It's probably happened to you before: You sniff a perfume at a friend's, colleague's or stranger's, and it's love at first breath. You want to have exactly this scent and wear it yourself. No wonder, you want to run and just buy it.
Not necessarily a good idea, because there is something that you should definitely clarify beforehand: namely whether this fragrance loves you as much as you love it.
Why Does a Skin Type Matter When Choosing a Fragrance?
The individual skin type is essential when looking for the right fragrance. The current favorite scent smells significantly different on the girlfriend, which is due to the different texture of the skin's surface.
No two people are the same, and diet and the consumption of medication also play an important role. When looking for the fragrance that suits your personality, you should determine your skin type.
This is because whether the perfume suits your skin type depends on the pH of your skin, but not only that. Depending on the pH value of the skin, perfumes smell more or less intensively. Perfumers therefore differentiate between rather oily and rather dry skin.
How the Skin Type Influences the Choice of a Fragrance
Why the same scent doesn't smell the same on everyone depends on a wide variety of factors. The skin's own natural odor, of course, but also hormones, medication, eating habits or heavy smoking can influence the scent result. The most important factor is probably the skin type.
Oily Skin
You don't hear it often, but fragrances love oily skin. The natural oils that the human body secretes provide an excellent base for perfumes to stay on the skin longer.
Oily skin intensifies and sweetens any scent. This is because the skin's natural oils allow the scent to stick better. So shift down a gear here and reach for slightly flowery and fruity nuances such as citrus, grapefruit or ylang-ylang, for example.
Fragrances for Dry Skin
A fragrance cannot adhere well to dry skin. It evaporates quickly and the smell just goes away. This is because the oils cannot find a hold on the dry and rough surface of the skin and evaporate more quickly. Light, fresh scents dissipate quickly, so the base note goes for a heavier aroma that goes deeper and has lots of oil.
Therefore, the basic rule is: the stronger the better. Fragrances with an oriental touch and opulent notes such as vanilla or musk harmonize perfectly with dry skin.
Those who have dry skin do not rely on conventional fragrances, but on perfume sticks or oils. These contain a lot of moisture and the fragrance lasts longer.
Best Fragrances for Sensitive Skin
Sensitive skin is very different and it is difficult to categorize it. Some react to certain substances, others only to a limited extent. A myth says that sensitive people should only rely on natural substances. However, these contain numerous allergens.
Note: Natural fragrances are an irritant to the skin. This is also the reason why most skin care products for sensitive people are fragrance-free.
Tips to Help You Find the Right Scent
Think about personal hygiene: Before testing the product on this day, do without perfumed body care after the shower. This disturbs the senses and may falsify the smell.
Don't smell too much: If you're looking for the right perfume for a long time, you'll tire quickly. After five scent notes, the nose can no longer distinguish anything.
Tester versus skin: First spray the chosen fragrance on a tester. If it fits there, spray it once and test it on your skin. Fragrances work best where the skin is thinner and the blood pulsates, such as the neck or wrist. If you have more than two scents, you should switch to the forearm.
Paper strips can lie: Spray the scent directly onto your skin and watch it develop there throughout the day. Parts of the body where the skin is particularly thin and the blood pulsates (e.g. the inside of the wrist) absorb the smell best.