Applying perfume has always been a big talking point. We all have our own routines, but one thing that’s commonly asked is this; do you spray perfume on your clothes or your skin?
You can spray perfume onto both your clothes and skin. There are pros and cons to both, but to achieve the greatest projection and a long-lasting scent, it’s best applied on both clothes and skin simultaneously.
How long your scent will last and how powerful it is will depend on many factors, including your skin type, type of perfume being used, and if you’re applying it to your skin, clothes, or both. Therefore, it’s best to keep in mind where you’re going and what the environment will be like – you wouldn’t want to overpower other people! Let’s take a look at using perfume on your clothes and skin in more detail.
Can You Spray Perfume On Your Skin
Let’s begin with spraying perfume on our skin – I think most of us do this; we dab, spritz, and spray to our heart’s content. We generally aim for our wrists, necks, and chests when applying but is applying perfume on the skin the best way to go?
You can spray perfume directly onto your skin. The warmth of your skin activates the scent, making it appear stronger. It’s worth remembering that perfumes contain oils and ingredients that have the ability to irritate your skin. Always do a quick test on a small patch to ensure no irritation occurs.
Perfumes smell gorgeous on our skin; you should aim for the areas that are warmest, the so-called heat points. Our veins run close to our skin at these heat points, making it one of the warmer spots on our bodies. This results in a better-projecting and longer-lasting scent.
Can You Spray Perfume On Your Clothes
I know most of us simply spritz and spray without worrying about the perfume accidentally landing on our clothes – but should we be worrying? Can we actually use perfume on our clothes?
It is fine to spray perfume on clothes. It is worth doing a patch test to ensure your perfume won’t stain or discolor your clothes; this is especially true of light-colored fabrics. The material tends to absorb the perfume, making the scent last a lot longer than it would on your skin alone.
Great, so we can apply our perfume to our clothes to fully round off our outfit! The potential for perfumes to stain your clothing is one of the biggest (and only) downsides to applying it this way. We’ll talk more about perfumes leaving stains a little later on in this article!
Does Perfume Last Longer On Clothes Or Skin?
We all want our perfume to last as long as possible to keep us smelling fresh and beautiful all day. So, it’s important to know if perfume lasts longer on our skin or our clothes.
Perfume typically lasts longer on clothing than it will on skin. The oils will be absorbed into the fabric fibers and will remain there for a long while, depending on the material. On our skin, the scented oils will evaporate much quicker, especially if you have dry skin.
So how long do fragrances last on our clothes and skin? As a general rule, perfume will remain on your skin for between 3-6 hours and maybe up to 12 hours if you have a potent fragrance. On clothing, it will last a minimum of a day and can last up to a week.
Should You Apply Perfume On Both Your Skin And Clothes?
We know that applying perfume to our skin and clothes both have their own benefits. So why not take the best of both worlds and apply it to both your skin and clothes?
Perfume can be sprayed on both clothing and skin to heighten the scent, increase the projection and ensure it’s long-lasting. Your skin will ensure great projection and sillage, and your clothes will ensure the scent lingers around longer.
Just be aware that spraying on both will make it a lot stronger, so just be mindful about where you’re going. If you don’t want a potent perfume to overpower a small, crowded room, either only apply to the skin or clothes or just use a lot less!
Applying Perfume; Skin VS Clothes
We know that perfume generally lasts longer on clothing than it does on the skin, and we know roughly how long it might last. But is one better than the other? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both so we can get a better idea:
Pros of wearing perfume on your skin:
- Your perfume will react to the moisture, oils and acids in your skin giving it a unique scent
- It’s easy to apply
- It will avoid any staining issues if you wear light-coloured clothes or particularly sensitive fabrics
- You will have a stronger scent-trail behind you
Cons of wearing perfume on your skin:
- You may have to top it up more regularly as it doesn’t last quite as long
- It has the potential to cause skin irritation
Pros of wearing perfume on clothes:
- It generally lasts longer
- It’s a good alternative if you have very sensitive skin that is irritated by perfume
- It’s easy to apply
Cons of wearing perfume on clothes:
- If you wish to change your scent from daytime to evening, you will have to change your entire outfit as the scent will cling to the fabric for a long time
- It has the potential to stain your clothes
So, what do we think? The pros and cons are very evenly matched; the biggest problem is staining and skin irritation, but this is not isolated to just perfumes. Soaps, deodorants, makeup, and a whole host of other items can cause irritation and staining.
Most importantly, most people don’t even experience these cons. And luckily, staining your clothes can easily be avoided if you know your scent will leave stains. You simply don’t apply to clothes.
