You may have had one of those days in which you walk past a store as you shop and smell something good. Upon closer inspection you realize it is a new fragrance that smells absolutely divine. This scenario can go one of two ways; you could buy the product and live happily ever after, smelling fantastic and drawing the gaze of others and inquiries of where they can buy this great beauty product. On the other hand, you may go home with it only to realize the spot you tried it is now itchy, you have started sneezing, or when you go in to work the next day, the person nearest you requests you do not wear that same scent again. Tricky, very tricky.

Gambling with scents is not always restricted to perfumes or colognes. Smells are a huge part of our lives, so even the moisturizer you use can be fair game if it is scented. What is more, not everyone smells exactly what you may smell. A moisturizer that may smell like daisies to one woman might smell strangely like Play-dough to another. It can seem strange because most people will agree that the smell of something like baking cookies is delicious, but you have to consider the connections our brains make with smell. Baking cookies smell wonderful because the scent is associated with the concept of eating warm, tasty cookies. Consider what beauty products are out there and the scents they have; our brains may not have anything to connect to those smells so we are going in by that smell alone and make many decisions from there (unless subconsciously we have a reason for not liking that smell, but it is unlikely you will ever truly know if this is the case).

In that case, the next time someone says they do not like your perfume or cologne, there is no need to be offended. You may think that person is crazy for not liking the smell, but you should try to be courteous and either reduce the amount you use so the nearby person cannot smell it from where they are, or stop using it when you go to that particular place (at work, on the bus, etc.) and instead use it elsewhere. While employers are not required to provide scent-free environments for their employees, this is no reason to be inconsiderate.

Beauty products like fragrances can do a lot more than tickle someone’s nose. Some fragrances can actually cause allergic reactions in some people, so if this is what is happening, you should consider not using the scent at all around that person, whether it is a perfume or some other beauty product or skin care product like a moisturizer. This includes yourself. Also, fragrances can irritate your skin. Many dermatologists who treat people with skin problems such as eczema recommend the avoidance of products that contain fragrance. Some fragrances can make your skin red, itchy, and potentially break out into a rash. More hassle than you wanted when you bought the product, to be sure.

Be aware that fragrance can pop up in any number of beauty product related places: shampoo, hair spray, moisturizer, and even something as small as a lip gloss. Though companies try to get rid of any fragrances that can cause reactions in people, it is difficult to eliminate everything, especially when most of their customer base has no problem with the fragrance. When this is the case, you may be safe to assume that the fragrance is not going anywhere any time soon. Instead, pay attention to beauty products that say fragrance-free. Remember, you may open up the bottle and think it still has a smell, but this is the natural scents of the ingredients, not an added fragrance. Added fragrance ingredients are typically what cause reactions.

Under most circumstances you will have little to worry about when it comes to fragrance; just be sure to keep an eye out for outcomes and try not to overdo the amount you put on, just in case.