Why does perfume smell different on each person?

It has been proven that perfume smells different on each person.

This is due to a number of reasons, one of them being the pH balance of your skin.

This means how the perfume smells will be dependent upon your individual skin’s acidity and condition, like how oily or dry your skin is.

Gabaiphiwe Vena, the owner of fragrant brand Gaba Exotic, believes that some people’s strong natural scent might not even be corrected by perfume.

“We all have different natural smells.” Some people have a “strong” odour and she says this can sometimes not even be “corrected by normal roll-ons or perfumes”.

READ: Smells like nostalgia: Do smells illicit certain memories for you?

She adds that “some people are naturally born with a strong distinctive smell,” and you might even still be able to smell it even when they have put on perfume.

The perfume expert says food can also be a big contributor to how a person smells.

For instance, spicy foods or hot peppers might affect the body odour, causing some people to even sweat or affect their armpits.  

Vena adds that “some smells are due to sickness”.

CEENTA also reports that even your hormone levels affect how your body reacts when a perfume is applied.

So, before buying a perfume because you smelled it from someone, rather test it on your skin first to see if you will still like the smell. 

READ: "I farted at work and my manager couldn't handle the smell!"

Image courtesy of iStock/ @vladans