What Are “Skin Scents” And Why Do We Love Them?

Welcome to Tynan Sinks’ fragrance column, Smells Like Trouble. As Review2Coupon’s resident fragrance connoisseur, Tynan will be sharing the scents that linger on in his mind, and nose, and clothes.

Perfume is the most sacred and esoteric beauty product in history. Originating in ancient Egypt and appearing in almost every civilization throughout recorded history, it has been used in everything from religious ceremonies and sacred rituals to masking body odors and denoting status. And of course, personal scent.

As we have evolved, so has our use of fragrance. Though we still use perfume in all of the same ways as those that came before us, we’ve discovered and invented innumerable ways to scent our lives. We have car air fresheners hanging from our rear view mirror, makeup collections scented with peach, fragranced hand sanitizers to brighten our day while cleansing our hands and keeping us safe. If it can be made, it can, and will, be scented.

It is odd, then, that the hottest type of fragrance in the game right now is the illusive, mysterious, and barely there “skin scent.” Scents made to emulate the scent of, well, skin. But isn’t it odd that we are applying a perfume to our skin in order to smell like skin? Seems sort of redundant, no?

That’s not my only question about skin scents. Before I get ahead of myself, what is a skin scent?

That’s a good question, and the answer may depend on who you ask. Widely, skin scents include or are built around the molecule Iso E Super, a synthetic molecule developed in 1973 in the lab at IFF, or International Flavors & Fragrances, Inc., an American corporation that develops scents, flavors, and cosmetic actives. It smells softly of wood and maybe a bit of musk. It stays close to the skin and is only detectable by you, or someone very close to you.

Skin scents are not solely defined by their usage of Iso E Super or molecules like it, but more generally, they’ve come to be defined by their soft presence that often smells like woods, fresh linen, vetiver, or white florals. Anything really, as long as it wears very lightly. The term “skin scent” has evolved to be a colloquial term to describe a light, inoffensive fragrance.

But why are they so sought after?

I love perfume, but I love fragrances that actually…smell like something, you know? I keep wondering what the point is of wearing something that someone else, or even you, can barely smell? Isn’t the fun of fragrance in the fantasy it creates? The mood? There are endless places fragrances can take you. So why, especially in an era where we can’t go anywhere, wouldn’t you want to let your scent take you on a journey?

It could be the reason why so many people love the “no-makeup makeup” look, or the ritual of touching up their face with only a translucent powder: we like to feel like we’re doing something to take care of ourselves, even if it’s just for us.

There is also a fear of being “too much,” in all aspects, really. Being too glam. Smelling too strong. Taking up too much space. Loving too hard. Skin scents give us what we want, which is an identity through scent, without the worry of being too much for anyone else.

For me, skin scents aren’t really the vibe, but I know many, many people love them. Because I can’t ever let a good thing just be, I got my hands on a few of the biggest skin scents to see just what all the fuss is about.

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Escentric Molecules Molecule 01

Essential Faith is not unlike Maya Base, but this one has more of a floral focus. It’s more forward than most on the list, super clean, almost a little watery. It’s made to meld with your unique body chemistry to smell different on everyone, which I guess all of these are. Heavier on the florals, musk, and maybe a little wood, it’s definitely worth checking out if lightweight florals happen to be your thing.