Why does the same fragrance smell different on different people?

We like to think of ourselves as experts in the Wildest fragrances you can think of! But have you ever had a Wild scent that you LOVE, but it smells different on a friend/family member and they don’t like it? Fragrances sometimes smell different on different people, let’s explore why:

All about the skin

Fragrances smell different from person to person because of our individual skin and body composition! It’s all to do with biology, yes… very Wildly scientific. You might remember the PH scale from school? Well our skin has a unique PH balance that may be different to someone else. Your skin will react differently to the fragrance depending on your specific PH balance!

Not only does your unique skin PH balance determine how acidic your skin is, it also impacts sensitivity and oiliness or dryness. This is important as most fragrances last longer and smell objectively ‘better’ when applied to moisturised, or oily, skin. If you have naturally dry skin, a fragrance could smell different on you in comparison to someone who has naturally oily skin, or who has just applied moisturiser! The top notes of a fragrance will last longer on oily skin and it will make the rest of the fragrance pop. However, this may also over-exaggarate certain smells, such as very sweet scents that can become overpowering on oily skin. If you are a big fan of Thunderstorm and dislike the way Chocolate Fondue smells after contact with your skin, then you may have an oilier skin type!

You are what you eat

Your diet can also impact your body, skin and sweat and therefore change how certain fragrances mix with your skin. A balanced diet is recommended to keep your body, skin and sweat balanced in terms of your natural baseline. You may notice if you have eaten lots of fried food, or drank lots of alcohol that you start to smell different! You may also notice differences in your baseline reactions when you have a cold/flu as this also impacts your skin PH balance.

All we can say is to test out different fragrances and stick to the ones that make you feel your best!