Have you ever shared an office, elevator, or workspace with someone who uses way, way too much perfume? If we’re not the only ones, you know then that wearing one too many spritzes is a quick way to change the mood in the room, and maybe even bring on a headache. After all, we want to leave a lasting impression on people around us with our scent, not one that reminds them of spring allergies.
On the other hand, if you’re wearing so little perfume that it can’t be detected, then we’re missing out on all the fun. Fragrances are for smelling - not fearing. So how do you make sure you’re wearing just the right amount of fragrance? How do you get that subtle touch of fresh, clean scent without driving your coworkers mad?
Don’t worry - it’s not as tricky as you think. Here’s a simple guide to getting to the sweet spot of perfume application.
- Start with a hypo-allergenic or naturally- derived perfume
Most conventional perfume is toxic. It’s unfortunate but true.
Thanks to a legal loophole known as the Fair Package and Labeling Act of 1966, fragrance manufacturers can include dangerous, unlisted ingredients - including known carcinogens like phthalates and parabens. With chemicals like that, is it really a surprise that 30% of people have an irritation response to these fragrances? That can include anything from sniffling and coughing to skin rashes, migraines, or dizziness. There are too many harmful ingredients that cause adverse reactions to the general population. Not only is it unsafe for you to wear, but it could be unsafe for those around you as well.
That’s why it’s crucial to start with a hypoallergenic perfume like Skylar. We use safe, naturally-derived ingredients that won’t irritate your body - or those around you. In fact, Skylar was created when our founder realized her perfumes were irritating her infant daughter and decided to build a fragrance company that inspired trust in every bottle.
- Spray a bit on your pulse points - don’t rub!
Perfume works best when it is sprayed on your pulse points - areas where you can easily feel your heart beating on the surface of your skin. That means your heart, neck, wrists, and even the backs of your knees!.
But here’s the secret to this step: Don’t rub it in. After spraying perfume on their wrists, most women rub their wrists together. This “bruises” the scent by rapidly heating and smearing the fragrance off the skin. We had to ask ourselves would we crush a gardenia before smelling it?
- Take the arm’s-length test
How strong is the fragrance? What kind of fragrance is it? Are you wearing it to an airy restaurant or within a small office? How sensitive is your nose? All of these questions and more have to be factored into the equation, so the idea that there’s a right amount of perfume to wear is sheer silliness.
So here’s a better idea: start by applying just a little bit of perfume, then have a friend stand at arm’s length. Can they smell you? If so, you’re wearing enough. If not, try adding more, bit by bit, until they can. But of course, you don’t have to! The arm’s-length test can help you determine the absolute maximum strength your perfume should have. If you’re going to be interacting very closely and intimately with other people, you might want to keep your fragrance even closer to your skin - i.e. just a few inches.
- Check in with your friends
We acclimate very quickly to scents that we live with. So if you’re using a fragrance every day, you won’t notice it as easily as you first did. That’s why long-term fragrance wearers - especially people who stick with the same perfume for years - can end up wearing more. And more. And more.
Of course, no one’s eager to have that “you smell too strong” conversation with you - so you have to make it easy for them. Check in with your family, friends, coworkers, partner, etc. every once in a while, and ask them if you’re signature scent is becoming a figurative (or literal) headache. Blushing and stammering could mean you might have to take it down a notch. But of course, if you’re wearing an alluring, clean perfume from Skylar, that blushing might mean something else, too.
