Perfumes that smell clean: a trend that is here to stay

Highlights: Perfumes that smell clean: a trend that is here to stay. In Spain, perfuming ourselves as children is a culture, which is why we like clean and citrus aromas. A perfume that smells clean translates, in the words of Nadia's experts, into those notes that make the feeling of having just showered last all day. We consider aromas as part of our well-being, something that is part ofOur culture, in some way. And that's why we love fresh aromas, because it's what we've been fed since the cradle.

In Spain we are big consumers of perfume, it is something cultural. Of all of them, those that smell clean, citrus, nature or freshly washed bed linen are the best.

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Perfumes that smell clean

are like those comfortable clothes that you would never take off.

Perhaps many of them are not the height of sophistication, they are not a sequin dress or a vintage robotic design like

Zendaya

's at the Dune premiere, but they have the immediate power to make us

feel good,

comfortable in our own skin, like when we 'warm ourselves' with

a cashmere sweater

or even a good cotton sweatshirt.

Although they are not new, perfumes that we define as

fresh, with a clean smell,

like freshly showered, are a trend.

It will be because we need to find ourselves in uncertain times, and this leads us to want to perfume ourselves, of course, but not with aromas that 'cover' the naturalness of our skin, cloying and too prominent, but rather light, happy,

lively. ,

that

enhance naturalness

without hiding it.

Perfumes that smell clean are like silent luxury in fashion, in a perfume version.

Perfumes that smell clean: we like them because they remind us of childhood

We delve a little into the 'return to the roots' theme that light perfumes take us to.

The 'Larousse of perfume and essences' (Larousse)

tells a very interesting detail ,

which is that in youth, when one is one

of the group of family and friends,

one tends to look for aromas that simply smell clean, in concentration

waters. cologne.

In Spain, perfuming ourselves as children is a culture, which is why we like clean and citrus aromas.

This is confirmed by

Daniel Figuero,

a scent expert who works for Dior and author of

'Contraperfume'

(Superflua).

"We perfume ourselves

with citrus fruits,

unlike Paris, which smells like

Guerlain's 'Shalimar'

and denser, more opulent, oriental perfumes. We have

a taste for smelling good

," he declares.

Perfuming ourselves is a habit

for us,

another part of the daily hygiene routine.

"We Spaniards have

great perfume roots.

We perfume children and we perfume ourselves until maturity!" exclaims Val Díez, general director of

Stanpa.

We consider aromas as part of our well-being, something that is part of our culture, in some way.

And that's why we love fresh aromas, because it's what we've been fed since the cradle.

Perfumes that smell clean, a rising trend

Beyond the fact that in Spain we smell clean, there is a trend in the international market that is moving towards the same.

This is confirmed by

Nadia Perfumería

(Velázquez, 46 and Diego de León 35, in Madrid), a Madrid boutique where they know everything in these of the most exquisite perfumes:

"In signature perfumes

they look for light, clean and powdery perfumes,

searching for innocence and childhood memories.

A perfume that smells clean translates, in the words of Nadia's experts, into those notes that make

the feeling of having just showered

last all day, aromas that remain always and in all seasons, but especially when they begin to appear.

the changes that spring brings with it.

It seems that this change of season also has a lot to do with the search for clean aromas.

"Just as we get rid of clothes made of dense fabrics,

the body 'asks' for light compositions

with fresh notes, with

aquatic, aromatic, ozonic or citrus accents

that help evoke a 'radiant' sensation that the brain interprets as "refreshing." ': the 'clean' smell is usually in high demand," comments

Lorenzo Villoresi, Florentine perfumer

We love perfumes that smell clean, like the countryside.

There are reasons for this.SHUTTERSTOCK

Smell clean in turbulent times

Fresh and clean perfumes have never abandoned us, least of all in Spain, but the Covid pandemic is also to blame for their prominence.

"That situation asked us

to have energy and boost self-esteem,

and lighter, fresher and citrus perfumes are good for that," says

Nuria Cruelles, Loewe perfumer.

Come on, what we love about clean-smelling perfumes is that they make us

feel good on our skin.

And this is not coincidental.

