The Sweet Smell of...Nothing

[bernat]

by Miriam

"This article (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/14/fa..._r=2&th&emc=th) from the NYTimes from Valentine's Day talks about the decline in perfume purchases. It starts with a trite story about a woman who seemingly ended two serious relationships because of scent-related issues:

“He thought I smelled like a traveling carnival, the kind where they sell corn dogs, because I guess the smell was reminiscent of cotton candy,” Ms. Ware, 28, said. “This was the demise of Trish No. 9.” It was a bad omen. Soon after, Ms. Ware said she broke up with the perfume-averse boyfriend. She has not worn fragrance since. A more recent boyfriend fared no better after he bought Ms. Ware what she called “an old-lady perfume” against her wishes.

"I won't even go there. The more interesting part of the article is the author's discussion of a budding fragrance-free movement, partially in response to some people's allergies to strong scents that are common in deodorants, perfumes and cosmetics. The conference I went to last week, Creating Change, had a fragrance-free zone.

"Now a few workplaces and cultural sites are trying to become fragrance-free zones. Some doctors’ offices ask patients not to wear perfume because some medical personnel or patients may have allergies or asthma that could be exacerbated by scent. Some schools ask students to forgo perfume and even scented deodorants if a teacher has a fragrance allergy — much like peanut butter has been removed from some cafeterias.

"What it doesn't really address is the fact that a decline in perfume purchasing might be due to an increased desire to smell more like yourself. It also implies that not wearing perfume equals having no smell at all. I'd argue we all have a smell, with or without scented products, and it can be pretty nice for some people.

"I'm not so unhappy to see this decline (although 85% of women still wear perfume, according to the article) mostly because of the gender stereotypes that many of the scents promote. Women need to smell like florals and fruit, while men need to smell like musk and pine trees."

[tdi]

That was an interesting article, thanks. I believe when anyone smells too strongly of anything it is offensive to others. Natural body odors can be extremely offensive . I am offended by the way heavy smokers smell and I recently cared for a patient whose Brother smelled like he had been bathing in old bong water. It took all the control I had not to throw up.