If you wash your hair with shampoo, spray on deodorant, and slip into freshly-washed clothes, you’ve got a problem.
Every single product you’ve used, from your shampoo to your deodorant to your washing detergent…
Not to mention your body wash, hairspray, perfume, and moisturizer…
All have a different scent.
You end up smelling like a dozen different chemical fragrances, all jumbled together.
And that chaotic combo could give the person sitting next to you a headache.
The Problem with Scented Personal Care Products
When we buy beauty products, we select scents in isolation.
We sniff the shampoo. We get the scented body wash. We love the candy-sweet smell of our deodorant.
Because we’re used to our own scent, we don’t realize how we smell to others.
Yet others can smell us. I can’t count the times I’ve passed someone on my favorite hiking trail and had to hold my breath until I was finally past their cloud of scent.
It’s surprising how long the smell of laundry detergent, or cigarette smoke, or perfume hangs in the air before it fades. The pervasiveness of chemical odors can be a problem for those, like me, who are sensitive to fragrance.
If you’ve been seduced by the plethora of scented products out there, I’m going to make a radical suggestion:
Switch to unscented personal care products.
Unscented soap. Unscented deodorant. Unscented shampoo. Unscented laundry detergent.
Not because you’re going to give up smelling great…
But because you’re going to take control.
3 Reasons to Go Unscented
Here are three reasons to switch to unscented beauty products right now.
- They let your pheromones shine through.
Instead of interfering with the body’s natural scent, unscented products do their job and fade away. A woman’s natural odor contains pheromones that are highly attractive to men. Studies show that men respond to the natural scent of a fertile woman with a surge of testosterone. Could sweat be the next Chanel No. 5?
- They’re safer.
The perfumes used in cosmetics and beauty products are absorbed by our skin, which means we should be concerned about what’s in them. However, fragrances are considered trade secrets, which means they’re unregulated.
In 2008 the International Fragrance Agency released a list of over three thousand chemicals used by their industry. Health advocates responded immediately. On the list were carcinogens, allergens and endocrine disrupters.
- They can be personalized.
You can’t change the scent of a scented product. But you can tweak your unscented beauty products.
Imagine creating your own custom scent, then adding it to your moisturizer and personal care products. Now, you smell exactly how you want to smell. No more fragrance confusion. No more smelling like everyone else.
The Future of Scent is in Your Hands
Even Walmart carries essential oils now.
Why?
Because everyone wants to be in control of how they smell.
Chances are, you have a friend or two peddling Young Living or doTERRA essential oils. These tiny bottles will set you back a pretty penny, but they go a long way.
Your job is to find out what scent(s) appeal to you, then select your essential oil brand carefully.
Don’t get confused by the term “therapeutic grade.” It’s a marketing term and not defined by any regulatory body. Health food stores can be a good resource for quality oils.
Unlike chemical fragrances, essential oils tend to fade once they’re dispersed into the air. To reapply, get yourself an essential oil roller bottle and fill it with your favorite blend.
Remember that pure essential oils can be irritating to the skin, so stay safe by adding them to a carrier oil like sweet almond or jojoba oil.
I love using essential oils as facial treatments. I apply rosehip oil with frankincense or a rose essential oil blend. I get to pick the oils that meet my skin’s needs.
On the background of a body free from chemical fragrances—free from scented laundry detergent, scented deodorant, scented shampoo—essential oils stand out. They enhance our scent without overpowering our natural pheromones. They encourage people to get closer.
Are you ready to claim your scent?
Let us know what you think!