Perfume and Cologne

The other day, Hubby was in the doctors office waiting room when someone walked in and their fragrance was so strong, he had to go outside of the building and wait to keep from getting sick.  I also have a reaction to most fragrances, so I don't use them. But, I was curious about how we came to have perfume and cologne in our society.

In the Dark Ages, fragrance was used by people to cover the smell of death due to the Black Death as many of the dead were left where they fell until the honey wagons collected them.  In some cultures it was used to cover body odor because they did not have the facilities to bathe regularly.  In others, it was used by the elderly to cover the natural smell that an elderly person tends to get as they age. Some people call it the "smell of death".   Of course in more modern times it is used to make yourself smell more appealing to others.  Regardless of why a person uses perfumes and colognes, a little really does go a long way.  As your body heats up, it continually reactivates your perfume, so there is no need to spray multiple times all over your body.  Just little dabs at key pulse points (behind the ears or on the neck) will do the trick.

My paternal grandmother always sprayed one spritz in the air and walked in to it; whatever got on her was all she ever used.  There are some people who use fragrances lightly and they really do smell nice.  Others, however, really douse themselves with the fragrance and their smell is very offensive.

For all of you that love to wear fragrance and love to spray several sprays all over you, please remember that some people are allergic and you are literally making us sick.