7 Myths about Perfumes demystified

     Kanwal, Perfumery Consultant

Hello friends I am working as Perfumery consultant at Next Care Inc. I receive lots of questions about the application and use of perfumes  I hope this article will help in clarifying doubts in the minds of perfume lovers. If you have any queries please mail me at mynextscent@gmail.com

MYTH 1 - Rubbing the area changes the scent. You may have seen people spray and rub their wrists

FACT 1 - You are bruising the fragrance by rubbing your wrists together, the heat generated from the friction unfortunately will sour the scent

MYTH 2 – Under arms is the best point to apply perfume

FACT 2 - Spritz the fragrance on wrists, neck and elbow pulse points and yes! even the backs of your knees. These are places where the veins are closer to the skin, giving off more heat which warms the fragrance and strengthens the scent.

MYTH 3 – Same perfume smell similarly on everybody

FACT 3 - There are a range of factors that can change how a perfume smells on your skin. Ever wondered why you and your friend smell different when wearing the same perfume?

Your hormones, diet and whether your skin is dry or oily can all affect your perfume’s characteristics. Heat is also important as fragrances need the warmth of your body to bloom and diffuse.

MYTH 4 – Perfume fragrance can be determined immediately after spray

FACT 4 – No, the fragrance of any perfume is dependent on Notes. Top notes are light and usually fade after about 10 to 15 minutes. Middle notes diffuse next and are the heart and theme of a fragrance. Base notes (often woody or musky) bloom last and usually linger. So yes, chances are you like the base notes. But, the full body of a fragrance comes from the mingling of middle and base notes, so it’s probably this combination that you love.

MYTH 5 – Perfumes evaporate fast from all skin types

FACT 5 - All other things being equal, perfumes evaporate more rapidly from dry skin, so the best way to make fragrance last longer is to use a relatively heavy body lotion or cream. Some people like to buy the "matching" cream for their fragrance, but you can also use petroleum jelly or jojoba oil.

MYTH 6 -  Eau de Cologne  Eau De Toilette, Eau De Parfum are one and the same thing i.e. Perfumes

FACT 6- These terms refer to the strength of the fragrance, or more specifically, to how much high grade alcohol and/or water has been added to the fragrance oils. Parfum (generally the most concentrated form you can buy) has 15-25% perfume oil dissolved in alcohol. Any mixture with a lower proportion of oil to alcohol is an eau (water).

Eau de Cologne (2 - 5% perfume oil)
Eau de Toilette (4 - 10% perfume oil)
Eau de Parfum (8 - 15% perfume oil)

MYTH 7 - I can keep the perfume anywhere for several years

FACT 7- Some industry experts say that perfume should be replaced every year, but properly stored, perfumes should last much longer. Most perfumes will keep several years, some will keep many more years than that.

To store perfume properly, keep it away from heat and light. A dark closet or a covered box is best. Also avoid direct exposure to air. Splash bottles, which expose the fragrance to air every time they are opened, are problematic. Consider decanting into a smaller atomizer for regular use. If you apply perfume directly from a bottle stopper, wipe the stopper with a clean, lint free cloth before replacing it in the bottle.

 Thanks for reading the article. Please give your feedback in the comments section.

Bye 

Kanwal