This might come as something of a shock, but scientists claim that your perfume could be ruining your love life. And here we thought that our signature scent was what was needed to attract a partner!
Pin this article for later! For more, follow Good Housekeeping on Pinterest.
Apparently not so. And since we notice when people smell good because they are wearing a great fragrance, this also contradicts everything we thought we knew about perfume and why we wear it, which is to leave a lovely trail of scent as we enter and exit a room. So what exactly are these scientists saying?
Related: Are you making this huge perfume mistake?
The science of smell
It all comes down to chemistry – something that is necessary when you want to make a romantic connection with someone. Humans, like many animals, use scent as a way of picking up information about others. This means that masking our natural musk with an artificial fragrance can cause a breakdown in nose-to-brain communication. The part of our brain that registers smell is located near our memory, which is why people like to wear their partner’s clothing when they aren’t around.
One study, which was conducted in the ’90s and involved sweaty T-shirts, showed that we are most attracted to people who have a scent that is the opposite to our own and, if we cover it up with perfume, our perfect match might not be able to ‘sniff’ us out. So if you are picking and wearing perfumes in the hope that they’ll help you to attract a special someone, you might want to rethink your strategy. Or not!
Related: 5 unusual places to apply perfume
PHOTO: iStock/cglade
ALSO READ:
How to buy the perfect fragrance in an airport’s duty-free shop
