Cologne, Aftershave, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Parfum, etc.

[TurboKittie]

I have the same problem. That sensitive Scottish skin doesn't like cologne/perfume, and can actually burn me. So, I always spray (cologne) or dab (perfume) a tiny amount on my hair. This has opened up a world of new scent options for me, and I hope it may work for you. A little goes a long way.

Artificer, thanks for the tea tree recommendation for getting chlorine out of my hair. I swim twice a day. so I'm going to look into that one.

As for mens scents, I like a nice soap, but woodsy, not spicy. That Alan Cumming scent sounds good if it came in a soap. Other than that, I don't care for scent on a man. Just my two cents.

Funny, I also spray a little in my hair too. But mostly because I hug people a lot and I am short. Most of the time, they smell my head.

[Mickey]

As a further consideration, how loyal are people to their smell? For example Alan H. says the only product he really uses is Irish Spring; is that a long term situation or does it just happen to be the soap that was on-sale last week?.

For me, I am loyal to what I'm told works, and after many samples over the years, nothing compares to my main three, Brut still being the tops. I've actually had strange women (as in, women I don't know... as well as "strange" women..) swoon over my scent when wearing it, then give me a dirty look when I tell them what I'm wearing. They seem to think it is a smart-a@@ answer.

That brings up an interesting point: Individuals' body chemistry being a bit different, not all people will smell exactly the same using the same scent.

Which is why Brut and Old Spice seem to work on me and others just make me smell quite rank. It is also why I not only wear cologne/aftershave/deodorant (also O.S. or Brut), but also have it in my work desk and sometimes the car. I can apparently go from "flowers on a baby" to "sewage treatment plant" in a matter of hours, depending on the weather. And when you can't smell yourself, better safe than sorry.

For some unknown reason, the olfactory senses are very closely related to memory. So it's not surprising that while smells can take you back to a fond memory, your memory can also recall smells very vividly. It's fascinating, isn't it?

This is what makes this thread fascinating to me. I've read about these types of things that I can't experience, but I imagine it to be similar to music or taste, though I hear it is much stronger. Unlike Bugbear, who has a memory of scent, I can't ever recall smelling anything. So it is really cool to read things about this sense, at least to me.

(when I was in my teens, I was sprayed in the face by a skunk... never smelled a thing.. outside the fact that it was a powerful fume... Walked into the house and all hell broke loose. Didn't know what the problem was. But I can testify that between pepper spray or skunk in the eyes.... I'll beg for the pepper spray!)

[Zardoz]

Is it just me, or is the whole "scent allergy" thing pretty new? I had never heard of it until a few years ago, and now it seems that a whole lot of people have it. It all seems very odd to me.

Not just you. I think it's related to the nanny state smoking bans, now that many public places don't have the background smell of tobacco, lots of folks had to find something else to complain about. I don't dispute that people have reactions to various chemicals, but I think that rather than allergies, some of the symptoms are due to odor hypersensitivity or are mainly psychological. I saw a show on TV a while back where patients in some clinical trails reacted as often to the exposure to the chemicals they said bothered them as they did to placebos, including filtered air.

Me, I've been using Irish Spring soap since I was a teenager, and I wore English Leather for years as well. About 10 years ago, my wife gave me some "Bone Daddy" cologne, a tie-in with the movie 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. This was sort of a novelty thing, but everyone seems to like the smell of it, so I've been sticking with it. But I just wear a bit, enough to be noticed if someone hugs on me.

[CDNSushi]

Not just you. I think it's related to the nanny state smoking bans, now that many public places don't have the background smell of tobacco, lots of folks had to find something else to complain about. I don't dispute that people have reactions to various chemicals, but I think that rather than allergies, some of the symptoms are due to odor hypersensitivity or are mainly psychological. I saw a show on TV a while back where patients in some clinical trails reacted as often to the exposure to the chemicals they said bothered them as they did to placebos, including filtered air.

Whether or not it's all in their heads is really not relevant. Just because an underlying cause isn't physical doesn't make it any less serious or dangerous. Just ask anyone who knows somebody with PTSD...

The effect is very real, and I'm quite sure my friend does not ask or enjoy blacking out and losing several hours' worth of memory, or being taken unconscious to the hospital. As such, I think it's good that many places take measures to be scent-free. While you or I may possess the good common sense not to bathe in perfume, a LOT of people just don't have that kind of consideration. It's the actions of the inconsiderate that lead to rules that affect everyone.

[chrisupyonder]

I can't even use scented soap, any scented smell just overpowers me. I can't even use air fresheners etc. I look for deoderants that do not smell much.

Chris.

[seanachie]

Not just you. I think it's related to the nanny state smoking bans, now that many public places don't have the background smell of tobacco, lots of folks had to find something else to complain about. I don't dispute that people have reactions to various chemicals, but I think that rather than allergies, some of the symptoms are due to odor hypersensitivity or are mainly psychological. I saw a show on TV a while back where patients in some clinical trails reacted as often to the exposure to the chemicals they said bothered them as they did to placebos, including filtered air.

Me, I've been using Irish Spring soap since I was a teenager, and I wore English Leather for years as well. About 10 years ago, my wife gave me some "Bone Daddy" cologne, a tie-in with the movie 'The Nightmare Before Christmas'. This was sort of a novelty thing, but everyone seems to like the smell of it, so I've been sticking with it. But I just wear a bit, enough to be noticed if someone hugs on me.

I work in a lab that formulates hair care and skin care products for a lot of names that would be familiar . I am not a chemist but amongst my duties is raw material procurement. Fragrance free is huge today it is a major issue with many clients, and is a sought after claim (which has to be substantiated). Natural oils are big for this reason. Also, because regulatory docs is another responsibility, Allergen documents are essential for registration in most countries today. A client would need to submit all of this information to be able to sell most places.

And Zardoz, I am like you I have been using Irish Spring forever.

[Dale Seago]

Really? No-one has tried this? (http://www.cbihateperfume.com/2nd-alan-cumming.html) Looks like I might have to get a sample because I'm really curious...

Bottle is on the UPS truck for delivery today. So is a bottle of the Caswell-Massey #6.

[GoodGirlGonePlaid]

I just tried "Katy Perry's MEOW!"
Anyone else?


....What, no?

[Dale Seago]

Okay, the 2nd (Alan) Cumming has arrived, and frankly though it IS nice I find it a bit of a letdown. Seems almost identical to something my nose recalls from the '70s that I can't quite place; and it's much more "delicate" than the "1903" scent from J. Peterman.

Mind you, my smeller is not at its best right now, as I'm recovering from a cold; so others' mileage may vary considerably. I'm going to have to subject it to the "lass comparison test", along with the Caswell & Massey #6 once I have that.

[Ryan Ross]

Okay, the 2nd (Alan) Cumming has arrived, and frankly though it IS nice I find it a bit of a letdown. Seems almost identical to something my nose recalls from the '70s that I can't quite place; and it's much more "delicate" than the "1903" scent from J. Peterman.

Mind you, my smeller is not at its best right now, as I'm recovering from a cold; so others' mileage may vary considerably. I'm going to have to subject it to the "lass comparison test", along with the Caswell & Massey #6 once I have that.

Interesting...

...personally, I use no products that have a smell, and eat no strong-smelling foods.