Can You Spray Perfume in Your Hair? A Gentler Way

Spraying perfume in your hair is a habit some people swear by and others have never dared to try. This guide covers how to do it more gently, what to reach for instead and what to avoid. We are an authorized Mykonos retailer for Europe; the advice here is general everyday perfume know-how, not hair-care advice, so we stay with what you can feel and smell.

Can you spray perfume in your hair?

You can, and many people do. Hair works a little like fabric: it holds scent for a long time and gives it back in small waves whenever you move your head. Many people find that a scent lingers in their hair for longer than on their wrists.

The catch is what is in the bottle. Ordinary perfume is made for skin and clothes, and it contains alcohol, which can leave hair feeling dry, especially if you spray it often or straight onto the lengths. That is a reason to use a light hand and a gentler method. We sell perfume, not hair care, so we make no claims about hair or scalp beyond how it feels and smells.

How to put perfume in your hair more gently

Spray your hairbrush, not your head

This is the simplest method. Spray a clean hairbrush once, wait a few seconds and brush through from the mid-lengths down to the ends. The bristles spread a light veil of scent with far less liquid than a direct spray would leave.

Or use a light mist from arm's length

Hold the bottle at arm's length, close your eyes, point the nozzle away from your face and give one short spray across the lower lengths of your hair, not the roots. With a concentrated extrait de parfum, which many Mykonos perfumes are, one spray is plenty; see extrait de parfum vs eau de parfum for the difference in strength and how many sprays of perfume for a rule of thumb.

Let it dry before you style

Give the alcohol a moment to evaporate before you brush, tie up or style your hair. Perfume is a flammable liquid, so keep the bottle away from a flame or a hot styling tool while you spray.

What can you use instead of perfume in your hair?

Softer routes to a similar result:

• The back of your neck. Hair falls over the nape and brushes it as you move, so it carries the scent with it. Our guide to where to apply perfume explains why this spot is slow to fade.
• Your clothes or a scarf. Fabric holds scent well and keeps it off your hair. See perfume on clothes or skin for what lasts and what can mark.
• A fragrance mist. A mist is a lighter product type than a perfume, so a spray or two is less concentrated. Our store lists its fragrance mists as their own collection, all in 250 ml. Products sold as hair perfume or hair mist are a separate product type, and we do not describe any of our mists that way, so use the same careful method.

What not to do with perfume in your hair

• Do not spray the scalp. Keep perfume to the lengths and ends.
• Do not spray towards your face. Close your eyes and angle the bottle away.
• Do not overdo it. Your hair sits beside your own nose and that of anyone standing close, so a little goes a long way.
• Do not spray near heat. Hot styling tools and open flames do not mix with an alcohol-based spray.
• Do not expect it to smell like it does on your wrist. Hair does not add the warmth and scent of skin, so a perfume can read differently there; see why perfume smells different on skin. If your hair starts to feel dry, spray less often or move the scent to your neck and clothes.

Frequently asked questions

Is perfume bad for your hair?

Ordinary perfume contains alcohol, and alcohol can leave hair feeling dry, particularly if you spray it directly and often. That is why we suggest the hairbrush method, one short spray from arm's length and the ends rather than the roots. We sell perfume, not hair care, so we make no wider claims; a hairdresser is the right person to ask about your hair.

Can you spray perfume on your scalp?

We would not. Keep perfume off the scalp and spray the lengths and ends, or a hairbrush, instead.

How long does perfume last in hair?

Many people find it lasts longer in hair than on skin, but there is no fixed answer: it depends on the perfume, your hair, how often you wash it and the weather. For ways to make any scent stay, see how to make perfume last longer.

Can you use a fragrance mist in your hair?

Some people do, and a mist is a lighter product type than a perfume. We make no statement that our mists are made for hair, so we suggest the same method: arm's length, ends only, away from the scalp and your eyes.

Keep reading

• Where to apply perfume: the best places to spray and where not to
• How to make your perfume last longer
• How many sprays of perfume? A simple rule for extraits and EDPs