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Oakmoss sensitivity?

Hey fellow Fragheads!
I have been trying for a long time to track down my problem partly because it is hard to even describe.

The TLDR is: I have a lingering burn in my nose up to 24hrs that I can only describe as similar to a prescription strength nasal spray without a distinct smell. I can "smell" it immediately on many vintage colognes and always thought it was because they were cheap.

My journey to track this down started with lavender. I am still not ruling it out as a contributor as it is prominent in all classic fragrances. So I pulled out some pure lavender finally and sprayed it on one wrist and a known problem fragrance on the other. Lavender is supposed to be a top and heart note and maybe dry down to powder, I can't see how it would hang on without some help.

What about florals drying down to "powder" smell? Again the florals aren't in the base so I can't see how this is the problem. I love natural rose scents which I know is unusual. That one may be a contributor, but if I am smelling powder something is keeping it stuck. I will note that what I am smelling, when I smell it on other people is usually a female and it is overpowering. Most feminine fragrances are very floral. So is it the combination of too many florals maybe?

Coumarin is in the base of many fragrances, I wonder about that one. Nope, it's in 90% according to one source and doesn't sound like the culprit.

Then we come to oakmoss. I though it was supposed to smell dirty and greenish and be a fixative. I kept dancing around this as the source for a long time, but it is in the base and it is a fixative. I wonder if that is why I can detect something in my nose, but not smell it 24hrs later? There is a "thicker" feeling to the smell for 8-12hrs. Some of these fragrances that burn my nose also don't wash off, further pointing to something with holding power.

I have had good luck with most unique soap and aftershave combos. The confusing one for me is B&M Fern. It is supposed to be based on an old scent and if it is called fern then it is a fougere. But I don't get any nasal burn, or floral, just pure green. I wish I knew what it was based on because that would help. SV Felce Aromatica is the soap I match it with and they don't list oakmoss in their description. Classic fougere structure is supposed to have oakmoss in the base so I am confused how a classic scent wouldn't have oakmoss. I only have a limited number of actual fragrances to smell, but the ones I gravitate toward would be considered modern and not classic. Amber woody is safe for me.

Thanks for any suggestions
 
I know the ones that are affecting me have real oakmoss, compliant or not. However, that might explain why Fern doesn't bother me. If I could just figure this out for sure, I could more products that I know use the synthetic. But if it is a floral component, I am going to waist more money. Thanks
 
Not me. I got oakmoss (and tree moss) essential oils off ebay.
I think I am going to give that a try. From my continuing research it appears it might be the lavender all along, but with something keeping it stuck. I found a description of certain varieties of Lavender as smelling medicinal and more spraying and smelling is agreeing.
 

Ad Astra

The Instigator
I think I am going to give that a try. From my continuing research it appears it might be the lavender all along, but with something keeping it stuck. I found a description of certain varieties of Lavender as smelling medicinal and more spraying and smelling is agreeing.

I was trying to learn about notes by isolating them. Oakmoss EO is a thick, sticky tarry fluid. Never could get liquid to absorb/sublimated it, but now I have polysorbate-40, need to try again.


AA
 
Appreciate the replies, I found a long video that covers a lot of things. It seems like the Fougere scent is an accord. Once the three principal components are mixed, they tend to stay together. Apparently, it's not like something that separates and has to be shaken to mix things up. It appears that those three chemicals together stay stuck to my skin and irritate my nose for however long they last. So I guess I won't worry about the oakmoss and continue to avoid anything labeled Fougere or that has an obvious fougere accord. No judgment against anybody who enjoys these, I think there is something physically going on with my scent receptors that is making me smell, or perceive, this differently. Excuse me while I go huff some Colonia. :wacko:
 
A fairly small percentage of people have a sensitivity to real oakmoss. Most rose scents are actually from a geranium plant (geraniol, not the geranium flowers, from the leaves of a bushy plant). Older barbershop type scents often have these, plus lavender, plus citrus notes (citrol, limonene, limanool).
 
I think I am going to give that a try. From my continuing research it appears it might be the lavender all along, but with something keeping it stuck. I found a description of certain varieties of Lavender as smelling medicinal and more spraying and smelling is agreeing.

There are many varieties of lavender flower, but the two found most commonly found in fragrances are "true" lavender and lavandin. Although lavandin sounds like it might be synthetic, it is actually a hybrid between true lavender and spike lavender. The spike lavender introduces a camphorous note to the lavender making it more pungent and medicinal. Although I don't mind the smell of camphor in some products like chest rubs, I do not want that aroma in my shaving soap. Unfortunately, some lavender scents smell medicinal.

You might be sensitive to one form or the other, or both.

Grooming Dept has a Lavender scent that is described as 97% high elevation & French maillette lavender. Then a blend of absolutes make up the rest of the scent: violet, cedarwood, labdanum, geranium, & jasmine. It is a beautiful scent with not even the slightest hint of camphor. If that soap causes irritation, then you are definitely sensitive to lavender.

There are a lot of scent notes that irritate my skin. However, I have found that very complex cologne type scents are far less likely to cause issues that simple scents with only a few scent notes.
 
