BREATHING SWEET SCENTS
We all enjoy a range of perfumes, whether synthetic body perfumes or the natural scents that nature provides in the outdoors. It is instinctive to want to take a conscious deep breath when we sniff a beautiful aroma. This can be provided by a range of pleasant odours, from coffee and baked bread and other cooking smells, to the delicate floral scents in the garden, or the heavier fumes of burning incense.
To exude a sweet body odour is a natural feminine desire not only as an expression of personal nature but also as a male attractant in relationships. The sexual scales are well known in culture of the senses and body scent plays a large part in physical compatability. As the male scent is generally towards the strong, woody keynotes that increases women attraction to a man, so the softer, floral keynotes or feminine scent of a woman is naturally satisfying to the male.
The range of feminine perfumes has been explored to an extensive degree by the commercial perfume houses whose livelihood is particularly dependent upon the fascination that women have for the subtle pleasures of perfume. Female customers insist upon ‘new’ and exciting products as well as a personal perfume they rely upon to help them identify with the qualities characterized by the scent.
The sweet perfumes in essential oils, which provide the basis of all high quality perfumes, are easily recognized and include rose, lavender, orange blossom or neroli, jasmine and gardenia.
The sweet evening perfumes in the garden can be haunting. Although some of these have been captured through extraction of oils, others have to be synthetically created in an effort to please us, but indeed often fail.
There are hundreds of sweet scents released by flowers, plants, fruits and natural life. There are thousands of complex perfumes being created by the skills of perfumers.
But be sure that you are aware that only the natural scents are safe to consciously inhale. The manufactured perfumes contain chemicals, many of which are being now classified as toxic and must be avoided.
BREATHING STRONG SCENTS
As women like to offer sweetness in their choice of feminine perfume, so men who choose strong natural aromatics enhance their male attraction.
Although both sexes may happily enjoy the aromas of their opposite sex, each also has a need to gain confidence by using their own natural personal choice of scent for their own personality expression and satisfaction.
Some argue that they rather prefer natural body scent than any applied one but circumstances and state of health of an individual will cause us to enter into some debate before we can share this opinion. Certainly most everyone will agree that rather than using too strong an artificial scent, the natural scents of a healthy body are preferred. There is need to apply perfumes subtly if we are to best utilize the subtle art of perfumery.
The preference men have for using toiletries that hint of the strength of the cedars, the timbers and the warmth of captured sunlight in pines can readily increase an individual’s identity with these masculine energies.
The natural response of females to these aromatics is to wish to find comfort in the strength, leadership and protection that these properties represent.
HARMFUL SMELLS
We are all aware of the dangers of traffic fumes, tobacco smoke, pesticides and garden chemicals and take precautions accordingly, hoping to defend ourselves against toxic chemicals and invisible, carcinogenic substances.
It is regrettable that we also must include artificial chemical scents and perfumes in our list of potential negatives that endanger our health. Commercial toiletries including skin perfumes and body oils are usually complex in their make-up, unless they come with a guarantee to be pure, natural products. We must examine the list of ingredients in all chemical products and assess them according to our knowledge of their safety. We must do so on the understanding that many chemicals are not proven as yet regarding safety for general use.
Many of us who have allergic reactions or are hypersensitive to chemicals and suffer irritation or negative reactions demonstrate the factor of individual response in health matters. For those who fall into this category, there is no alternative but to mistrust every item until cautiously tested by personal trial.
Fragrances can affect the body through inhalation, ingestion or absorption through the skin. The most common signs of irritation from, or an allergic reaction to a fragrance in a product develops as a skin rash immediately or soon after using a perfume, cream or lotion. This is a clear warning sign that something is not right and the product must be avoided.
Scents can affect not only the person wearing the fragrance, but anyone who comes into contact with them. Depending on the degree of sensitivity, some will experience symptoms of varying intensity from nausea and headache, to skin itchiness and respiratory symptoms such as asthma.
This can be a very real and serious issue in a workplace both for co-workers and for the employer who has a duty of care and who must ensure the working environment is safe and free of health risks.
The only sure way to avoid these reactions to scent and chemical deodorizers is to have a policy of a workplace rule to be entirely ‘scent-free’ as achieved with tobacco free zones.
The Canadian Lung Association and the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has suggested scent-free policies as such an option for workplaces and public places. If this is adopted it will accentuate the need to use artificial perfumes as a private matter rather than in general public use. Although this does not include natural essential aromatics, caution and discrimination is advised in employing all aromatics and perfumes.
It will not be long before the need to address this issue attracts general focus.
