Perfume overkill in the workplace has been the buzz lately. A
person should have the choice to smell fresh, but how much is too
much?
Perfume overkill in the workplace has been the buzz lately. A person should have the choice to smell fresh, but how much is too much? I remember a client who used to come into my old office building and I could smell her long before I saw her. Thankfully she wore a pleasant fragrance, but nevertheless … I knew exactly who would be approaching my desk far enough in advance to have whatever she may need in hand by the time she got to me. I think she thought I was clairvoyant, and I wondered if unbeknownst to her, her sense of smell was failing.
I think people who enjoy wearing perfume should consider the application process. I’ve never noticed if there are instructions for applying cologne on the package, but it seems to me that the pump is a guide and self measuring device. One squirt on the neck really is enough. I’m not just referring to the ladies, men are equally as guilty in over using the spray pump. I can think of several men whom I avoid embracing simply because I don’t wish to wear their cologne by proxy. When I wear perfume, it’s for me … not the people across the room. Only people who know me well enough to hug me will be able to catch a whiff of my perfume or body spray. It’s like a little surprise rather than an overbearing statement. When I’m applying perfume, the motto I keep in my head (towards strangers) is, “If you can smell me … you’re too close”.
Some people are allergic to perfumes and I empathize with this problem. I’m not a person who suffers from such allergies, but if I drive through smoke from a grass fire on the highway, I’m instantaneously congested. It’s like flipping a switch and it is uncomfortable. I’ve also walked out of over perfumed offices (gagging) and felt relieved to breathe the air outside. Maybe those people who douse themselves in cologne should think about the physical or offensive affects it may have not just on co-workers, but on potential clients. Personally, if I had to choose between two identical service providers or vendors one of which was staffed by an overly perfumed person, I would opt for the other without hesitation.
We live in world that promotes appealing fragrances and as much as I enjoy pretty scents, I often wonder about those things we breathe in. I obsessively keep plug in air fresheners all over my house and scented candles. It makes me happy to open my front door and breathe in a lung full of “freesia” or “tropical mist” air. It makes me wonder what we are really doing to ourselves. From scented body wash with its corresponding lotion, floral shampoo to deodorant and then perfume on top … it’s no wonder people with allergies are choking on all that fragrance and complaining. Not only are people allergic, who’s to say ingesting all of those chemicals isn’t flirting with some kind of potential lung cancer?
In spite of my suspicions about potential health hazards, I do agree that smelling good is every woman’s right. It’s what makes a lady feminine. It’s what makes a man “sexy.” In moderation, fragrances are nice and I don’t think they should be banned. Instead of completely banning perfumes in the work place, maybe we can require that the offenders tone it down and use their good scents with good sense.