"Aromalogy has spent almost four decades analyzing the effect of essences on emotions, from the

relaxation produced by lavender or chamomile

to the stimulating notes of mint," explains Daniel Figuero.

When a perfume smells clean

If we do not go back to classic perfumery, the closest family to which the most refreshing and natural aromas would be assigned would be

the hesperide,

also known as

green or citrus,

since lemon was originally its base smell.

This family 'covers' the oldest aromas of perfumery, there must be a reason, since

the first Cologne waters

manufactured in Germany in the 18th century and the famous

Eau Imperiale by Guerlin

from 1853 were of this type, according to the 'Larousse'. of the perfume'.

Eau de Rochas, Ô de Lancôme, Eau de Cologne de Hermès, CK One...

belong to this family.

In current perfumery,

other citrus fruits (bergamot, orange, lime or mandarin)

are added to lemon and combined with

white flowers such as orange blossom.

But the smell of clean does not only live on hesperides.

"Sparkling citrus perfumes like

Dior's Joy EDP Intense,

for example, are designed to generate a

feeling of happiness,"

says Daniel Figuero.

"Applying powdery fragrances with notes of tea, white musk or lavender to the skin will also help us calm down in moments of nervousness," concludes the expert.

Spain, birthplace of perfumes that smell clean

In Spain we not only smell clean (not garlic, as Victoria Beckham said), but we are on the map of

global raw materials.

Our country is a leader in the extraction of cistus

oils

lavender

and

lemon essential oils,

that fresh aroma that characterizes us so much and is so prestigious in the world.

Altogether, more than 23,000 hectares of aromatic plants and more than 49,000 hectares of lemon are cultivated, whose essential oils are a source of well-being, wealth and employment in that wonderful rural Spain.

"Specifically, the

lavender fields

of Alcarria, Cuenca, Valladolid and other areas are the result of more than

30 years of research

and development of the lavender and

lavandin flower,

decades of effort and dedication that have made this region in the nerve center of the agricultural exploitation of the lavender flower," explains Val Díez.

Perfumes that smell clean, a selection

CK One by Calvin Klein

A classic unisex eau de toilette from the 90s that continues to break records today for its

soft, fresh and citrus

aroma is

CK One by Calvin Klein.

It smells like

lemon, bergamot, pineapple,

mandarin, cardamom and papaya;

It is accompanied by flowers such as jasmine, violet,

rose and lily,

and is completed with

moss and green tea.

Loewe Drop Water

A Spanish classic that smells clean and fresh is

Agua de Loewe,

which in 2024 presents a new version,

Agua Drop.

Refreshing and floral, it combines the warmth of the new

LOEWE Accord

- a new unique note based on labdanum, the aromatic oil extracted from rock rose - with ingredients such as bergamot and orange blossom giving rise to a fresh, fruity and woody-amber with an unusual note of wormwood.

Teint de Neige by Lorenzo Villoresi

Niche perfumery also makes inroads into clean aromas.

For example, perfumer

Lorenzo Villoresi

with his

Teint de Neige,

a powdery eau de toilette launched in 2000. The top notes of it are

powdery, with rose,

ylang-ylang and jasmine;

the heart notes are rose, tonka bean,

floral notes and jasmine;

those in the background are heliotrope, musk, rose, sugar and jasmine.

Mosquito, by Comporta Perfumes

We continue with the niche perfumery with

Mosquito, from Comporta Perfumes.

The brand says that "living in Comporta means you can have clouds of mosquitoes around you."

Thus, the Portuguese brand suggests as a life mantra to smile with

the clean, ozonic, light touch

and woody floral smell of its best-selling perfume.

Pure transparency of green notes, white flowers and soft musky heart.

L'Eau de Serge Lutens

Another great perfumer of our time, Serge Lutens, with sophisticated aromas inspired by his life experiences, has in

L'Eau Serge Lutens

his particular creation with a clean smell.

"Steam comes out from under the iron that smells like

freshly washed clothes.

The freshness of water, the freshness of freshly ironed sheets, a pillowcase to dream about... invites us to renew our connection with a world where the True luxury is embodied above all in cleanliness", define the aroma from the brand.

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