Can Flight Attendants Wear Perfume?
Flight attendants ensure the comfort and well-being of the passengers on the airplane. So it seems natural that they would wear perfume because most people prefer that someone who’s attending them would smell nice. However, the aviation industry has some of the most strict guidelines for their workers, so can flight attendants wear perfume?
The answer is yes, flight attendants can wear perfume and often do. However, it’s important to keep in mind that strong scents can evoke an adverse reaction in passengers or even colleagues, so if you’re a flight attendant thinking of wearing perfume, you should be considerate and choose something light and inoffensive.
If you want to hear more about choosing the right perfume and some of the best options to consider, we recommend you read this article. We will cover everything a flight attendant should know about wearing perfume.
In this article..
Why Flight Attendants Can Wear Perfume
Flight attendants can wear perfume to work because no major airline prohibits it. While there are many strict guidelines concerning the appearance of flight attendants, nothing stops them from wearing perfume.
We can even take a look at the official appearance standards published by the Association of Flight Attendants, which is a trade union of flight attendants in the U.S. The only mention of perfume or fragrance is as follows:
“Personal hygiene must be maintained. Perfumes and colognes must be applied sparingly.”
So the only thing you should keep in mind is to not overdo it and use a single spray at most. However, there are some risks of wearing perfume during flights, and as a flight attendant, you should be aware of them when making a decision about wearing perfume.
Pros and Cons of Wearing Perfume as a Flight Attendant
Many perfumes include ingredients that are known to cause allergic reactions, asthma attacks, and migraines. It’s especially relevant to flight attendants, who are working during flights on airplanes. As you know, it’s a very compact space with limited ventilation, so even light scents can possibly cause problems.
Not many things are worse than a flight passenger having some sort of health problem during flight, especially if it’s a long-haul flight. While perfume isn’t likely to cause severe health problems, such a risk is simply not worth it for the little benefits of wearing perfume.
And what are those benefits?
It’s personal, but most people wear perfume to, well, smell nice. It can give a boost of confidence and make you perform better at attending to passengers. Whether it’s worth the potential risk of causing an adverse reaction in others is up to you to decide, but here’s a table of cons and pros of wearing perfume:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Smelling Nice | Can Cause Allergic Reactions |
| Confidence Boost | Can Cause Migraines |
| Better Performance | Can Cause Asthma Attacks |
Recommended Perfumes for Flight Attendants
If you’ve decided on wearing perfume, then you should choose something with a light scent that is unlikely to cause allergic reactions. We recommend these perfumes for flight attendants, 2 for females, and 1 for males:
This perfume was first launched in 2004 by two experienced perfumers Nathalie Feisthauer and Ralf Schwieger, who combined have nearly 100 years of experience in the fragrance industry.
Eau des Merveilles is a woody perfume for women, offering an infatuating, yet formal scent with base notes of fir, cedar, Madagascar vetiver, and oakmoss, which is supported by middle notes of amber, pepper, pink pepper, and violet.
The cherry on top of the cake is top notes of orange, elemi resin, and lemon, giving that slight tint of freshness.
You can buy a 100 ml (3.4 Fl. Oz.) bottle of Eau des Merveilles for around $145.
This perfume is a successor of the legendary Chanel N°5 created by no other than Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel in 1921. Chanel N°5 is arguably the most iconic perfume of all time, and this interpretation first launched in 1986 offers everything that the original did.
It has base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, oakmoss, vetiver, and patchouli, that are enriched by middle notes of iris, jasmine, rose, and lily-of-the-valley, and finally topped off by top notes of aldehydes, ylang-ylang, neroli, bergamot, and peach.
This combination of notes results in a classic scent that perfectly suits the formal yet caregiving duty of flight attendants.
You can get a 100 ml (3.4 Fl. Oz.) bottle of Chanel N°5 Eau De Parfum for around $172.
Finally, for our male flight attendants we can recommend this eau de toilette by Dolce & Gabbana. While having a slight kick of spice, it’s primarily a classic manly scent that’s inoffensive to most noses without being unnoticeable.
Its aura lies in the base of musk, oakmoss, and incense, which allows middle notes of rosemary, rosewood, and pepper to shine. Finally, top notes of bergamot, Sicilian mandarin, frozen grapefruit peel, and juniper add that level of complexity you’d want from a luxury brand perfume.
You can get a 200 ml (6.6 Fl. Oz.) bottle of Light Blue Eau de Toilette by Dolce & Gabbana for around $115.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
(Q): Can Pilots Wear Perfume?
(A): There’s nothing stopping flight pilots from wearing perfume. However, most flight training schools advise their students against wearing perfume, because pilots work in a small cockpit. As you probably know, small spaces don’t mix well with perfume and limited ventilation in airplanes only makes it worse.
(Q): What Perfume Should Flight Attendant Choose?
(A): If you’re a flight attendant who wants to wear perfume, you should use light and inoffensive scent that’s hypoallergenic and isn’t likely to cause any health problems in passengers or your fellow colleagues.
Final Words
While there is nothing stopping flight attendants from wearing perfume, we really recommend you think twice about doing it. This article should’ve helped you decide if it’s worth the risk, and if it is, then we hope you’ll like our recommended perfumes.
