant Firmenich to create the scent from a fusion of four white flowers: gardenia, jasmine, lily-of-the-valley and tuberose. The scent is available as a spray, a candle, an eau de parfum and a hand and body cream.

The message? "Wear hope and give hope." One hundred percent of the net profits will be donated to research.

"This glorious fragrance stands on its own, but the charitable message empowers one to give back with a product that keeps on giving," says Gruss, who received an honorary doctorate of philosophy from the University of Haifa for creating the research foundation.

"Depression is so prevalent that 20 million adults in the United States struggle with it each year, and 350 million people have it worldwide. Everyone is touched by it directly or indirectly," notes a press release. "You can make a difference with every purchase by knowing that the proceeds go to charity. Each purchase helps the world become a better place."

The Hope Fragrance collection is available exclusively in select Saks Fifth Avenue stores and via its website.

Visit hopefragrancesint.com.