that scent is addicting - here’s why
that person smells so... wow
When someone walks by you, with their sweet cologne/perfume swiftly trailing behind them, do you ever feel slightly elated? Do you even find that person more attractive post-scent wave? Me too! Wonder why? Great smelling things actually trigger us at a neurological level.
According to the Social Issues Research Centre’s (SIRC) “Smell Report,” people exposed to pleasant fragrances tend to give higher “attractiveness ratings,” whether that be people in photographs or human beings in the flesh. So, compared to solely visual stimulation, it seems that some scents can be sexy!
What about your mood? You said you were feeling elated? Well, there’s good reason for that! Smells are highly emotional. By that, I mean they can make you feel feelings at a mere whiff. It comes down to our olfactory receptors (A.K.A the smell receptors) that are connected to the limbic system (the system of nerves in the brain connected with instinct and mood). “The Smell Report” calls the limbic system “the most ancient and primitive part of the brain, which is thought to be the seat of emotion.” So it turns out smells have been giving people the feels since the dawn of time! These smell sensations get passed through to the cortex, where it gets “cognitively recognized.” The deepest parts of our brains have been stimulated by this point, so before you think to yourself “this is rose” or “certain-perfume from specific-expensive-designer-brand,” the scent has already activated the limbic system and is dancing around in your brain triggering emotions associated with that smell!
Speaking of ancient and primitive, people have been scenting themselves by dabbing pure oils all over their bodies for centuries! Mmmm, think of the natural sweetness of frankincense, rose and sandalwood. Nowadays however, scents are created much, much differently. Today’s fragrance-producing wizards use the means of chemical potions to create new (totally unnatural) aromas, though don’t be fooled, because this is not magic and it’s certainly not made by the angelic wizard types (I’m talking evil warlocks). According to environmentalhealth.ca, a good majority of perfumes on the market today are made of a whopping 97 per cent synthetic chemicals! SYNTHETIC? Fake? Ew!
spritz carefully my friends.
Look at the ingredients list of your favourite scented items. Do you see “fragrance” or “parfum” perchance? What the heck does that mean? According to the David Suzuki Foundation, these terms represent complex mixtures of dozens of different chemicals. In fact, over 3,000 chemicals are vaguely labeled as “fragrance.” Even those so-called “fragrance-free” products are not truly so. I know what you’re thinking: “LIES!” “SLANDER!” Come on guys, you’ve read my articles, this is science. Plus David Suzuki said this, so it’s the truth! These “scent free” products often contain fragrance but have a masking agent tagging along behind, preventing your brain from perceiving odour! Like I said, wizards, the dark magic kind.
And what does that do to your bod as you spray it all over as part of your routine? Your skin indirectly absorbs all of this factory gumbo! Some natural scientists have posited that 60 per cent of what we apply topically ends up in our bloodstream. Keep in mind that this will vary based on age, skin type and a variety of different factors. Either way, be careful what you spray!
Suzuki has given talks on what he calls the “Dirty Dozen.” Guess who one of the top most wanted bad guys is? Fragrance/Parfum! Watch out for this chemical criminal, because Suzuki warns that this member of the Dirty Dozen Gang can be found in almost every kind of personal care product you can think of! So check your labels, folks!
I’ll wrap this up with two things: first being that I recommend you check out some of the latest smart phone apps available to truly find out what is in what you are wearing; ThinkDirty ShopClean and EWG’s SkinDeep apps are fantastic! Secondly, many of the “Dirty Dozen” Suzuki mentions are linked directly to carcinogenic effects – if you didn’t know before – carcinogenic means they’re chemicals whose screams of “Hey, we cause cancer,” can be heard all the way from the wizarding world.
Now I LOVE a good scent, don’t get me wrong, though there are some things you can do to be safe about smelling oh so saucy. For starters, spray your clothing, not your skin. IF you are really wanting your smell spots on your skin…then start with an oil, like pure jojoba; rub that oil into the areas you want to spray, then spray those with your scent. The benefit here is the oil will get absorbed more so than the spray, and hey, it makes your scents last longer, too. Woohoo!
Sniff out the facts in 2023, postulate on those ingredients and check them through an aforementioned app! Make this year one of enhanced health awareness!