Perfume Preferences and How Body Chemistry Affects Fragrances

According to an article by Gad Saad, Ph.D., an Associate Professor of Marketing at the John Molson School of Business (Concordia University) and author of The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption, some additional scientific info is now presented on the much discussed matter of body chemistry affecting our preferences and suitability for certain perfumes.
"In 2001, Manfred Milinski and Claus Wedekind published a very intriguing study on the links between self-preferences of perfumes and individuals' major histocompatibility complex (MHC). The MHC consists of a set of genes that capture a person's unique immunogenetic profile/signature. As such, the MHC is a disassortative mating trait. [...] Incredibly, Milinski and Wedekind found that people preferred perfumes that seemed best suited for their unique MHC profile. In this case, this means that preferred perfumes are those that are most likely to augment an individual's body fragrances as a means of advertising his/her MHC signature".
A fascinating observation that extends the basic principle of evolution (survival of the fittest), as expressed in biology terms, into the olfactory.
Read the rest of the article on Psychology Today.

Other links with some info/opinions on body chemistry and fragrances:
Fragrances and skin (an introductory beginner's article on the issue)
How To Choose The Right Perfume For Your Body Chemistry (a more in-depth list of the factors which affect scent performance)
I Have the Body Chemistry of a Man (a self-flagellating satirical article about the perils of having the wrong "body chemistry" for a coveted perfume)
Fragrance Tips (Amidst some "general tips" for perfume use we stumble upon this pearl: "The biggest factor in how a fragrance will smell on you is your body's PH balance. Ideal PH is alkaline - but stress and poor nutrition will turn your balance to acid, and that will affect fragrance." Correction, dear sirs: skin should be slightly acidic, it's how the skin mantle is supposed to self-regulate in order to protect against certain microorganisms)

And you, how do you feel about "body chemistry" and perfumes? Do you have specific aversions or preferences that you feel are tied to your specific psychosomatic make-up? Did you have perfumes change their performance? Discuss!

pic via cdn.picapp.com

A Sharp Sense for Scents: New Book

Assistant professor James McHugh, who teaches religion courses at USC College, is working on a book - one of the first of its kind - that will explain some of the mysteries behind scents and perfumes. [...]McHugh has been studying the role of scents in medieval Sanskrit texts since his undergraduate days, culminating in his 2008 doctoral dissertation at Harvard University on the subject.
“Once I started looking, there were loads of material, and no one had really touched it,” McHugh said. “People talk a lot about ritual and art, but not about incense recipes for temples. Nobody had written about how scents and our sense of smell worked in these texts.
“Perfume recipes turned out to be complicated, and recipes and text were actually poetic and words had double meanings. So I explored all different angles because no one had done it, and I was on my own.” Read more about the upcoming book on this interesting link.

Neil Morris discount

Neil Morris mailed me with some info on a special discount they're offering for ALL their full bottles scents (including the Vault ones!) as a thank you to customers which made 2009 the best year for the Neil Morris line so far. The discount is 15% off listed prices until 31st January 2010 and the code when checking out on the official site is THANKS.

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Neil Morris scent reviews

Hair Fragrances: the New Frontier

Starting with the mention of the unusual notes of white chocolate and orris root in Catwalk Your Highness Elevating Shampoo and Nourishing Conditioner by TIGI and the blue hyacinth of Philosophy's Field of Flowers shampoo, a New York Times article by Hilary Howard notes that hair might be the new frontier when it comes to fragrance.

Aficionados who read this blog might recall that we had proposed that a way to bypass the latest perfumery restrictions would be for companies to really exploit that segment of the market. One might not be able to wear oakmoss-rich scents on the skin, since oakmoss above a certain level can be a skin sensitiser, but our dead cells growing out of our heads (yup, we're talking hair here) are imprevious to those risks!
Indeed several companies, Chanel (Allure, Coco Mademoiselle), Thierry Mugler (Angel) and Narciso Rodriguez (Narciso For Her) and even Aquolina (Pink Sugar), among them have products called "hair mists" in their range, long before such concerns became prevalent among our community core. These are products which act as a veil of fragrance meant to be used on our hair itself, often labelled "parfum pour les cheveux" or simply "hair mist" or "hair scent". The compositions usually hold scent well, they are almost identical to the scent of the regular Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum whose range they compliment and they contain no abrasive alcohol so as to leave hair supple. And best of all, they can be used on body and clothes, just as easily as a regular fragrance. And who can forget the Guerlain "stillboide" products? They were light oily-lotion type products meant to be used for hair, to impart sheen and a delicate scent. Luckily for us, they can be used on skin as well.

Still, hair products bear their own stigma, it seems: Yves Durif,of the Yves Durif Salon (in The Carlyle), expresses doubt in the above article about saturated-with-scent hair products, while any “nice perfume, which can be sprayed into the hair, should not have to compete with hair products. You can make perfume for each individual, but hair products need to please everyone,” he said. “They can’t be individualized.”

pic via evecare

Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Aromatics Along the Silk Road

The American Museum of Natural History will be hosting Adventures in the Global Kitchen: Aromatics Along the Silk Road, featuring renowed natural perfumer Mandy Aftel, which we have hosted on our pages in the past.
Frankincense, myrrh, patchouli, and jasmine were among the valuable commodities traded along the ancient Silk Road , and they are still prized today. Renowned perfumer Mandy Aftel, the nose behind Aftelier perfumes, will awaken the senses as she leads visitors on an aromatic journey.
Attendees will learn about the fascinating world of fragrances and have the chance to sample authentic and pure essences during a discussion about aromatics’ history. This program is part of a series of tastings and lectures for adults and educational programming for children that are being offered in conjunction with the exhibition Traveling the Silk Road : Ancient Pathway to the Modern World, on view until August 15, 2010.

WHEN : Wednesday, January 20, 6:30 pm

WHERE: Linder Theater, first floor
Enter at 77th Street

HOW MUCH: $20

You can purchase tickets online on this link.