Can Perfumes Smell Different On Clothes Compared To Skin?
We have discussed how long they might last and pretty much everything you would need to consider when thinking about applying your perfume. But we haven’t talked about the smell; do they smell different?
When you apply perfume to your skin, it reacts with the moisture, acids, and oils that naturally occur within your skin, and it can cause a subtle change in scent. It will not have the same reaction on your clothing, so there can be a very subtle discrepancy in scent but usually not enough to notice.
Many perfumes develop over the day, especially when they’re on your skin, which is why sometimes we love a perfume when we first buy it but hate it a day later. So, when you’re buying your next perfume, spray it on your wrist, then leave it there all day to check you like the progression of the scent. If you still love it hours later or the next day, go back and make the purchase. This will stop any disappointment later on.
Does Perfume Stain Your Clothes
If you’ve ever sprayed your perfume directly onto your clothes, you may notice a mark or stain appear either immediately or over time. Maybe you (like many of us) assumed it was the deodorant, makeup, or something else, but could it be your perfume?
Perfume can stain clothes because it contains oils and alcohol, both of which can leave a stain or oily residue behind. Some perfumes also include dyes to alter the color and scent, which will generally leave stains on lighter-colored clothing.
Whenever you get a new perfume or wear a new outfit, it’s always best to spray a little on a small patch of clothing to see if it will stain. You don’t want to find a mark when you’re all dressed up and ready to walk out the door! It’s important to note that perfume doesn’t always stain; it will really depend on the ingredients, the material, and the color of the clothing you’re wearing.
If you have a clear-glass bottle, then you can see what color the perfume has. If it’s colored, there is a good chance your perfume will stain over time. However, most bottles are not see-through, so always apply on an old piece of clothing or on an old cloth to see if your perfume stains.
What Kind Of Clothes Can I Spray My Perfume On?
Knowing perfumes can stain clothing, you might wonder which (if any) fabrics and materials are more likely to stain than others.
Any fabric has the potential to stain. Cotton, linen, nylon, polyester, wool, silk, leather, and suede can all be stained with perfume. However, the likelihood of this happening will depend more on the perfume itself, how you apply it, and the color of your clothing.
White cotton and linen clothes are more likely to stain as they will show any marks, especially dyes and tints of color. Silk is very easy to stain at the best of times, so it’s not recommended that you spray perfume on (or near) your silk clothing and furnishings. Also, remember not to hold the bottle too close to your clothes so you get a light, even spray rather than a very concentrated patch.
As with anything, test it first – take a small patch of clothing to spritz your perfume on to see if it leaves a mark. Fingers crossed it doesn’t, but if it does, don’t panic, there are multiple ways to removing the stain.
What Kinds Of Perfumes Are More Likely To Stain
There is no universal rule to state, which brands will stain your clothes, and which won’t – this is because it’s not brand specific. It’s more to do with the ingredients in the perfume; the oils, alcohol, and dyes in combination with certain fabrics and colors (which we have already covered).
This means most perfumes have the ability to stain your outfits as they all contain either dyes, oils, or alcohols (and often a combination of more than one). Depending on the ingredients, you may want to plan your outfit and perfume combination in advance to avoid any last-minute, irritating marks or stains.
Here is some more information about the 3 ingredients that can cause staining:
1. Perfume Stains From Dyes
Dyes are sometimes added to perfumes to give the liquid a darker or richer color to properly convey whatever feeling or emotion the perfumers are trying to create. Darker colored perfumes will most likely contain these dyes meaning your white clothing will probably end up with marks on them, so keep whites away from dark perfumes!
Some of the notes used to create the perfume can also color the perfume. The note of oud is notorious for turning a perfume dark and leaving stains.
2. Perfume Stains From Oil
Perfumes are usually alcohol-based or oil-based, and whichever one you use will normally depend on your skin type and preference. Many people with sensitive skin tend to veer toward oil-based perfumes (which tend to have a roll-on application) because alcohol irritates their skin.
Oils themselves can leave a stain or residue, and since roll-ons tend to have a higher concentration of oils to ensure a potent fragrance, they could well leave a stain. If you have a perfume like this, it’s worth just using on your skin unless you’ve tested it on clothing, and it remains mark-free!
3. Perfume Stains From Alcohol
As we mentioned, some perfumes are alcohol-based, and the ethanol can cause an oily residue to appear on your clothing. This is not guaranteed, but it’s a possibility.
Reduce the chance of this happening by holding the bottle away from your clothing. This way, you can (hopefully) avoid having a big, oily mark that only smells amazing in that one small section. Instead, try to spray a light mist all over your clothing to get the most out of your fragrance.