I think I might start wearing perfume

[Laura Corin]

Since my mum moved in with us, I've been very aware of the smell of old people.  No, she's not unclean.  Yes, she smells different from younger people.  This article explains the science and is a plea of understanding.  

 

Personally, along with my goals of staying fit, keeping a good hair cut, being scrupulous about hygiene, I'm going to be adding perfume.  I want to be one of those lavender-scented old ladies, and I've told both my sons to let us know if we need to be doing more.  

 

Please note: I'm not saying that everyone should try to mask old-age smells.  This is my personal decision.

 

https://priceonomics.com/the-science-of-smelling-older/

[madteaparty]

I can't imagine ever stopping but thanks for bringing this to my attention :)

There's so many niche perfume things now, it's really fun. I know there used to be a database where you put what notes you like i.e. "Dirty rose", "lavender" "gourmand" and recommendations pop up. The website luckyscent here in the US also sends you samples with order...

[AnnE-girl]

I really want to start wearing perfume again. I used to before having kids, but I stopped because it's not a good idea to mask your natural scent too much while breastfeeding. I wear a natural deodorant with a very light scent only. My (possibly?) last nursling is nine months and I try to let my babies self-wean. So if he's like his siblings I have two to three more years.

[MercyA]

I'm so tempted by Demeter fragrances. Has anyone tried them? I'm thinking about Honeysuckle, Sunshine, Jasmine, or Suntan Lotion. Laundromat and Holy Smoke sound strangely appealing as well.

 

In their "Back to School" collection, they include Paperback and Crayon scents.  :laugh:

[Tammyla]

I've always wore perfume, but occasionally change the scent from time to time.  

 

Honestly, I did have a long time favorite that seemed to change on me recently; I'm pretty sure it had to do with hormones, but I had to change it up again.

[Garga]

What an interesting article! I was thinking the other day: why do we, as humans, not like how other humans smell? Why is it that if we don't bathe every day, we like how we smell less and less? Shouldn't, biologically or evolutionarily speaking, we love the way each other smells? Shouldn't we be attracted to the body odor of other humans? Why are we so replused by the smell of a human after a few (or just one) days of not bathing? Is it all psychological? Have we somehow turned off the switch that makes us like the smell of humans because of good advertising by soap companies? Why is bad breath so amazingly offensive? Humans in the past would have had horrendous breath and body odor. They couldn't have all hated it or they'd have avoided each other all the time. When did we change to hating it so much? Or maybe they all got used to it. I can't imagine kissing someone who hadn't brushed their teeth in a few days, or a few weeks. I mean, I almost vomit at the smell of really bad breath.

 

I had no clue that old people really had a smell and was surprised that everyone over 40 (!!!!) started having the smell. I'm 43!

Edited August 27, 2016 by Garga

[Garga]

I like to get Crabtree and Eveylyn's rose perfume. It smells just like roses without anything else to distract from it. I do think there's something else in there, but mostly you just smell like a fresh rose.

 

I don't wear perfume to church, though, because I don't know who might be there with terrible allergies to perfume. See, that's the problem with perfume. Some people have horrible allergies to them and suffer greatly if they smell it. I tend to wear it when I know I won't be out in public...but then that sort of defeats the purpose of perfume which is to smell good when you're out and about.

[marbel]

I like to get Crabtree and Eveylyn's rose perfume. It smells just like roses without anything else to distract from it. I do think there's something else in there, but mostly you just smell like a fresh rose.

 

I don't wear perfume to church, though, because I don't know who might be there with terrible allergies to perfume. See, that's the problem with perfume. Some people have horrible allergies to them and suffer greatly if they smell it. I tend to wear it when I know I won't be out in public...but then that sort of defeats the purpose of perfume which is to smell good when you're out and about.

 

My husband and son are highly allergic to perfumes and as I've gotten older, I've started to get headaches when around someone who is heavily perfumed.  I used to wear it, but can't anymore.   I appreciate a nice fragrance but I also appreciate when people are careful with it. 

 

My daughter has a couple of friends we occasionally carpool with to events.  The teen boy stinks up the car for days. Not with body odor.  Axe!   Ugh. That is the worst.  And of course not what the OP is thinking of wearing.   :-)

 

 

 

[regentrude]

Perfume is a problem. What smells nice to the wearer may cause asthma attacks in others.

