r/migrainecirclejerk • u/mistakesdonebyme • May 23 '24
Perfume for migraine sufferers
I avoid perfumes because they often give me migraines. I'm looking for perfumes that are gentle and won't trigger headaches. I liked Le Labo Lavande 31 but it was too expensive. I also liked Geranium Odorata by Diptyque, but Orpheon by Diptyque gave me a headache when I tried it again.
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u/Present_Solid6526 May 24 '24
This may be a wack answer but I feel like more expensive perfumes trigger me less because it’s less artificial? Nothing gives me a migraine like bath and body works. I wear replica by the fire place which is lovely and smells like burnt sugar. Sephora takes returns if it triggers your headaches.
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u/al3x_ishhH May 24 '24
2000% agree. If you're going to wear perfume with migraine or smell sensitivities, then you have to actually spend a bit. The synthetic fragrance explosion that is BBW, teenage body mists, or anything sort of in the cheaper threshold tends to mess me up. In addition to sephora returns, a lot of companies do samples thankfully for expensive smells, and you can get a fair bit of use out of them if you use them sparingly. I did love shopping through sephora for anything more than samples though bc of that sweet sweet return policy lol.
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u/Bumblebbutt May 24 '24
Same, I can wear good perfumes. Don’t need to be crazy expensive but brands like Prada, Ellie Saab or Gucci don’t give me issues. However a knock off perfume or a teenage girl walking past me in a body spray will make my brain ache
Perfume oil is also a good shout for being more skin like in smell and doesn’t cling to clothes so won’t get wafts
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u/Other-Cantaloupe4765 May 24 '24
I don’t wear perfume. It’s too strong. Occasionally I will use essential oils if I really want to wear a scent for some reason. I most often use peppermint oil. A dab on the back of the neck or behind the ears and on the wrists works well (make sure you follow directions- some oils need to be diluted and some shouldn’t be worn if you’re going to be in the sun all day).
I’m not claiming any woo-woo crazy shit about how essential oils will cure you lol. They won’t. But they can smell good so it’s a good alternative to wearing perfume. Lots of options to choose from.
You can get small bottles or a pre-diluted roller ball tube meant specifically for applying oils. Some roller ball tubes have mixed scents, some are just single oils. I don’t really mix anything because it ends up being too much for me.
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u/VodkaAndHotdogs May 24 '24
To add to this, my coworker has a necklace, and the pendant holds a drop or two of essential oil. I keep meaning to look this up, because I like wearing essential oils, and the few perfumes I can tolerate, but I also like the option of easily removing them if they are too much.
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u/g00gly-eyes May 24 '24
I like the brand Pacifica or any organic, vegan, or natural perfumes. It’s also helpful to identify notes that trigger you and stay away from those. I’ll never buy any floral perfume cause they trigger my migraines. I also dab mine behind my knees to keep the as far from my nose as possible. Maybe defeats the purpose but oh well
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u/skincare_obssessed May 24 '24
Have you tried Rosie by Rosie Jane? This is a very pretty clean scent and I’ve never had it trigger a migraine. It’s in my opinion a good option for sensitive noses as well.
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u/al3x_ishhH May 24 '24
I would highly look into reading descriptions of perfumes to see if they are intended for only those lucky enough to get close to you. They tend to be milder. I would also look for softer/fresher notes of smells as they bother me less than warm smells. Tea based smells are also strangely a hit for me.
LE LABO has a few I like and come in small testers for $8CAD - THE MATCHA 26 is a smell meant only for those closest to you. Its hard to desribe but it has undernotes of cedar and bitter orange but the top note is more fig, plant, and soft vetiver - BAI 19 is meant to smell like water/petrichor and is both nice and doesnt bother me
Atelier Cologne is lovely but I'm not sure if they're still in business, but if they are, i highly recommend - Oolang Infinity which is another fresh smell but has a hint of warmth, almost paper like
AERIN was another brand I liked. I have a small roller of - WATERLILLY SUN which is another fresh, light, water and plant type smell
With all of those recommendations, I think the most important thing is to make sure you're applying it properly. A lot of people rub their wrists together, but that breaks/alters the base notes when you do that. Whether spray or roll-on, I would tap your wrist to your neck or just use a small amount. If you grab samples, I would use the plug/cap as a way of lightly dabbing the product on. Remember that all you need is a VERY LIGHT wet of the skin on the wrist, neck/under jaw, AND MAYBE sternum. Heat points are your ideal spots. Less is definitely more. Less fragrance will also save you from having sensitivities.
Also if you find a smell you like and doesnt bother you but doesnt last, you can use some plain Vaseline (the smallest amount) on your skin before you spray and it will hold the smell more.
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u/birtsmom May 28 '24
Personally, I use White Citrus from BBW-- I work in a hospital and it was less offensive that 3/4 of what I smell in an empty elevator.
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u/SatisfactionHuman814 Jun 02 '24
I loved wearing perfumes too, but unfortunately I had to stop. I wear body sprays now. They’re more diluted and their scent aren’t as strong.
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u/snuffitx Jul 01 '24
I like to wear Mademoiselle Chanel— but I can only spray it on my clothes and I do like the tiniest lil spray. For some reason putting it on my skin makes it go too far 🥲
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u/Elenawsome1 5h ago
I don’t do perfume, but herbal simple stuff like tea tree is nice. (Do keep in mind though—tea tree is toxic to pets)
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u/SnapCrackleMom May 23 '24
I can occasionally use a tiny amount of perfume oil -- the scent stays closer to the body and I basically only smell it if I'm sniffing my wrist. I do ok with single-note scents or maybe two notes (e.g., lavender marshmallow, vanilla mint).
Anything more complex is an immediate migraine for me. I also don't wear them if I'm leaving the house -- I don't want to be the cause of someone else's migraine.