Since I started this blog, I tried to expand my knowledge about beauty as well as get out of my beauty comfort zone. One of the areas I tried to focus on was perfumes. Although I love the smell of perfumes, I hesitated wearing them because I not only suffer from seasonal allergies, but form allergies that are aggravated by the plants and agriculture near where I live.

If you suffer from allergies, you probably already know that you need to avoid products with fragrances. Since my allergies fluctuate depending on the season, I became creative in testing perfumes to see if I would like to wear them when my allergies are not acting up. If you suffer from seasonal allergies or are worried about how to test perfumes without spraying yourself with the perfume, I created a list of seven tips for picking perfumes. This list is not how to make yourself immune to the scents or how to stop your allergies from acting up so you can wear perfumes. This is just seven ways to test fragrances to see if you would like them as well as a tip or two about wearing perfumes so allergy suffers will not suffer more during allergy season.

Avoid Ingredients that You are Allergic To

This tip is a no brainier if you suffer from allergies, but it is very important to avoid ingredients in perfumes that you are allergic to. This includes doing research into what ingredients the perfume has. Some perfumes have plant based oils that can aggravate allergies while others may have other synthetic ingredients that will also aggravate allergies. So, if you are allergic to a specific plant, such as a certain wood or flower, avoid perfumes that include it.

Look for Eau de Toilettes instead of Perfumes

Eau de toilettes are generally not as strong as perfumes. The reason is because toilettes have more water to oil ratio than perfumes. This does make toilettes wear off faster, but it also makes the fragrance less intense and more allergy suffer friendly.

Try a Sample Before Buying the Whole Bottle

Trying a sample of a perfume or new fragrance is important to anyone who wants to test new fragrances. It would be a waste of money to buy a whole bottle of perfume without testing it only to try it at home and realize you hate it. But, if you suffer from allergies, it is even more important to try a sample of the perfume before actually buying it. By using a test sample, you can try the perfume to see if you not only like it, but if it will aggravate your allergies. There are multiple ways of obtaining perfume samples, but my favorite is to go into a Sephora and ask them to create one for you. Simply ask an employee for a sample of a specific fragrance and will create a small test bottle for you to take home.

Spray the Fragrance on a Tissue or Paper Towel and Sit it Beside You for a Few Hours

If you are testing a new fragrance, you are worried about how your allergies will react, and do not want to spray it on your body or clothes, try spraying the fragrance on a tissue or paper towel and let it sit beside you for a few hours. I suggest doing this when you are working on the computer or watching TV. By doing this, you are smelling the fragrance, but if your allergies are aggravated you can get rid of the the tissue or paper towel without needing to take a shower to get rid of the scent.

Spray the Fragrance on Your Wrists Only

Although I love fragrances and perfumes, when I found that when I wear a new fragrance for the first time, I want to make sure I can wash it off in case it bothers me. That’s why I like to spray the fragrance on my wrists only. I very rarely spray it on my neck and really don’t like spraying it on my clothes because I don’t always have the option to take a shower or change my clothes. But, since I spray it on my wrists, I will be able to know how well it wears as well as have the option of washing it off easier in the event the fragrance aggravates my allergies.

Avoid Using Perfume Completely When Your Allergies Act Up

It doesn’t matter if a perfume or fragrance aggravates your allergies or not, if you are suffering from seasonal allergies or allergies from another source, do not use any fragrances. Fragrances, including from products that are not perfumes, irritates your body even more than the allergies on their own. So to help you feel better avoid using perfumes or products with fragrances until your allergies calm down or stop.

If You Don’t Use Fragrances Frequently, Purchase Roller Balls and Spray Pins

If you like perfumes and fragrances, but do not think you will use them very often because of allergy concerns, look into purchasing roller ball and spray pin versions of them. Not only are roller balls and spray pins cheaper than the full sized bottle version, but they are smaller, letting you use them up faster.

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading!