Have you ever wondered why certain perfumes smell absolutely out of this world on one person, but the minute it’s applied to your skin, you feel like throwing up? Know what I’m talking about? As mind-boggling as it may be, the answer to this question is pretty straight forward: Everybody’s skin is different.
Individual skin is naturally composed of various chemical substances that leave a unique aroma. When perfume blends with these chemical substances, better known as a person’s body odour, it takes on a life of its own and creates a unique mark of identity. And, of course we all have different body odour, so when we apply a perfume, our natural body odour and the fragrance blend together and trigger a series of chemical reactions which produce a specific, unique cocktail. But, it goes a lot deeper than that…
Yes, we all have our own unique “scent print” that influence the development of perfume, but there’s also other various factors that affect our body chemistry and therefore how different notes react to our skin. Some of which are our genes, stress levels, hormonal changes, diet, medication intake and most importantly, the temperature of our skin.
The warmth of our skin is critical. Some people have more pores than others or more layers of fat in their skin. This affects the warmth of our skin, which in turn will influence how the scent of a fragrance is going to sit on your skin. Also, the quality and intensity of the smell depends on the amount of fragrance the skin absorbs and how much evaporates. The degree of moisture emitted by our pores influence the amount of fragrance that evaporates and is absorbed by the skin.
Since you and the next person aren’t the same, perfumes won’t smell the same on the two of you. Now that you know this, you should keep in mind that when you’re testing out a scent at the store, always spray it directly onto YOUR skin, and give it some time to develop. Perfume can change a lot between the bottle and the curve of your neck.
Article by: Kelly Abrahams