Acidic skin is one of the main causes of perfumes not lasting on the skin. Dry skin can also reduce the potency of a perfume. Using too much lotion can also dilute perfumes and essentially limit their lasting power.
Have you ever wondered why perfumes don’t last on you? It turns out it’s often not just your impression as fragrances not lasting are a common problem for many people. This article explores some of the common reasons why perfume has limited lasting power and why it fades quicker on some people.
5 Reasons Why Perfume Doesn’t Last on You
Issues with perfumes that fade away quickly are sometimes caused by specific skin conditions. Otherwise, these problems are misinterpreted, often due to heavy nose fatigue.
1. Acidic skin body chemistry
Acidic skin body chemistry is one of the main reasons why perfumes don’t last on you. Acidic skin (determined by measuring pH levels, typically under normal pH 7) is what makes perfumes evaporate quicker.
Some people think only weak-silage perfumes don’t last on the skin. But many fragrance fans suffer from acidic skin which is essentially one of the reasons even concentrated eau de parfum fragrances don’t last on the skin.
This problem is best dealt with by a medical professional. At the same time, some of the typical causes of acidic skin can be quickly eliminated. For example, the following are triggers for acidic skin.
Low-quality personal hygiene products – products without neutral pH can be a trigger for acidic skin. Popular examples include body wash and shampoos.
Hard water – showering with hard water can cause acidic skin. This issue is dealt with by using a home water filter.
2. Perfumes last but you have nose fatigue
Our noses are some of the most interesting parts of our body. They let us know what smells good, what smells bad, and what smells neutral. There’s a theory about nose fatigue that has some scientific grounding. Its adaptive response can often lead to unexplained nose fatigue which essentially limits the amount of perfume you can smell on yourself.
This problem should be easy to identify. If others can smell your perfume but you can’t, there’s a high chance your nose is fatigued, and taking a break from fragrances might help in the first instance to restore its natural smelling abilities.
3. Dry skin
Dry skin can be a sign of poor hydration, hard water showering, or another type of skin condition. It’s best to see a doctor if your skin is still dry after checking your water’s pH levels and moisturizing your skin properly without any visible effect.
Dry skin limits perfume silage. Your skin should be properly hydrated and healthy-looking for you to smell the perfume.
4. Weak perfume silage
Other common causes of perfume not lasting on yourself are weak silage. This is the easiest fix of all of the troubles listed in the article as you can get the best long-lasting perfume to see its true silage and lasting power.
Some of the longest-lasting perfumes in the world can be smelt up to 8 hours per day. There are even perfumes that last all day and perfumes that last up to 24 hours if you know where to look for them. Fragrancespotter.com often lists some of these perfumes worth your attention and it’s worth browsing the website to find out hidden gems which have very good lasting power (measured in hours).
5. Using too much lotion
If dry skin is an issue with perfume longevity skin that has too much lotion can be just as bad. If you put on too much lotion you risk diluting your perfume’s silage. This is especially the case for those who put on lotion after taking a shower and immediately spraying perfume over it. Furthermore, you might even notice that some types of lotion have their fragrance that often dilutes the smell perception of perfume.
What to do when perfume doesn’t last?
You can layer perfumes to make them last longer. Combining perfumes that go well together is a certain method of adding smell longevity. You can also hydrate your skin with a fragrance-free body lotion to saturate the skin to a neutral pH to make all perfumes last longer on you.
If you want your perfume to last even longer you can spray it directly on your clothes. You can apply cologne on shirts directly (if they don’t stain) to smell good for the entire day. Perfume penetrates clothing fibers deeply which means it tends to last a long time compared to when applied on the skin.
Final words
Perfumes not lasting is the biggest issue a fragrance fan can face. This can be either caused by a skin condition or by external factors such as hard water, toiletries that lead to <7 skin pH, or by nose fatigue.
FAQ
Why can’t I smell perfume on myself?
If you can’t smell perfume on yourself you might have acidic skin which evaporates it faster. You might also have nose fatigue which numbs most smells. Not smelling perfume can also be caused by dry skin. Lastly, weak perfume silage and even fake perfumes come with no lasting power.
How do you get perfume to stay on your skin?
You can moisturize your skin with a body lotion that features neutral pH to saturate it and give longevity to perfume. Alternatively, you can try layering perfumes so you have combined lasting power and stronger silage.
What makes perfume last longer?
The intensity and lasting power of perfume are dictated by the concentration of essential oils. The more concentrated a fragrance is the more it lasts. The strongest-lasting perfumes are eau de parfum and elixir versions.
Does perfume last longer on skin or clothes?
Perfume lasts longer on clothes. It penetrates fibers deeply also coming with a long-lasting power. Skin is warm which also leads to quick evaporation. At the same time, perfume applied on clothes doesn’t have the same silage as perfume applied on pulse points on the body (learn more about how to apply cologne here).