We have this issue in choir every year, despite repeated announcements to eschew perfumes and scents. We had people leave the group because they could not breathe. And it would be extremely unprofessional of me to wear perfume at work where I have to interact with lots of people.

 

Also, I find perfume plus old people smell worse than old people smell alone.

[MEmama]

Yeah, not to be a downer but being around chemical scents is really hard on so many people. DS gets terrible headaches and eye pain when we have to dash into the mall from all the perfume being pumped out of shops. It didn't used to affect me, but now I get awful allergic reactions. I once broke out in hives after going into popular home goods shop. We avoid those places now, of course, but we can't run away from every perfumed person (thankfully very rare where we live). We just have to suffer our reactions in silence.

 

I have yet to smell anything pleasant on another person. I'd rather not smell them at all.

[Laura Corin]

Yeah, not to be a downer but being around chemical scents is really hard on so many people. DS gets terrible headaches and eye pain when we have to dash into the mall from all the perfume being pumped out of shops......

 

I have yet to smell anything pleasant on another person. I'd rather not smell them at all.

Yes, but that may not be an option.

 

I totally agree with you about over-scented shops.

 

I made perfume thus morning using garden flowers and vodka. I will be interested to see how it turns out.  The recipe is here, if anyone is interested:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/aug/21/summer-holiday-gardening-fun-with-the-kids

Edited August 27, 2016 by Laura Corin

[kewb]

Love me, love my old lady smell.

 

I can't wear perfume.  Cologne and perfume give me terrible headaches. 

[Guest]

I dont appreciate either flowers or perfume indoors, just makes people sneeze. I know several 80+ people...if they use a perfume or aftershave I know it, but otherwise I dont notice any smell. They all shower regularly and keep their clothing immaculate. The people I know that smell all have health issues, poor hygeine, or a diet that is conducive to b.o.

[Vida Winter]

I'm so tempted by Demeter fragrances. Has anyone tried them? I'm thinking about Honeysuckle, Sunshine, Jasmine, or Suntan Lotion. Laundromat and Holy Smoke sound strangely appealing as well.

 

In their "Back to School" collection, they include Paperback and Crayon scents.  :laugh:

 

I love Demeter laundromat fragrance. The others, not so much. We tried crayon, play-doh, honeysuckle, suntan lotion, and a few others. Thunderstorm is an interesting one, not sure if I like it or not.

[Laura Corin]

 I know several 80+ people...if they use a perfume or aftershave I know it, but otherwise I dont notice any smell. They all shower regularly and keep their clothing immaculate. The people I know that smell all have health issues, poor hygeine, or a diet that is conducive to b.o.

 

Yup.  Not the case with my mum.  Excellent diet, health that astonishes her doctors, and I'm on top of the hygiene.  Bad luck I suppose.

[Laura Corin]

I love Demeter laundromat fragrance. The others, not so much. We tried crayon, play-doh, honeysuckle, suntan lotion, and a few others. Thunderstorm is an interesting one, not sure if I like it or not.

 

I received free samples of Neom scents: I really like the de-stress and the energy boost.  Not that I believe that they have those effects, I just like the smells.

[flyingiguana]

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2008/07/17/now-apologize-to-your-grandmother-old-people-smell-is-a-myth-study-says/#.V8GhFCgrLIU

 

"he and his team asked a set of 25 volunteers to walk up and down the stairs until they got sweaty; then the scientists used funnels to collect the sweat of the subjects’ backs. Preti said the sweat of people over 40 had higher concentrations of a few chemicals compared to that of younger people, but the chemicals in question didn’t carry a strong smell. And, he said, he found none of the greasy-smelling chemical that the Japanese scientists found.

Why the difference in the studies? Fish, Preti says. The seafood-heavy Japanese diet could cause a buildup ofunsaturated fatty acids, and other chemicals which would speed the oxidation of those acids. Of course, we won’t have to worry about that if seafood disappears, as some scientists predict."

 

Maybe they're both fairly small studies though

[Guest]

Yup. Not the case with my mum. Excellent diet, health that astonishes her doctors, and I'm on top of the hygiene. Bad luck I suppose.

