Personal file – Style – Kommersant

“Kommersant Style” analyzes the perfume novelties of autumn and finds out which of them are universal and why.

Visiting perfume shops can be a challenge, especially for those who suffer from headaches on a regular basis. According to statistics, the vast majority of migraine sufferers react to strong odors. This sensitivity is called osmophobia (or olfactophobia), and perfume is just one of the strongest triggers for its occurrence (along with the smell of tobacco smoke and synthetic paint). However, it is known that some perfumes trigger migraines, while others are absolutely harmless – headaches can be caused only with one of the components of the smell. Smell sensitivity is individual, so there are no hard and fast rules about which scents to avoid. The trick is how to find exactly your trigger.

One scent that many migraine sufferers are likely to have trouble with is vanilla, and musky, tobacco, and strong spicy scents can also be a problem. Perfumers recommend that you start your olfactory journey with fragrances that consist of mononotes, gradually adding more intricate compositions to them. The most neutral are citrus fruits (orange, lemon, grapefruit, lemongrass, bergamot), grass (lavender, chamomile, rosemary, thyme, verbena) and mint.

Irina Kirienko