As skin ages, its pH shifts naturally and it may become drier, which changes the way alcohol-based fragrances behave with the body. A scent that had smelled great on you when you were 35 can smell differently as you age, or fade much more quickly. For many women over 50, this is the moment they discover perfume oils.
Perfume oils are alcohol-free fragrances blended into a carrier oil base, typically applied with a rollerball directly to pulse points. They’re not new — oil-based scent has roots going back centuries.
Ancient Egyptians used them for personal grooming, and the Indian tradition of attar, one of the oldest perfume-making methods in the world, uses hydro-distillation to capture botanical essences in oil, producing some of the most complex and long-lasting fragrances ever made. The technique has been practiced for thousands of years in places like Kannauj, India, often called the “perfume capital of the East.”
What is new is the growing awareness that for mature skin specifically, the oil format may work better since it is longer-lasting, gentler and more in tune with how aging skin reacts to perfumes.
To understand more about how perfume oils work with the skin, and which oils are worth trying, we spoke with Molly Brennan, natural perfumer and founder of House of Sacred Scents, a line of natural, oil-based perfumes.
Related: 11 Perfumes Women Over 50 Get the Most Compliments On, According to Fragrance Experts
Top Perfume Oils for Women 50+
Most Sophisticated Perfume Oil: Papillon de Nuit by LVNEA Best Jasmine Perfume Oil: Moon Flower by M. Hainey Best Date Night Perfume Oil: Heart Lift by House of Sacred Scents Best Tropical Perfume Oil: Balinese Ylang Ylang Perfume Oil by Lumira Best Luxury Perfume Oil: A Woman Is Fire by Kindred BlackWhat Is a Perfume Oil—and How Is It Different From Eau de Parfum?
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A perfume oil is a fragrance concentrate blended into an oil, typically jojoba, argan or sweet almond oil, rather than dissolved in alcohol. Most eau de parfum sprays contain alcohol and project scent outward, whereas a perfume oil is applied directly to the skin with a rollerball and stays close to the body, releasing gradually through warmth rather than evaporation.
“Perfume oils project less in general because they stay closer to the skin,” Brennan explains. “If you want powerful projection, the increased speed of evaporation of an alcohol-based perfume will not be present.” What you get instead is a more intimate, personal scent—one that people notice when they’re close to you rather than when you enter a room.
Are there any downsides to switching to perfume oils?
There are a few downsides worth knowing before making the switch. The lower projection is the most obvious, if you love a fragrance that announces itself when you walk in a room, oil may feel too subtle. There’s also a shorter shelf life. “Oils can eventually spoil. Alcohol is itself a preservative,” Brennan says. “To last longer, perfume oils would require an additional preservative to increase longevity, otherwise they need to be used in six months to a year because they can oxidize and become rancid.”
The exception is jojoba-based perfume oils.
“Jojoba oil is a wax ester rather than a vegetable oil,” Brennan explains, which means it can last two to five years with proper storage. For longevity, a cool, dark, dry space is best.
Why Mature Skin Works Well With Perfume Oils
Here’s the science behind why so many women over 50 find their perfumes no longer performing the way they used to: “In youth, our skin is slightly acidic,” Brennan explains. “As our skin ages and becomes drier, it loses some of its acid mantle—the fatty acids naturally present on the skin that protect its surface and support elasticity.”
“The pH becomes more alkaline, impacting how fragrances smell on the skin,” she continues. “It can cause top notes to sour or become sharper without the oils to soften the effects of the alcohol.”
There’s also a longevity issue.
“Fragrance molecules are lipophilic, which means they bond with oils,” Brennan says. “When there is less oil in or on the skin, the fragrance will evaporate more quickly because it is more likely to evaporate at the rate of the alcohol than temporarily bond with the oils of the skin and release more slowly.”
For women who love their existing spray perfume and want more longevity, Brennan has a useful tip: “You can use unscented lotion or jojoba oil to increase longevity and balance skin pH during application if you are just trying to increase projection and longevity of the alcohol perfume.”
