We cannot stress this enough that what smells good on you may or may not smell different on your friend. And, this, by the way, is not just about taste or preference or how your nose perceives and evaluates a particular smell. Rather, it’s more about how one's body reacts to the ingredients of that particular fragrance. How much ever we deny, the truth is that any brand of perfume can rank number one and produce bestselling fragrance all across the globe but, all its fragrances cannot smell great on everyone due to the unique body chemistry that differs from person to person.
Let us take you through some major factors that will help you understand how body chemistry affects a perfume's fragrance before you go ahead and make any purchase. Because, undeniably, the last thing you would want is to smell 'not so good' on a date with the new scent that you just bought!
Your Skin Type
There are three prime skin types, and each type reacts in a different way to fragrances. Further, dry skin gets characterized by nearly invisible pores, low elasticity, and rough complexion. And, perfumes easily evaporate from the dry skin surface. Why? Simply because there is not much oil or moisture for the fragrance molecules to adhere to and get absorbed. For fragrances to get absorbed and work well on dry skin, you should moisturize with an unscented – or similarly scented – cream lotion before you spray on scent to maximize its longevity.
On the other hand, normal skin is characterized by an almost flawless complexion with few or zero imperfections, and barely visible pores. And, due to more oil content than dry skin, fragrances last longer and better. Moreover, the best skin type for perfumes to cling to is oily skin. Though oily skin on the face is least desirable, it means better adhesion to fragrance molecules on the rest of the body.
The effect of your skin type on fragrances is par excellence with cologne and eau de toilette based on flowery, citrusy or fruity aromas. Because these possess light scents and high volatility. Contrastingly, oily skin perfectly complements musky perfumes as the oil molecules bond together and shape depth and character to the scent.
Role Of Pheromones
The role of pheromones in one’s body chemistry is extensively impactful on how the scent smells on one person. Pheromones are predominantly secreted in the neck and other erogenous areas, which is why they are commonly called “sex scent”. Each person smells distinct and unique and that is attributed to pheromones. Moving forth, fragrances can either prove as compatible or incompatible with one’s pheromones. This rightfully explains why the same perfume can smell good on you but not on someone else. There are even some products which attempt to take advantage of this idea, but there’s still a huge debate as to whether it really works.
Sweat & Perspiration
Another obvious factor that comes up when body chemistry gets mentioned is that of sweat. How much ever a person sweats stands directly proportionate to factors such as diet, race, and physical activity. Asians are known to sweat less than Europeans, Africans, and Americans. People living in cool climates also sweat less than those who live in warm climates. So, when sweat gets mixed with perfumes, there results in a reaction, which may vary among ingredients and brands of perfume and personal body chemistry.
Summery scents like orange and grass are found to mix well with sweat. Such scents get amplified when mixed with perspiration, taking on a certain depth when the sweating subsides and only the scent lingers.
Also, perfume lasts longer on someone who travels less due to business meets compared to someone who is associated more with fieldwork.
Personal Lifestyle And Diet
Not many people know that diet can have a major effect on a person’s overall fragrance, and that also interacts with fragrance. A person with a balanced diet – composed of meat, veggies, fruits, nuts, and dairy in recommended portions – smells differently from a person with a rigid diet of just one or two of the main food groups.
Vegans and vegetarians smell different from people whose diet consists mainly of meat or fish. People who frequently eat spicy food also have a distinct, strong smell that can impart a spicy undertone to fragrances. Similarly, taking medication for prolonged periods can also alter the chemical makeup of the body, significantly affecting bodily scent.
A person’s unique body chemistry primarily explains why fragrances smell different from one to another. A brand of perfume can be a big hit in the market but if it doesn’t work with a person’s body chemistry, it’s definitely not going to smell good.
Conclusion
Also, moist skin areas like armpits, neck, behind the ears, knees, ankles & elbows, cleavage have natural moisture tendency which boosts the longevity of a fragrance in addition to your whole body is moisturised well. Hopefully, this article has helped you better understand how body chemistry affects perfume's fragrance.