3 Reasons Not To Wear Perfume Outside This Summer

I like a great fragrance as much as the next person. But if you’re planning on treating everyone to a noseful of your most prized perfume this summer, some experts advise doing so indoors.

That’s partly because of pests, UV rays, and efficacy; basically, sun and scents don’t always mix.

Here are three reasons why:

At least, that’s according to BBC Gardener’s World, which said you shouldn’t wear it in your garden because wasps are sometimes drawn to the smell.

Dazed reported that fruity and floral scents might be especially tempting. Look out for ingredients like linalool, phenylacetaldehyde and benzyl acetate, which essentially act like nectar signals for our flying friends.

These, they say, are commonly found in the following scents:

• jasmine,
• tuberose,
• ylang‑ylang, and
• orange blossom perfumes.

White flowers and summer fruit scents, like strawberry, are typically draws for wasps.

In a Facebook video, dermatologist Dr Niki Ralph said that you shouldn’t put perfume on skin you’re going to expose to the sun, like your neck.

“Fragrances… particularly certain oils, such as bergamot, lemon, lime… can exacerbate the effect of UV [ultraviolet rays],” she said. This is called photosensitivity, a condition which is triggered by sun exposure – citrus oils are usually the culprit here.

The result of this reaction is called phytophotodermatitis. Over time, that can lead to sun damage and even create broken capillaries and hyperpigmentation.

Applying it to your inner wrists may be safer, Dr Ralph added, because you don’t typically face those towards the sun.

GQ said that heat makes perfumes evaporate faster, meaning the smell doesn’t last as long. Sweat also makes it harder for the smell to cling in the first place.

Some smells, like citrus scents, vanish faster than others, too.

Moisturising your skin and spraying a little on your fabric instead of your dermis can help them to last a bit longer.