Many people tend to assume that dressing up with fragrances is a simple, no-frills affair. You spritz a little of that potent liquid, and you’re done.
However, many people may not know that there are certain considerations they should make to maximize the potency and power of their scent.
Factors like the environment you’re storing your fragrance in, your placement of the spray, and the type of ingredients your favorite scent is infused with – all play an integral part in elongating the wear time and quality of your fragrance. This article will cover five tips you should keep in mind to help you get the best value out of your money.
Rubbing Your Wrists Together Is Counterproductive
We’ve seen it in advertisements, movies, drama series, films, and reality shows. A character sprays their fragrance on their wrists and rubs them together while proceeding to reach for their neck.
We might think that this is the best way to infuse the aroma into your skin but what you may not know is that this method of application is counterproductive and in fact, shorten the wear time. The reason is pretty simple: you’re introducing friction, which causes the skin to create enzymes that alter the intended olfactory course.
With heat, the notes (especially the middle and top notes) are subdued, which could affect the time needed for your fragrance’s scent to ‘bloom’ and blend with your body chemistry. Additionally, certain perfumes are more affected than others – for instance, fresher notes like florals lose their crisp and sweet scent when they are being warmed up. The rule of thumb is simple – spray the fragrance and leave it to dry off naturally; that’s it!
A Stable, Consistent Environment is King
Many people subconsciously do this, but storing your perfume in different locations over a period of time with varying temperatures and humidity can be detrimental to the integrity of the scent.
We have to remember that fragrances at their core are a complex combination of various oils, plant materials, chemicals, and alcohol. Therefore, sudden shifts in temperature can bring about unexpected chemical reactions, which could cause your fragrance to smell a little off.
Likewise, with skincare products, UV rays are not your best friend and can change the chemical composition and distort the color of your fragrance.
Therefore, the most ideal place you should be storing your perfume is in a consistent and stable environment like a cool, dark cupboard in the box packaging it originated in at a temperature of around 70°F. While this might sound pretty extreme or bizarre, we have heard of people storing their perfumes in refrigerators as well!
Good Things Come in Smaller Packages
Oxygen is the natural enemy of fragrances as it works to break down the molecules and particles in the chemical composition in the liquid, causing many of their signature olfactory notes to lose their potency and strength.
Furthermore, as many of them contain organic materials, they usually can only remain fresh and high-quality for about three months. Therefore, if you are faced with the option of only one size, we recommend that you transfer your fragrances into smaller spritz bottles to prevent oxygen from penetrating through the opening. Otherwise, you can pop the bottle with the remaining bit of perfume left in the fridge to retain and preserve its integrity.
Spraying Your Hair Is an Option
Many people make the mistake of spraying fragrances on dry skin, which affects the longevity of the aroma during the day. Instead, you could be using an unscented and fragrance-free body moisturizer (to prevent it from mixing with your scent), which will help the perfume absorb better into the skin.
Also, when spraying on your body, target the areas exposed to the air – some popular choices are the wrists, toward the inner part of the elbows, and the upper parts of the neck near the pulse points. This is critical to consider as when we sweat, the natural oils that our skin produces will break down the scent. You can even consider using other placements like your hair as an alternative.
All-Natural Perfumes Aren’t Always Best
While having a fragrance with only natural ingredients is tempting and appealing, it always isn’t an option for everyone. Certain flowers like lily, peony, and freesia require special extraction techniques to blend synthetic ingredients and molecules to formulate the scent, as these do not release any floral notes automatically.
Ideally, the perfect perfume should have a balance of artificial ingredients, essential oils, and absolutes (concentrates) to create the highest-quality blend of notes for the best olfactory experience.
