Until recently, chemistry meant two things: the one with your significant other, and the science subject.
The first one mattered most to most of us; the second we hoped to get through. The third one that I discovered rather late in life, and which may have affected the first one - is skin chemistry.
The chemistry that exists between the skin and the perfume can be as sensuous as a salsa that sets the floor on fire, or as awkward as two people with two left feet failing miserably at attempting to dance. It is this interaction and interplay between the perfume and your skin that decides whether a perfume is truly yours or not. Multiple factors influence skin chemistry. Let’s deep dive into what ticks and what misses.
- Oil production - Those with active sebaceous glands, rejoice! The oil produced by the skin helps retain the scent molecules and makes it last longer. Dry skin absorbs perfume faster causing the fragrance to fade quickly – so always moisturise your skin well before applying perfume. Opt for a neutral or unscented moisturiser to avoid interference with the fragrance.
-
Temperature - Perfume notes are more pronounced on warm skin. The act of rubbing the wrists together was not to spread perfume on both wrists, but to warm the skin. This is also why, perfumes are sprayed on body’s ‘hot spots’ – the relatively warmer areas like temples, wrists, behind the ears, nape, crook of the elbow and back of the knees. Yes, you read it right – as per some experts your knees are the bees’ knees ;)
- pH - Skin’s pH is naturally mildly acidic. Skin with lower pH (more acidity), typically true of oily skin, can make the notes sharper, holds on to perfume better and hence allows for the perfume to develop fully. In contrast, dry skin with higher pH (more alkalinity), can break down a perfume faster, mute the notes and even alter the scent. Don’t you wish you had paid better attention in your chemistry class?
- Sweat and Hormones - Sweat and hormonal changes – due to stress, pregnancy, or menstruation – can impact how a perfume smells. Hormones can alter body chemistry while interaction with sweat may create off-notes or elevate certain elements of the fragrance. This is why perfumes can smell different in hotter climates, even when worn by the same person.
- Microbiome – Underneath the skin’s surface, lies a diverse ecosystem of microorganisms - the microbiome. Responsible for production of most human scents, it influences how a perfume is perceived. This is one of the key reasons why the same perfume can smell different on different people.
Understanding how fragrance notes interact with your skin chemistry is essential to finding your perfect scent. Even though a perfume might smell the same to two people when sniffed out of the bottle or on a test strip; once you wear it, it becomes yours, it becomes unmistakably you.