My cupboard was stacked with perfumes which I adored on the shelf but never wore. Wondering why? I discovered that, I no longer liked the fragrance. What’s in the bottle might not smell the same on you.

According to a study, you prefer fragrances that combine well with your body chemistry. This post will help you understand factors that affect your body chemistry and perfume.

Skin Type

There are three major skin types, and each type reacts differently with fragrances.

If you have dry skin, pores will be invisible, will have low elasticity, and rough complexion. Fragrances easily evaporate on dry skin, so it is good to moisturize before applying a fragrance. Normal skin will have almost flawless complexion with few or no imperfections, and barely visible pores. It has more oil content than dry skin, so fragrances have a better lasting power. The best skin type for fragrances to cling to is oily skin.

The effect of fragrance is different on different skin types, specially cologne and eau de toilette with flowery, citrusy or fruity aromas which have light scents and high volatility. On the other hand, oily skin perfectly complements musky perfume as the oil molecules bond together to shape depth and character to the scent.

Pheromones

Pheromones are chemical substance produced by an individual which affects the behaviour of others. These are predominantly secreted in the neck and other erogenous areas. Each person has a distinct, unique smell that is attributed to pheromones.

Fragrance can either be compatible or incompatible with one’s pheromones. This is the reason why a perfume can smell good on one person but not on the other.

Sweat

How much you sweat depends on factors such as your diet, race, and physical activity. When sweat mixes with the fragrance you apply, it results in a reaction which may change the original fragrance. Summery scents such as orange and grass mix well with sweat but blackcurrent, musk, wood etc give a foul smell on mixing with sweat.

Diet and Personal Lifestyle

Diet, eating habits, certain medications also affect your body odour. Vegetarians smell different from people who largely eat meat, fish etc. People who frequently eat spicy food also have a distinct, strong smell.

Food we eat are broken down and metabolized, their molecules burn up as fuel, get stored in tissue or pass through the body via blood stream. Food with potent smell and higher fat content stay longer in the body. So when perfumes combine with this on skin, prompts a chemical reactions that then produces a unique aroma.

Even a hangover, can completely transform how a perfume or cologne smells on you. Sugar in alcohol is broken down in the body and is flushed through skin pores, which again reacts with perfumes.

So always test a fragrance on your pulse points. Hope this will help you understand your unique body chemistry and explain why you love a fragrance which others may not like.