Ever wonder why so many women’s body lotions are food-scented? If you think about it, it’s really an interesting concept. Do women really want to smell like food? I don’t think so.

Of course, we all have our favorite food scents – some love apple-cinnamon (a reminder of baking yumminess), some love coconut (memories from an exotic beach vacation), some love vanilla (a universal enjoyable scent), and yes, I love peppermint in all forms . . . for a candle or room spray, I totally get it. But for smearing on your body to leave a waft of scent behind? Maybe not so much, for me anyway. I can’t help but wonder WHY.

Multiple studies show that a vast majority of women are prone to struggle with weight – whether an unhealthy challenge of obesity or whether a mindset of just not loving your semi-healthy body – and that is top of the list of changes they would love to see in their lives.

And yet, we have the vast array of food-scented lotions (and body spray and shower gels, etc.) for women that seemingly add insult to injury. I wonder what the science is behind the research that makes these products top sellers? Does market research truly show that we want to smell like food??

Body products targeted for men offer scents like ocean, canyon, bourbon, marble, graphite, freshwater, teakwood . . . ok, so some fellas will smell like an adult beverage, but mostly their scents are geared towards actually smelling clean, and certainly not like food!

Perhaps the majority of women prefer to wear just a pleasant scent as well, not overpowering and definitely not food-oriented . . . I will go on record that I prefer the latter. Understand that my goal with body products is not a sensual scent, just a pleasant scent – usually floral-based or woodsy-based and light. Now I must confess that I am guilty of purchasing peppermint or pine scented hand-wash during the Christmas season, and yes, I do buy cinnamon-scented room sprays during the Fall. But I don’t view those smells as “food”- just as a pleasant, seasonal scent.

One national brand is notorious for food-scented body products . . . especially during holiday seasons. As Fall creeps in leaving the throes of beach-scented summer behind, the pumpkin craze is already upon us. But who really wants to smell like pumpkin latte? And what does pumpkin latte really smell like, without the added spices? I guess that’s determined by the company promoting their scented products. Note that these food-scented items are promoted to WOMEN, never to MEN.

And it’s not just the pumpkin craze – blueberry sugar pancakes, pink velvet cupcakes, pumpkin cupcake (oops, there it is again!) champagne apple & honey, marshmallow pumpkin latte (What’s up with that? Does a marshmallow “smell”?), country apple, almond blossom, coconut sunset, warm vanilla sugar (as opposed to cool vanilla sugar?), cucumber melon, grapefruit frost, avocado extract . . . the list is endless!

 

I’m not addressing the candle scents that are available – that might be a volatile subject, as women are prone to buying and burning candles of their favorite scents. Some love sweet tea, some love chocolate chip cookies – there’s a candle scent available for basically anything that delights your sniffer. But washing your body with and wearing a product that smells like your favorite food or beverage is a different story altogether. I hope I’m not the only one who ponders the “why” . . .