What does wearing perfume mean: a deeper understanding from social symbols to personal expression
In today's society, perfume has long gone beyond the simple smell modification function and has become an external symbol of personal image, social etiquette and even psychological state. The hot discussion data on the Internet in the past 10 days show that the discussion about perfume culture has increased by 37% month-on-month. Especially among the Generation Z group, "perfume personality" has become a new social keyword. This article will combine the latest hot data to structurally analyze the multiple symbolic meanings behind spraying perfume.
1. Popularity list of perfume topics across the Internet (last 10 days)

| Ranking | Topic keywords | Number of discussions (10,000) | Related hot events |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Perfume character | 482 | The same perfume of a celebrity is out of stock |
| 2 | olfactory economy | 356 | 618 perfume sales increased by 210% |
| 3 | Smell social | 291 | Young people challenge to “know people by smell” |
| 4 | Workplace perfume taboos | 187 | A company issued regulations on the use of incense |
| 5 | Perfume Psychology | 156 | Smell memory TED talk goes viral |
2. Decoding the symbolic meaning of perfume
1. Identity identification system
The latest survey shows that 78% of the respondents will judge the social role of the other party by the type of perfume. Woody fragrances are often associated with workplace elites, while floral fragrances are often seen as gentle qualities. In recent years, “pseudo-body fragrance” has become synonymous with a “relaxing” lifestyle.
2. Emotion visualization tools
Psychological counselor Zhang Min pointed out in a recent interview: "63% of users who choose sweet perfumes are in the emotional recovery period." Perfume has become the second "non-verbal system" for young people to express their psychological state after Moments.
3. Social distance regulator
Data in the post-epidemic era shows that the number of users choosing eau de toilette has increased by 41%, reflecting people's re-examination of close distance. In a poll on "The Most Hated Perfume Concentration" launched by a social platform, 34% of the participants listed "Sanbu San" as the ideal standard.
3. Perfume philosophy under generational differences
| age group | Preferred fragrance | Core demands | Typical representative |
|---|---|---|---|
| After 00 | Fruity/tea aroma | Personalized labels | genderless perfume |
| Post-90s | wood/leather | quality life | niche salon fragrance |
| Post-80s | Floral/Chypre | Suitable for the occasion | Classic business fragrance |
| Post-70s | Single botanical fragrance | natural health | essential oil perfume |
4. Perspective on controversial hot spots
In a recent workplace variety show, a debate on "whether wearing perfume is considered impolite in the workplace" triggered 230 million views. The positive side believes that strong smells constitute "olfactory pollution", while the negative side emphasizes that appropriate use of incense is "an extension of modern etiquette." Big data shows that the financial and medical industries have the lowest tolerance for perfume, while the acceptance rate of the creative industry is as high as 89%.
5. Forecast of future trends
According to pre-sale data on e-commerce platforms, perfume products with these characteristics are becoming new favorites:
-Scene intelligence: "Emotional perfume" that changes tone according to body temperature
-environmentalism: Carbon neutral certified sustainable fragrance
-Technology integration: Electronic fragrance linked to smart wearable devices
Perfume is no longer a simple daily necessity. It is a mobile personal museum, a social media of smell, and a unique code book of this era. When we talk about perfume, we are essentially talking about: how to tell the world "who I am" without saying anything.
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