The following is a guest article by Rebekah Davis, founder and CEO of School of Wash.
Humans – whether male or female, are driven to desire instinctively much like any other animal. Scent has the ability to change our mood for good or bad, conjure memories and incite positive or negative emotion.
Many women know how to inspire desire through scent layering, but what scents have the opposite effect? And perhaps more importantly, what are some of the more common toiletries women use that might serve as a scent turn-off?
Here are few common scents that probably won’t turn his head:
1. Food scents, especially chocolate
I know you’re thinkig, “Everyone loves chocolate!” However, unlike women, the average man does not consider food sensual. Smelling like cookies and chocolate makes his mouth water for all the wrong reasons. Luckily, you have to go out of your way to smell like a walking Hershey bar, so just try to stay away from bath and perfume products that will engrain the aroma into your clothing.
2. Sweet, fruity scents
Many men associate sweet, fruity scents with childhood, and unless you were the grade school girl he had a crush on, smelling like a pear is not sexy. This might work if you’re trying to be seen as the “friend” next-door, otherwise stay away from body wash and shampoo that sport a “citrus” scent or heavy, fruity perfumes.
3. Dated floral scents like lilacs and geraniums
Some men tend to associate gardening with their grandmothers or other older relatives. While llilac can be tough to find in a perfume, it’s commonly found in scented candles and fragrance oils. Try to stay away from those unless he’s taking you to bingo, instead of a candlelit dinner.
4. Baby powder
A woman’s scent should not remind her man of changing diapers. The point of date night is to leave that behind, and on an especially romantic evening…well, you get the idea.
5. Chemical-smelling perfumes or heavy perfume
Heavy, chemical odors are naturally dispelled by the nose through sneezing. Therefore, a perfume applied so heavily that is causes a sneeze prior to you entering the room is the ultimate turn-off, and studies have found that it will encourage a man to wonder exactly what she’s hiding under that excessive scent layering.
Every bit helps, and in the romance department there’s nothing wrong with exploring every option to make his head turn. Let’s just make sure his head turns in the right direction.