Related: How To Make Your Perfume Last Longer After 50
What fragrance notes work best in oil form for mature skin?
“Deeper base notes like woods, gourmands, ambers, musks, and florals like jasmine, neroli, and rose tend to work best in oil for mature skin,” Brennan says. “These soften any harshness and can remain on the skin for a longer period of time.”
“Citruses and green notes can turn harsh and bitter,” she tells Parade. “If you go citrus, a sweeter citrus could soften the effect.”
However, skin chemistry depends on the person. “Always try things out and see what is right for you. Our pH and hormonal mixes are individual to each of us,” she explains.
What To Look for When Shopping for a Quality Perfume Oil
“They should look for a carrier oil of either jojoba, argan or sweet almond,” Brennan says. “These enhance your lipid layer on the surface while being relatively non-greasy.”
Look for a full list of ingredients and avoid those with elements you can’t pronounce. Also check for labels that state it’s formulated without parabens, sulfates and phthalates.
“Avoid labels that just say ‘fragrance oil’ in the ingredient list,” she adds. Fragrance oil is a synthetic or molecularly created scent—not necessarily harmful, but very different from a natural perfume oil, and worth knowing before you buy.
The 5 Best Perfume Oils for Women Over 50
Here are the five that Brennan recommends for mature women.
1. Most Sophisticated Perfume Oil: Papillon de Nuit by LVNEA, $62
LVNEA
Shop It at Ministry of ScentBrennan recommends this sophisticated, resinous scent built around the deeper base notes of sandalwood and tonka. It also has “palo santo, magnolia, white champaca and botanical white musk accord,” she says.
2. Best Jasmine Perfume Oil: Moon Flower by M. Hainey, $45
M. Hainey
Shop It at M. HaineyJasmine and tuberose are two of the florals Brennan highlights as working particularly well in oil form, grounded here by the woodsy depth of frankincense and sandalwood.
It has “night-blooming jasmine, tuberose, Japanese yuzu, violet leaf, vetiver, frankincense and sandalwood,” she says.
3. Best Date Night Perfume Oil: Heart Lift by House of Sacred Scents, $75
House of Sacred Scents
Shop It at House of Sacred ScentsBrennan’s own perfume oil has notes of rose, vanilla, cardamom, sweet orange, geranium, clary sage and lavender. It “warms and opens our hearts,” she says, with a botanical blend that leads with the brightness of rose and sweet orange before settling into the grounding depth of vanilla and cardamom.
4. Best Tropical Perfume Oil:Balinese Ylang Ylang Perfume Oil by Lumira, $72
Lumira
Shop It at LumiraA rich, tropical floral built on the deep base notes that wear best on mature skin. “Ylang ylang has a natural warmth that develops beautifully in oil form, and it has notes of jasmine sambac, black orchid, incense, sandalwood,” Brennan says.
5. Best Luxury Perfume Oil: A Woman Is Fire by Kindred Black, $345
Kindred Black
Shop It at Kindred BlaockThis luxury scent is warm and velvety with “notes of Bulgarian rose, sandalwood, jasmine and vanilla,” Brennan says. Perfect for mature skin. It’s made in small batches and each bottle is hand blown glass.
Related: 9 Perfumes Women Over 50 Are Obsessed With Right Now, According to a Fragrance Expert
How To Apply Perfume Oil for the Best Results
Apply to the pulse points, like the wrists, neck and inner elbows. “The added warmth of the increased blood flow at these locations improves longevity and projection,” Brennan says. Perfume oils should never be rubbed in after application; rolling or pressing and letting them absorb naturally gives the best result.
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Related: This Is the Most Expensive Perfume in the World (and Its $32 Affordable Dupe), According to a Fragrance Expert
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Molly Brennan, Natural Perfumer and Founder, House of Sacred ScentsHence then, the article about why women over 50 are switching to perfume oils and the 5 best to try was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
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