Its chemistry. Is it all over, or from a particular region of the body? In the clothes? The drapes?

 

One that I learned recently was drying the skin folds. When memory goes and bathing is not assisted, there can be a bacteria buildup in spots that werent dried. Also the bra...it may need washed more frequently and worn less frequently between washing s.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Heigh Ho

[mumto2]

I am one of those people who can't be around perfume or I suffer. I try to stay away from potential perfume wearers in crowds.

 

That being said my father firmly believed that if he could smell a woman's (or man's) perfume he knew that their hygiene habits were poor. When anyone in my family smells perfume we tend to think in those terms to be honest.

[TranquilMind]

Since my mum moved in with us, I've been very aware of the smell of old people.  No, she's not unclean.  Yes, she smells different from younger people.  This article explains the science and is a plea of understanding.  

 

Personally, along with my goals of staying fit, keeping a good hair cut, being scrupulous about hygiene, I'm going to be adding perfume.  I want to be one of those lavender-scented old ladies, and I've told both my sons to let us know if we need to be doing more.  

 

Please note: I'm not saying that everyone should try to mask old-age smells.  This is my personal decision.

 

https://priceonomics.com/the-science-of-smelling-older/

 

Just don't do it in closed spaces and around allergic people. 

 

I took care of my mom.  It is true that she had a scent - not unpleasant, but distinctive. 

 

[TranquilMind]

I am one of those people who can't be around perfume or I suffer. I try to stay away from potential perfume wearers in crowds.

 

That being said my father firmly believed that if he could smell a woman's (or man's) perfume he knew that their hygiene habits were poor. When anyone in my family smells perfume we tend to think in those terms to be honest.

 

If I can smell your perfume, you are wearing too much.  It should never announce your presence before you arrive or trail behind you like an entourage ( I often want to tell the overperfumed ladies at church.  Why are there so many offenders at church?)

 

The smell shouldn't be more than a whisper and one should  only get a whiff if one is close enough to kiss. 

[TranquilMind]

Yeah, not to be a downer but being around chemical scents is really hard on so many people. DS gets terrible headaches and eye pain when we have to dash into the mall from all the perfume being pumped out of shops. It didn't used to affect me, but now I get awful allergic reactions. I once broke out in hives after going into popular home goods shop. We avoid those places now, of course, but we can't run away from every perfumed person (thankfully very rare where we live). We just have to suffer our reactions in silence.

 

I have yet to smell anything pleasant on another person. I'd rather not smell them at all.

I turned around at the door and walked out of the Aria hotel because of the awful scent they pump everywhere. 

We had to move rooms a couple of times when we finally scored one.  I don't know what is wrong with hotels that they think everyone enjoys a strong stench. 

[OhioMomof3]

I would love to find a perfume that won't negatively impact me with breathing issues or headaches. I believe it's flower scents that mostly cause me problems. However, I also think that anything in an aerosol container bothers me as well; I had to nix husband's use of Axe body spray due to it being an aerosol. Do any of you have recommendations for perfumes that aren't "flowery" and in an aerosol form that might work for me? If you have sensitivities to perfumes and have found one that works for you, will you please share that as well?

[Stacia]

I love Bvlgari White Tea & have been wearing it for years. I also have it in lotion form, which is a nice way to add scent if you don't want aerosols or sprays. (I only put some of the lotion on my neck, not all over.)

 

It's light, fresh, & lovely, imo.

 

I also love Estee Lauder's Knowing, but haven't worn it in awhile. It literally makes my mouth water. (Not sure why, but it does. Lol.) It's a bit heavier so, to me, it's more of a winter fragrance.

[Guest]

I would love to find a perfume that won't negatively impact me with breathing issues or headaches. I believe it's flower scents that mostly cause me problems. However, I also think that anything in an aerosol container bothers me as well; I had to nix husband's use of Axe body spray due to it being an aerosol. Do any of you have recommendations for perfumes that aren't "flowery" and in an aerosol form that might work for me? If you have sensitivities to perfumes and have found one that works for you, will you please share that as well?

