My husband loves perfumes, and has given me a few over the years, but they sit in my bathroom cabinet collecting dust, along with several underarm deodorants of various scents that I’ve rejected.
I have just never found the scent of perfumes appealing. In fact, when I put them on I feel like I’m breathing horrible fumes. Sometimes they even make me cough. Very foul smelling fumes. It doesn’t matter how expensive the perfume is, or even if I like the smell from the bottle, once I put it on my body some kind of chemical reaction seems to occur. Actually, I’m not quite sure if that is the case, but that is my guess. Other people, however, have vastly different experiences. I’m not sure why.
I remember a long while ago I used to buy unscented underarm deodorant. It worked well and I felt fresh and sweat free, but nowadays the unscented variety seems to be absent from the grocery store shelves. It’s all “Spring fresh”, “Cool cucumber”, “Lavender” or similar. There are even some called clinical strength, that also smell unbearably toxic to me. I obviously must wear underarm deodorant, so I pick the lesser of the evils. I use it sparingly. If I use too much, even that scent bothers me. I wonder sometimes if it is just me being bothered by it, or if others smell what I smell.
My skin is also rather sensitive. I tend to use mild soaps. Their scents are also mild and fresh smelling to me, and they don’t bother my skin. When I moisturize, shampoo, condition and style my hair, I also use the mildest smelling or fragrance free or other dermatologist recommended products.
I don’t seem to have quite as much of an issue with the fragrances in clothes detergents or clothes softeners, unless they are highly perfumed. Honestly, I prefer hanging my clothes out on a clothes line outside (the best scent in my opinion), but I’m not permitted by my homeowner’s association.
We each have our own natural scent and these scents can vary at certain times. For example, according to an article by DNES it can vary when women are ovulating. During this period, men’s testosterone levels rise, increasing their sexual interest. In other words, a woman’s natural scent can be the most appealing. Other factors that affect a person’s natural scent could be lifestyle choices, genetic makeup, and diet. Masking those scents with perfumes, or otherwise, is everyone’s choice. I happen to have a strong preference for the natural scent of the animal I am.
Bird Flight 
This may be a shot in the dark, but I was very interested to read this post and would like to share my experiences. Being one bipolar person to another, I can say that I am very sensitive to smells (the most important of the senses, often reminding someone of a person or place from a previous time frame). Smells either just don’t exist for me, or are so foul I can’t bear to be near them. I am particularly sensitive to the smell of smoke, and often go around the house looking for the source. It takes a long time for me to convince myself that there really is nothing burning.
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Hi Sally. I do like some smells. I like the smell of flowers, BBQs, and many other things like that, just not artificially created perfumes and fragrances.
I do relate to what you say about smells like smoke. I went through periods of having olfactory hallucinations, but that is something I do believe was related to my illnesses. I think my aversion to perfumes is something I’ve had my whole life. Though I’m not sure, I don’t think that has anything to do with my illness. I think there are a number of people out there who share the preference for fresh natural smells.
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I have heard that the best perfumes combine with the body’s natural odor to create a unique scent. Sounds like you have a strong almost allergic aversion to artificial scents.
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I don’t know if it is an allergy. That’s worth thinking about.
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I know plenty of people who have them. One person I know has asthma attacks.
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That would be terrible to have asthma attacks from perfumes. I just sometimes feel like coughing, and the fumes bother my eyes and just give me a very disturbed feeling.
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The world today has forgotten that a little goes a long way – perfume is a tiny dab – and I put it on a sleeve, or a sock, or something that isn’t skin – and so rarely that I still have the perfume given as a gift when I graduated (the first time), and that was almost 20 years ago!
My underarm stuff – apple cider vinegar (pls don’t do it just after shaving!); my hair rinse – the same, followed by rainwater. Lots of ways to avoid the chemically created stink of modernity.
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That’s good to know about apple cider vinegar. It’s amazing how many beneficial uses it has. Thanks for commenting.
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