acidic skin

[deepthought]

I have a very acidic skin type. I can strip chrome off a watch after a few months and have destroyed a few pairs of sunglasses by causing them to peel where they contact my face. I wonder firstly if anyone elso out there has found their skin to be as acidic and if so, have they noticed that certain fragrances which get a consensus of praise sometimes smell quite awful when they put them on their skin?
Also, if there are any acid-skin types out there, have they found any fragrances which suit them?
I think an awareness of this factor could help in people leaving more helpful reviews of fragrances. How many times have we read "smells beautiful" as a review only to see next to it "smells like insecticide"?
This would add to discussion on how a persons inherent body heat (cold blooded or warm blooded) may have an influence on how fragrances react as well as the season and also the climate where the person lives (tropical, cold, etc).
Any thoughts?

 

[Domer04]

I can't really relate here, nor do I have any meaningful advice, but this is an interesting topic that will probably be helpful for a good percentage of the BN population, so I'm trying to keep the thread alive... ;D ;D

 

[tmp]

My skin is very acidic: I used to eat though the Timex watches my parents bought me in months until Dad gave me one of his old stainless steel watches. All of my glasses have to be plastic: the metal ones turn to putty in a year.

What I've noticed with scents is that I tend to neuter them. The sordid Musc Kublai Khan smells like a nice skin scent, totally without the in your face drrrty accord.

I don't know how this would affect things, but I tend to run cold blooded (about 97 degrees) and live in a desert climate (Los Angeles)

 

[deepthought]

LA and South East Queensland (Australia) are said to have reasonable similar climates. I run pretty hot (always feel hot, rarely cold).
What I have found is that my skin will amplify the certain notes in fragrances (or perhaps attenuate other ones!). One past example which springs to mind is when my Brother. Many moons ago he bought a bottle of Tuscany EDT. On him it smelt fantastic with all sorts of complex notes being expressed. On me it was one-dimensional and soapy.
Another example is Kouros Body which on a paper sampler card smells very complex to my nose but on my skin is rduced down to a few of the more heavy notes like Frankescence and smoke. In this case it seems to amplify the harsher notes at the cost of the milder ones.
Those with a more developed sensibilty to fragrances may be able to pick out a pattern here!?!?

 

[paintrman]

Dude, have you thought about layering? You know, apply lotion first and then spray the scent on top of that. Or, how about an inside approach...eat more vegetables and drink lots of water. If I remember right, meat and starch and sugar turn the body acidic. Having sweat that is acidic is probably related to your diet. However, I might point out that when you say you apply a scent and the top notes are instantly gone....that sounds like your body is basic and not acidic because most top notes are citrus notes like Lemon or Bergamot which wouldn't be harmed by acidic sweat. A basic sweat would cancel out these top notes and leave the base notes. You can go to a pharmacy and get some PH tester strips to be sure. A basic sweat would also destroy metal. If you have had athlete's foot, this thrives in a basic sweat.

Good luck in your search for answers!

Kelley

 

[deepthought]

Is that basic as in alkaline?
I will get one of those PH testers, good idea.
Here was me assuming it was acid! I really should go back and re-study my high-school science stuff some time.

 

[paintrman]

Yes, alkaline. Sometimes, late at night, just when I think I am my most brilliant...I find out that oops, I am not making sense! Glad you asked!

K

 

[xilonic]

Fragrance interaction with skin has been a frequent thought of mine. I sample a lot of fragrances and turn down about 90% of them, about two thirds because of bad skin interaction.

Most of my friends cannot smell the difference between the scent out of the bottle or on a paper strip and their own skin. So many times I had to hint someone that something they're wearing smells just awful on them. My close friend bought my signature cologne because it develops so many complex notes and dries down so gracefully on my skin only to discover that on him it smells like a chemical lab. My other good friend, who works at a perfume counter at an upscale retail store, often wears stuff that smells like burnt paper on him but I don't think he even notices.

Fragrance acidification on skin is a perfectly normal phenomenon, it is a shame that most people have no concept of it.

 

[Herb_Lady]

Is that basic as in alkaline?
I will get one of those PH testers, good idea.
Here was me assuming it was acid! I really should go back and re-study my high-school science stuff some time.

I have no scientific prove whatsoever that this would work, but wonder ..... some fragrant herbs, such as lavender, thrive in alkaline soils. Do lavender fragrances change on your skin or come true to scent? Perhaps you could test this with a simple lavender essential oil and see what happens. I'd certainly be curious as to the result...

 

[deepthought]

So I should get a lavender plant and grow it on my arm?
I have killed quite a few plants in my life but that would be a novel way even for me.........

 

[Herb_Lady]

So I should get a lavender plant and grow it on my arm?  
I have killed quite a few plants in my life but that would be a novel way even for me.........

;D That was too funny! Okay, just stick to the lavender essential oil and see what THAT does on your arm. If the oil suddenly fizzes up and explodes, get thee to a doctor quickly!

 

[teflondog]

I have very acidic skin and it's a shame because Yang turns sour on my skin. I have to wear it on my clothes to keep it from turning stale.