I recommend trying samples from a company like Olfactif - that way you can try tons of wonderful, high end fragrances and see what you do and don't like:

http://www.olfactif.com

 

Things like lotions and body sprays in bath product land are the ones that bother me most. The higher end fragrances with nicer ingredients give me much less of a headache than cheap synthetics.

 

I find spraying them near my face or walking through them is a big fail, I tend to spray either on my torso or dab with a cotton ball behind my knees or even rub a little into my hair. Very light, very personal, nowhere near my neck or face or I get migraines. And nobody can smell me who isn't standing right there - I've verified :)

Edited August 27, 2016 by Arctic Mama

[J-rap]

Interesting article!  I don't notice that smell on my elderly parents.  I DO sometimes notice it on my college-aged kids who don't do their laundry often enough!  :D   I like perfume, but have to be super careful because of all the people in my family who have migraines.  So, I try and stick with perfumes that just smell light and fresh.  I had one once that just smelled like light, fresh soap, but I can't find it anymore.

 

I have told my kids to be sure and let me know if I start wearing my clothes or makeup strangely when I'm older!

[Ms Brooks]

I make my own personal scent rather than using harsh perfume chemicals on my body. My personal scents don't last as long as store bought, so I carry it in my purse. I make it as a roller on or solid.

 

I like the scents from this company~Pacifica   

[Bluegoat]

I think the largest problem with prefumes bothering people is either they are wearing too much, or it's cheap stuff - as was said above, the kinds on other products are often the worse.  I had a terrible experience once when I had to pick up some hairspray on the way to an army parade.  It turned out to be horribly over-scented, but I had to really shellack it on to keep my hair in place.  I smelled like a cheap bordello.

 

My favorite scents tend to be musky or spicy - I love sandlewood.  In summer more citrus.  I do like lavender but not so much other flowery scents or sweet ones.

 

One of the things I like best about scents is how they are associated with particular people.  My aunt and Nana both worse very specific scents and whenever I smell them, it it a really strong memory trigger.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I rarely encounter a perfume that doesn't give me a headache or smells awful to me.  Not saying you shouldn't wear it though!  I prefer unscented everything including antiperspirant.  Probably the only thing I don't mind the smell of is some of the Febreze sprays.  Too bad Febreze doesn't make perfume.  LOL

 

 

[jjeepa]

 

 

I took care of my mom.  It is true that she had a scent - not unpleasant, but distinctive. 

 

 

Same with my mom.  It was distinctive, but not unpleasant.  She had good hygiene and followed a very clean diet up until she passed away recently.  It was just her.  

 

I really like wearing perfume.  I stopped wearing it when breastfeeding and then just got out of the habit, but started wearing it again a few years ago.  I don't use much...just enough for my husband and I to enjoy it.  

[Guest]

I rarely encounter a perfume that doesn't give me a headache or smells awful to me. Not saying you shouldn't wear it though! I prefer unscented everything including antiperspirant. Probably the only thing I don't mind the smell of is some of the Febreze sprays. Too bad Febreze doesn't make perfume. LOL

You know I LIKE perfume and still have a very hard time with deodorant and hair products smelling too strong. Laundry detergent too. It's just too much and it's on me constantly in areas that get hot and he fragrance gets amplified. Controlling a little perfume I actually like and tolerate is SO much easier than dealing with body products.

 

I wish it was easier to find lighter smelling products but even the hippy section of the grocery store is heavily scented. Grr. And don't get me started on the candle aisle that wafts across the entire home goods section, or the drawer sachets by the bath and bedding.

[TranquilMind]

You know I LIKE perfume and still have a very hard time with deodorant and hair products smelling too strong. Laundry detergent too. It's just too much and it's on me constantly in areas that get hot and he fragrance gets amplified. Controlling a little perfume I actually like and tolerate is SO much easier than dealing with body products.

 

I wish it was easier to find lighter smelling products but even the hippy section of the grocery store is heavily scented. Grr. And don't get me started on the candle aisle that wafts across the entire home goods section, or the drawer sachets by the bath and bedding.

I want a tiny bit of scent, so I use unscented and add a tiny bit of the Ecos.  It's overwhelming full strength. 

[TranquilMind]

Same with my mom.  It was distinctive, but not unpleasant.  She had good hygiene and followed a very clean diet up until she passed away recently.  It was just her.  

