10 hard to believe facts about perfumes

I haven’t met a single person who doesn’t love smelling fabulous. Smelling good is not just a choice. Lately, it has become much of a status symbol too. Perfume is a product which very deeply embedded in our daily ritual. We’d today feel incomplete without a sprinkle of our signature scent before rushing out of our doors. There are various facts about perfumes people don’t know.

We’re all very familiar with the usual fights and wins that come when it comes to picking out a scent. But very surprisingly, there’s much more to know about perfume than what meets the eye. Things that are beyond just what it smells like. Before you go ahead and sniff several tester wands, maybe even more than what your nose can handle, we’ve listed below these ten surprising (but still important!) things that you must know about your perfume — just in time your next shopping trip!

Moisturizing beforehand is a must

Before you go on and apply any fragrance, make sure to grab your favourite lotion and moisturise the application area properly. Perfume diffuses very well when it is used on well-moisturised skin, and hydrated skin is known to hold fragrance longer.

Perfume isn’t great for your hair

We’re all guilty of spritzing a perfume time and again on our hair just to reassure ourselves that others ( or even ourselves) can smell that amazing smell. However, we’ve been doing a lot of irreparable damage than it actually helps. Many perfumes might even contain alcohol, which can even lead to dryness if applied frequently.

Rubbing your wrists is a no-no

If you have the unwanted habit of rubbing your wrists against each other after you are done spraying a scent, discard the practice immediately and for good. Typically, perfumes are a pretty much complex combination of three notes known as the top notes, the heart notes, and the base notes. The top notes are the more fine ones and hence fade quickly, while when it comes to the base notes, they are durable. The friction caused by rubbing your wrists definitely accentuates the interaction that the fragrance has with your skin’s secreted natural oils, which can finally lead to distortion of the scent.

You can actually maximise the smell that your perfume has

Instead of only spritzing that fragrance all over yourself every single time, instead opt for applying the scent to certain specific areas of your body, or your favourite pulse points.

Pulse points are actual locations on your body at those points where the blood vessels are located closest to the skin. These spots basically radiate heat, which then helps the fragrance in radiating from the surface of your skin into the air.

The same scent might actually smell different to and on two individuals

When perfume is actually applied on skin, it can end up mixing up with your skin’s own unique chemistry. Factors like sweat, the environment, and personal things like even your diet can play a significant role in how your perfume smells. It might smell different on a person versus on their friend.

Let your nose rest

 When you are testing new perfumes, try to avoid more than three in a go. Your nose might actually have a lot of trouble differentiating the aromas in case you happen to overload. Do you need a quick way to actually clear your nasal passages? Just take a deep breath right against your shirt or even a bowl of coffee beans will do the trick. Fragrance stores usually have coffee beans on hand.

Perfumes today are not made out of real flowers

Because of the mass production of perfume, the actual use of real flower essences was without a choice, replaced with presently used synthetic fragrances. The upside of this? The life expectancy of a bottle of perfume has significantly increased. The increment is upto being doubled, primarily due to longer expiration dates.

Some perfumes might even contain animal ingredients

These ingredients might be synthetic also and might be used in a large variety of fragrances. Many of them even include civet. It is an ingredient that is unbelievably extracted from the faces or even the anal glands of a civet cat. Totally disgusting isn’t it?

Scents can lead to mood alterations

Recent research has clearly shown that a relatively quick spritz can go as far as lifting your spirits. If you are feeling overwhelmed, just apply a fragrance that contains lavender essence to promote relaxation to your body. If coffee didn’t wake you up entirely this morning, a citrus-infused scent might really awaken your senses.

Men’s fragrances aren’t just for men

Women wear one-third of men’s fragrances sold. Surprisingly, there’s little inherently masculine or feminine about a particular scent; it’s all how they present it.