We as a species have been applying fragrances since the dawn of recorded history; alluring aromas used to attract mates or impress our wealth upon others. But for such a long-standing and common facet of life, perfume has more than its fair share of misconceptions.

Is “spray, delay, and walk away” good advice? Are perfumes toxic? How do you choose the right fragrance for you? It’s time to debunk some rumors, impart trade secrets and give you a crash course on perfume in the process.

#1: Perfume is for girls, cologne is for boys

The most common misconception by far has to be that any kind of fragrance has a specific gender. With the way they’ve been presented in media, you’d think that perfume is for women and cologne is for men. In reality, these titles only denote the strength and life of the scent—and there are a few more where those came from!

The fragrance hierarchy is topped by pure perfume or parfum, which contains 15 to 30 percent perfume oil. Then comes the most popular product, eau de parfum, and the lighter eau de toilette. Eau de cologne is the second to least long lasting with only 2 to 4 percent perfume oil, beaten out only by the quick refresher that is eau fraiche.

In each concentration, the remaining percentage of the concoction is the carrier and solvent, typically some sort of alcohol. (That’s excluding eau fraiche, which is mostly water.)

“Wait, my perfume has rubbing alcohol in it?!” Well, it’s not quite that simple—unless you buy a low-quality product, in which case yes, it may smell like rubbing alcohol. In quality fragrances, though, the art of perfumery is far more complex than that.

#2: It’s full of harmful chemicals

Before we get into any anxieties pertaining to ingredients, let’s start with the basics. When you imagine the creation of a perfume, you may picture a chemist in a lab, carefully piping drops of some mystery chemical into a test tube. In a way, perfumers are chemists, sure. But really, they’re as much artists as they are scientists.

Making perfume begins in the same way as cooking: collecting ingredients. This doesn’t always mean synthesizing them in a lab, but even when it does, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing!

Perfumes have long been based on natural ingredients, essential oils extracted from plant matter or even animal products through a variety of methods. It was only in the 19th century, after chemists gained a more in-depth understanding of molecules, that new synthetic fragrances entered the market.

In this time of scientific discovery and a booming French perfume industry, the exaggerated warnings about perfume’s dangers ran rampant, suggesting negative effects on both the body and soul (this, of course, has been a common reaction to anything that could be perceived as feminine vanity, particularly at a time when women were beginning to speak up and threaten the patriarchy’s power).

Now, perfume tends to be a combination of both natural and synthetic components. That may sound a bit scary, but rest assured: the ingredients are assessed by the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (or RIFM), an international authority that ensures the safety of fragrances. No toxic chemicals allowed.

The oils are then blended by a perfumer and diluted to the desired concentration. The resulting product is left in a dark cool place for several months or even years, aging like a fine wine until it’s ready.

#3: Unnatural = toxic

Though numerous natural fragrances are available, adhering to them means missing out on a world of possibilities. Synthetic fragrance ingredients are specifically designed to create enjoyable scents, often with more complexity and a longer lifespan than natural ingredients.

It’s incredibly difficult to avoid synthetic ingredients entirely, and frankly, you don’t really need to. Remember, chemical products aren’t inherently toxic—if they were, we’d all be in pretty big trouble!

If you’re worried about how these ingredients could affect the environment, rest assured that you aren’t alone in your concern. Considering the notoriety of aerosol products like deodorant and body sprays, it’s not surprising that the masses’ caution has spread to other spritzable scents as well. But no need to worry. Perfume bottles have no aerosol to speak of—just a plain spraying mechanism, if that.

If your concern lies more with how chemical ingredients can impact your health, there’s little need to fret so long as the fragrance product is of decent quality and isn’t counterfeit. After all, that’s what the RIFM is for! In fact, synthetic fragrances can actually be safer than natural alternatives—like in the case of the somewhat controversial ban on oakmoss, a common allergen.

#4: Spritz and walk through

In all honesty, your perfume shouldn’t be entering the atmosphere enough to affect the environment to begin with. The “perfume-cloud” technique isn’t quite what it’s cracked up to be—your perfume is for you, not your furniture! Though this custom is a bit of a classic, it’s actually a huge waste of product and serves only to dim down what the fragrance was meant to be.

The best way to apply perfume is by dabbing or spritzing a small amount directly onto the skin, focusing on locations that emanate warmth, like your neck or chest. Rather than wafting through a mist and only retaining a subtle note or two landing on random areas of the body, the fragrance will soak into your skin to be further elevated and diffused by your body heat.

#5: It’s best to test perfumes in-store

So now you know how to apply your perfume, but how do you test it to start with? The typical method is to simply spray it on a test strip and give it a sniff. While this does allow for a clean, uncontaminated test, blotters are missing out on one vital component: your own body chemistry.

We all have our own natural scents, different pheromones and body oils, and how that mixes with any given fragrance is unique to everyone. A perfume that smells wonderful alone may be washed out completely once it hits your skin, while an okay fragrance could become something complex and entirely new when mixed with your personal essence.

A test strip allows for multiple back-to-back tests (though you still want to watch out for olfactory fatigue), but really, the best way to test any fragrance is simply by wearing it. Perfumes are made of three main scent notes—the head notes, heart notes, and base notes—that unfold as the day progresses. To know if a perfume is right for you, you need to smell all three stages.

This means that it can be rather difficult to properly test perfumes in-store. Luckily, we have a solution!

An easy, no-nonsense perfume hunt

Your signature scent is a big decision, and you need to have all the facts before you can choose it. Testing a million and one perfumes at store counters or with magazine inserts isn’t really a viable way to find the one, so ScentBox is here to make it easy. It’s an affordable and fun way to shop for perfumes, with new designer fragrances shipped straight to your door every month. Subscribe today with no commitment; apply your new knowledge, shop around, and cancel at any time. With this practical perfume know-how, you can make an informed decision and find the perfect fragrance—and we’re here to help you through it.