Exploring the Truth Behind Popular Perfume Misconceptions

Perfume is for women and cologne is only for men – FALSE: perfumes and colognes are genderless fragrances, and the difference is solely based on the amount of aromatic chemicals and fragrant essences in the perfume.

A perfume smells the same on everyone – FALSE: perfumes smell quite differently on each person because we all have a unique individual body chemistry and pheromones; all of these differing factors combine with the fragrance, adding a personal note aura.

Rubbing a fragrance makes it last longer – FALSE: rubbing perfume can change the fragrance’s scent because the resulting friction will break up the fragrance molecules and alter the way the scent develops with the skin.

Perfumes don’t expire – FALSE: all perfumes eventually expire due to heat and humidity exposure throughout the years that break down the individual chemical compounds, but they tend to last longer the better they’re stored; they should ideally be stored in dry shady places such as the bedroom.

You should spray perfume in the air and walk through it – FALSE: despite being widely publicized, doing this actually wastes a lot of product and your skin will truly never be in contact with the fragrance, which will also reduce its longevity.