There are many varieties of lavender flower, but the two found most commonly found in fragrances are "true" lavender and lavandin. Although lavandin sounds like it might be synthetic, it is actually a hybrid between true lavender and spike lavender. The spike lavender introduces a camphorous note to the lavender making it more pungent and medicinal. Although I don't mind the smell of camphor in some products like chest rubs, I do not want that aroma in my shaving soap. Unfortunately, some lavender scents smell medicinal.

You might be sensitive to one form or the other, or both.

Grooming Dept has a Lavender scent that is described as 97% high elevation & French maillette lavender. Then a blend of absolutes make up the rest of the scent: violet, cedarwood, labdanum, geranium, & jasmine. It is a beautiful scent with not even the slightest hint of camphor. If that soap causes irritation, then you are definitely sensitive to lavender.

There are a lot of scent notes that irritate my skin. However, I have found that very complex cologne type scents are far less likely to cause issues that simple scents with only a few scent notes.
Thank you so much for finding my thread and taking the time to address this. I just made a WCS order this weekend and held off ordering L'Aventura while it was on sale because of the lavender. I suppose I will have to order the GD Lavender to find out.

It is strange, I have lavender hand soap around the house. I have always purchased general cleaning products in lavender so this whole thing threw me off. I will say, I can smell but tolerate the lavender in shaving soap. I really don't want to any more because my nose picks out that scent strongly now. It is the matching aftershaves which cause me all the trouble. I know we differ on this, but I consider having the matching set when available a near requirement to purchase a soap.

I am just glad that what I am smelling is not my imagination. I will continue to experiment.
 
Thank you so much for finding my thread and taking the time to address this. I just made a WCS order this weekend and held off ordering L'Aventura while it was on sale because of the lavender. I suppose I will have to order the GD Lavender to find out.

It is strange, I have lavender hand soap around the house. I have always purchased general cleaning products in lavender so this whole thing threw me off. I will say, I can smell but tolerate the lavender in shaving soap. I really don't want to any more because my nose picks out that scent strongly now. It is the matching aftershaves which cause me all the trouble. I know we differ on this, but I consider having the matching set when available a near requirement to purchase a soap.

I am just glad that what I am smelling is not my imagination. I will continue to experiment.

I love Grooming Dept soaps, but I skipped L'Avventura because of the lime and grapefruit notes which can be sensititivity triggers for me.

L'Avventura uses the same high-elevation lavender used in the Lavender scent, but the supporting scents are different.
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
If you want a sample of Musgo Real oakmoss shaving cream, PM me your mailing address. That should settle the oakmoss question.

BTW, the base of many fougere type scents is lavender and oakmoss.

I have an issue with the ‘metallic’ scent in many products, Cella Bio, Creed Aventus, and several of the SV soaps who describe the scent a s ‘white fir’ and similar descriptions. My skin is fine with it but it tickles my nose and makes me sneeze. This is not a good thing when shaving with a straight razor.
 
If you want a sample of Musgo Real oakmoss shaving cream, PM me your mailing address. That should settle the oakmoss question.

BTW, the base of many fougere type scents is lavender and oakmoss.

I have an issue with the ‘metallic’ scent in many products, Cella Bio, Creed Aventus, and several of the SV soaps who describe the scent a s ‘white fir’ and similar descriptions. My skin is fine with it but it tickles my nose and makes me sneeze. This is not a good thing when shaving with a straight razor.
Appreciate it! I kind of decided it wasn't the oakmoss early on, that's unfortunately what the title is stuck as. It's definitely the lavender, but the fixative effect of the oakmoss is probably keeping it burning my nose long after applied. I found a product I had put away that is strongly oakmoss scented and I love it. I might be able to start using it again due to masks, not a personal space strength!
 

Steve56

Ask me about shaving naked!
Which lavender?

I have a reason to ask. I‘m fine with almost all lavenders, but not Hungarian lavender which is a great scent. Mike’s Hungarian Lavender lights me up like a blowtorch, I might as well shave with a Bernz-O-Matic. CRSW Savon #1 (IIRC) makes me tingle, but is a lovely scent.
 
Which lavender?

I have a reason to ask. I‘m fine with almost all lavenders, but not Hungarian lavender which is a great scent. Mike’s Hungarian Lavender lights me up like a blowtorch, I might as well shave with a Bernz-O-Matic. CRSW Savon #1 (IIRC) makes me tingle, but is a lovely scent.
As Ray's post above just reopened my thread after a month, I haven't figured it out yet. I am kind of unmotivated to make purchases to try to hurt myself. I have used products with French lavender for all my life, but they are very lightly scented and don't stick around. I suppose I could just order sample sizes of the pure oils, that would probably answer it quickly. Thanks again.
 
I know a lot of products scented with or containing oakmoss often come with a warning not to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Must be a known irritant or cause some issues to come with that label.
 

Owen Bawn

Garden party cupcake scented
I have two naggins of Musgo Real Colonia No.2, Oakmoss; one is full and the other, as you see, nearly full. And I don't even really like the stuff. But it was on clearance for $15 the bottle a few years ago and I can't resist a bargain. I like the grassy bit of oakmoss when blended with other notes, but by itself it only works if I apply it in wee dabs like a perfume. I understand that the price of Musgo Real colonia is now almost obscene.

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