How To Remove Stubborn Cologne Scent From Your Skin

Whether you've spritzed on too much cologne or you're simply looking for a way to switch up your scent, there are several methods you can use to remove cologne from your skin. Here are some of the most popular techniques:

- Soap and water: While this method may not always be effective for strong colognes, a regular shower with your usual soap may be enough to remove mild cologne scents.

- Rubbing alcohol: Using pure alcohol can be harsh on the skin, but rubbing the skin with alcohol or alcohol-based products like hand sanitiser can help remove cologne.

- Oils: Applying oils like coconut, olive, or almond oil can help break down cologne molecules. Massage the oil into your skin and then rinse off with soap and water.

- Deodorant: Applying unscented deodorant to the fragranced area and then washing it off after a few minutes is a convenient way to remove cologne due to the pH properties and composition of deodorant.

- Baking soda: Baking soda has odour-neutralising properties and can be used to create a paste that, when applied to the skin, will absorb unwanted scents.

- Vinegar, lemon juice, or witch hazel: Soaking a cotton ball in vinegar, lemon juice, or witch hazel and then dabbing it onto the fragranced area can help remove cologne. Rinse thoroughly with water afterwards.

Apply cologne to pulse points

Pulse points are the warmest areas of the body, which helps project the scent more efficiently. These areas include the wrists, neck, chest, shoulders, inner elbows, behind the ears, and knees.

When applying cologne, hold the bottle 3-6 inches away from your skin and target these pulse points. The general rule is to apply 2-4 squirts of cologne, but less is more when it comes to fragrances. You can always add more if you feel it is necessary, but you don't want to be the guy everyone can smell from a mile away.

If you are applying cologne to your neck, spray it at the bottom of your throat, not on your décolletage or behind your ears, as the skin in these areas is delicate and sun-exposed. For the wrists, spray the inner wrist, and then rub your wrists together and onto your neck.

If you are venturing out into a noisy social scene, consider applying a small amount of cologne behind your ears so that when people lean in to speak to you, they get an attractive smell to ponder on.

Pulse points are also the best spots to reapply cologne throughout the day if needed. Simply dab a little cologne onto your pulse points.

Hold the bottle 3-6 inches away from the skin

Holding the cologne bottle the correct distance from your skin is crucial to avoid over or under-application. Holding the bottle 3-6 inches away from your body when spraying is the ideal distance. Any closer than 3 inches and you risk applying too much cologne, and spraying from further than 6 inches away will likely result in under-application.

Holding the bottle at this distance will allow you to focus the scent on a specific target, in this case, the pulse points, without over or under-concentrating it. It is a perfect balance between avoiding too much alcohol concentration on the skin, and losing too many of the particles from a poorly targeted spritz.

If your cologne bottle doesn't have a spray nozzle, you can still apply the correct amount by covering the open bottle with your finger, tipping it upside down, then righting the bottle and putting it down. Dab the liquid onto your finger and apply to the chosen area of skin.

Don't rub it in

Rubbing cologne into your skin can break the molecular bond in the fragrance, causing the scent to fade faster. Instead, simply spray or dab it on and let it dry on the skin.

If you're using a spray bottle, hold it a few inches from your body and give yourself a light spritz. If your bottle doesn't have a spray nozzle, use the dabbing method. Cover the open bottle with your finger, tip the bottle, then right the bottle and put it down. Dab the liquid on your finger in the area where you wish to apply the cologne.

One small dab is enough; don't double-dab.

If you get cologne on your hands during application, be sure to wash them afterwards so you don't get cologne on everything you touch.

Removing Cologne from the Skin

If you need to remove cologne from your skin, there are several methods you can try. Firstly, simply washing your skin with soap and water may be enough to remove mild cologne scents.

You can also try using:

• Rubbing alcohol
• Hand sanitiser
• Vodka
• Lemon juice
• White vinegar
• Coconut oil or olive oil
• Baking soda
• Uncented deodorant
• Dead Sea mud mask
• A bath with Epsom salt, baking soda, or full-fat milk
• Mineral oil
• Unscented exfoliating scrub
• Tomato paste

Apply to clean, dry skin

Applying cologne to clean, dry skin is the best way to ensure the scent lasts a long time. Ideally, you should apply cologne after a shower, as the hot water will have cleansed your skin and opened your pores, providing a good base for the cologne.

When applying cologne, hold the bottle 3-6 inches away from your skin and target the pulse points, or warmest areas of your body. These include the wrists, neck, chest, shoulders, and inner elbows. These areas project the scent more efficiently, meaning less fragrance is required.

It is recommended that you start with one or two sprays and then build up if necessary, as you don't want to overpower those around you. You should also avoid rubbing the cologne into your skin after application, as this can change the scent and make it fade faster.

If your cologne doesn't have a spray nozzle, you can use the dabbing method. Cover the open bottle with your finger, tip the bottle, then right it and put it down. Dab the liquid onto your finger in the area where you wish to apply the cologne. One small dab is sufficient.

Reapply sparingly

When it comes to reapplying cologne, less is more. You should only need to reapply cologne once throughout the day, and if you're wearing a lighter fragrance, such as a citrus or floral cologne, you may need to reapply more often. If you're wearing a stronger scent, such as a woody or musky fragrance, you may only need to reapply once or not at all.

If you're wearing an eau de parfum, you should only need to reapply once throughout the day, whereas if you're wearing an eau de toilette, you may need to reapply every four hours.

The key to knowing when to reapply cologne is to understand how long your chosen cologne lasts. Woody, amber, and oriental perfumes tend to last the longest on the skin, while citrus, floral, and fruity scents fade faster.

You can also make cologne last longer by applying it to freshly washed, moisturized skin, and by applying it to the warmest points of your body, such as your neck, inner wrists, behind the knees, behind the ears, and below the belly button.

However, be mindful that you don't want to overpower people with your cologne. You should only need to spritz your cologne three to four times per application. If you're unsure whether your cologne is too strong, you can ask a trusted friend for their opinion.

Frequently asked questions