 

I really like wearing perfume.  I stopped wearing it when breastfeeding and then just got out of the habit, but started wearing it again a few years ago.  I don't use much...just enough for my husband and I to enjoy it.  

 

Once in awhile, I can still smell her scent on an old coat I brought here after she was gone.  I miss her.  It makes me feel home again.    I play her "Happy Birthday" recording she left on my answering machine on my birthday

 

 

[Laura Corin]

I make my own personal scent rather than using harsh perfume chemicals on my body. My personal scents don't last as long as store bought, so I carry it in my purse. I make it as a roller on or solid.

 

 

What's your recipe?  I have lots of flowers to use.

[Ms Brooks]

What's your recipe?  I have lots of flowers to use.

 

To really DIY and make your own essential oils for perfume you need to have a still, so using your own flowers will not produce a perfume. I looked at making my own oils once and was astonished at how many flower heads go into making a rose essential oil, or a lavender essential oil---1,000s.  I buy the essential oils and use recipes from Mountain Rose, but there are many recipes out there on the internet. I choose simple mixes. Good luck.

 

P.S. This is how I got soaping. I could never find what I wanted so I made my own. I know what goes into what I make.

Edited August 27, 2016 by Ms Brooks

[cintinative]

My MIL wears so much perfume that when she visits us our house the guest room smells for the next month. I understand wanting to wear a little perfume but it is ridiculous how much she wears. We think she must have lost her sense of smell to wear so much.  =)

[SporkUK]

I know when I started dealing with premature ovarian failure/premature menopause at 28, one of the big things I was suddenly really aware of was that I smelled different and stronger and even smelled different depending on what I've been doing. I now literally think and say sometimes that I need or will need an extra shower or need to do something before a shower because I'll smell like [activity] sweat and bug and worry me that it's bothering others if I don't plan it like that. I've not thought to use perfume though my partner likes buying us all scented antiperspirants which I use sparingly from time to time.

 

It is an odd thing, as Garga said, how we react to smells so differently from other animals though there are other things I have odd reactions other smells [i cannot stand the smell of Dr. Pepper, it smells like ash or something to me]. 

[ktgrok]

I recommend trying samples from a company like Olfactif - that way you can try tons of wonderful, high end fragrances and see what you do and don't like:

http://www.olfactif.com

 

Things like lotions and body sprays in bath product land are the ones that bother me most. The higher end fragrances with nicer ingredients give me much less of a headache than cheap synthetics.

 

I find spraying them near my face or walking through them is a big fail, I tend to spray either on my torso or dab with a cotton ball behind my knees or even rub a little into my hair. Very light, very personal, nowhere near my neck or face or I get migraines. And nobody can smell me who isn't standing right there - I've verified :)

 

Thank you for that link, I just ordered several samples :)  I got Sweet William, which has both floral, patchouli, and cinnamon notes, Memoirs of a Trespasser mostly because the creator designed a fake book to go with the perfume, and Ambre.

 

I'd never heard of any of these before!

SaveSave

SaveSave

Edited August 28, 2016 by ktgrok

[Guest]

Memoirs is wonderful! I have another fragrance by the same company and love it, very unusual.

[redsquirrel]

 I only wear vanilla scented oil. I smell like a cookie, lol.  And when I am old I'll smell like an old lady cookie.  Anything else gives me a headache. I tend to use scent free detergents, deodorants, shampoos etc b/c anything else makes dh's nose itch. 

 

My mom's husband smells like a cheap......  well, I'm not going to say what he smells like. That man is so perfumed and powdered my house stinks for days of old spice and whatever else he wears. I don't know how my mom stands it. I guess its because her sense of smell has diminished? It's funny because he's such a macho type of guy (for an almost 80 year old), but he's the MOST perfumed person I have ever met. It's all 'guy smell' stuff, but it's all crazy perfumed.  I think he stinks.

 

And when we visit my mom does my laundry no matter what I tell her and our stuff stinks from her Tide detergent for several washes.

[happi duck]

I make my own personal scent rather than using harsh perfume chemicals on my body. My personal scents don't last as long as store bought, so I carry it in my purse. I make it as a roller on or solid.

