A bit of hyperbole, but bear with me.

Let’s build some context around this idea.

I’m not suggesting that a spritz of eau de toilette on “bad” persons makes them “better.” (Discussion of how those qualifiers are defined is beyond the scope of this musing.) Nor am I implying that people who don’t like or wear fragrance are not being their best. No no no.

Why do we wear perfume, anyway? We wouldn’t wear a perfume we disliked, would we? It’s a chosen addition to our identity. Like clothing, as you may have heard or read elsewhere many times. A detail that differentiates us.

Therefore, by nature, it’s aspirational. It is selected for its qualities, which are independent of your circumstances or current state of mind. It encloaks the identity of your best self.

Enjoyment of a scent compels you to slow down and pay attention. I can’t stress enough how much more can be accomplished in our daily lives by simply paying attention. Beauty exists all around us, but at certain times in our lives we may have to look harder to find it. Taking a moment to notice and appreciate the notes in your perfume is good training for your nose and mind, without feeling like work.

You can have all the perfumes you want that you can afford, but sooner or later you’ll have clear preferences. No matter where you are in that process of discovery, refining your awareness of what you want and why is growth in relating to yourself and to others.

Perfume is highly personal and subjective. That means that inevitably, your likes, dislikes, and indifference are based on associations with the scent. Exploring those individual associations opens doors to understanding what is important to you.

For those of us who love perfume, it’s inspirational! Engaging the nose and making it happy helps stimulate creativity and boosts confidence. If you think about the amount of work that goes into making a perfume, and how the materials are produced, it’s a whole new world of learning. Perfume is truly a marvel in a bottle.

Those are just a few reasons perfume is good for you. I feel I’ve only begun to scratch (and sniff) the surface…