You’ve seen it a million times: spritz perfume on wrist and rub wrists together. But this seemingly harmless action is actually doing your favorite scent a disservice. What gives?
While spraying perfume on your wrists is the correct move (applying it to pulse points warms it up so it emits fragrance throughout the day), rubbing them together can dull top notes and accelerate evaporation. Top notes are the most delicate molecules in the mix—and usually the reason you fell in love with the perfume in the first place—so by getting rid of them right away, you’re not getting the most out of that pricey bottle. Vigorously mixing perfume with your natural oils can also change the way it smells.
The solution: Lightly dab your wrists together instead, then let the perfume air-dry. You can even take it a step further to ensure all-day wear by applying an unscented moisturizer to skin right before you spritz. The better hydrated your skin, the longer your scent will stay on.