 

I like the scents from this company~Pacifica

Pacifica makes my favorite scents!

[kiwik]

My husband and son are highly allergic to perfumes and as I've gotten older, I've started to get headaches when around someone who is heavily perfumed. I used to wear it, but can't anymore. I appreciate a nice fragrance but I also appreciate when people are careful with it.

 

My daughter has a couple of friends we occasionally carpool with to events. The teen boy stinks up the car for days. Not with body odor. Axe! Ugh. That is the worst. And of course not what the OP is thinking of wearing. :-)

 

 

 

Perfume makes me wheeze, sneeze and itch. Going down the cleaning products aisle hurts my head. I'll live with the old person smell and avoid those wearing perfume.

 

Strangely some of the worst offenders have been expensive aftershaves that smelt nice.

Edited August 28, 2016 by kiwik

[Guest]

Ah, the Hive is always so funny about scents.

[marbel]

Ah, the Hive is always so funny about scents.

 

LOL I think people everywhere are funny about scents.

 

I do wonder/worry sometimes what my house smells like.  What body odor or food odor permeates?    But people don't sneeze in my house from the artificial scents.  I do boil lemons (spring/summer) or cinnamon sticks (fall/winter) sometimes if I'm feeling insecure.  

 

We have some friends who use so much stuff that if we are in their house for an evening, when we come home our clothing stinks of their fabric softeners and such.  It's like when we used to go to bars and came home smelling of cigarettes. 

 

A couple of years ago while visiting my sister, she presented me with a quilt she'd made.  It is beautiful and I love it!  But it stunk so badly of scented detergent and fabric softener that even though it was wrapped up and in the far back of the Suburban on the way home,  my son got sick in the car from it.  It took me weeks of washing, soaking in baking soda, vinegar, hanging out on the line in sun and rain, to get the smell out so we could use it.  

 

Sorry Laura, I'm sure this is not the turn  you were expecting on this thread.  

Edited August 28, 2016 by marbel

[Laura Corin]

 

 

Sorry Laura, I'm sure this is not the turn  you were expecting on this thread.  

 

No problem.  I don't use scented soaps or detergents either - I'm hoping for something a bit more subtle and targeted.

[Monica_in_Switzerland]

My mom, who is very frangrance-senstive, is able to diffuse essential oils with no issues.  Maybe look that route, as the more natural oils may not cause as many issues for people?  

 

I am the OP from the other recent perfume thread, so I totally feel ya on wanting to spruce up your smell.  :-D  

[Pawz4me]

My mom, who is very frangrance-senstive, is able to diffuse essential oils with no issues.  Maybe look that route, as the more natural oils may not cause as many issues for people?  

 

I am the OP from the other recent perfume thread, so I totally feel ya on wanting to spruce up your smell.  :-D  

 

I'm fairly fragrance sensitive -- not awful, but to the point that I will NOT walk through a department store fragrance area and sometimes I have to hold my breath and hurry down the cleaning aisle at the grocery store, Target, etc. I've found that I tolerate natural scents (vanilla, cinnamon and other spices, citrus, etc.) much better and in fact enjoy most of them. I'd like to find a nice product line that smells of natural vanilla.

[Laura Corin]

I'm fairly fragrance sensitive -- not awful, but to the point that I will NOT walk through a department store fragrance area and sometimes I have to hold my breath and hurry down the cleaning aisle at the grocery store, Target, etc. I've found that I tolerate natural scents (vanilla, cinnamon and other spices, citrus, etc.) much better and in fact enjoy most of them. I'd like to find a nice product line that smells of natural vanilla.

 

I'm working on this process, as described in the NYT with lavender from my garden plus cloves and cinnamon stick.  I'm just doing it in alcohol, so it won't linger, but if I make it myself, I can keep a little spray to hand.  Fun to try, anyway.

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/10/garden/10perfume.html

[marbel]

I wonder if these would work for some people?  Badger balm.   I bought a tube of the stress soother though I haven't used it when home around my allergy sufferers.  I like the smell of it though I can't say it really soothes stress.  Sometimes if I feel like my deodorant is failing on a hot day I will dab some in my armpit area.  Not sure if it does any good but it makes me feel better.  

[merry gardens]

That article was fascinating.