Thursday, February 18, 2010

In a last ditch effort, I'm considering clothes pins.

All of my life I've known that something was unusual (okay, weird) about my sense of smell.

I can smell things others can't. Kind of like that kid in Sixth Sense, but without the macabre.

Mama is the same way. Although, she says her sense of smell has diminished over time. We both have a lot of problems with allergies. So I've always attributed our freak-of-nature skill with malfunctioning sinuses or something.

Or we're just strange.

Sometimes this unusual talent (?) is nice. I'm able to enjoy flowers much more, my laundry smells fresh longer, and I can actually tell when Krispy Kreme has hot doughnuts without looking at the neon sign.

Maybe that's stretching it a bit.

Other times my olfactory oddity can be most unpleasant. For example, Small Town is surrounded by cows. (Like in the thousands. You do the math.)

Or when there is a rotten potato in the pantry, or an unusually strong onion odor in the trash, or the most debilitating experience of entering a public restroom.

May I also note my never used a porta-potty record. Now, can you see why?

So, as you can see. My bloodhound super skills are both blessing and curse.

Which is the point of this post. You knew I'd get to it eventually.

I have a problem. I can't seem to find the perfect anti-bacterial hand soap. This may seem insignificant to normal people, but it is quite the dilemma for me.

Bath and Body makes the neatest foam soaps, but they dry out my hands in the winter. Right now I have the Fresh Linen scent in our bathroom. I was going to suffer through the dryness for the sake of, you know, freshness, but I tell you, it smells like cough medicine to me.

Yes, as in Robitussin.

I bought a moisturizing hand soap with shea butter, but I've realized that there is something about the scent of shea butter that bothers me.

You can see. I have issues.

So, my inter-peeps, do you have any suggestions?

I do love lavender, vanilla, and fruity scents. Any products you love? Hate? Any great moisturizing hand soaps?

I know there are more pressing problems in the world right now, but we'll save feeding the starving people for tomorrow.

My nose and hands would be most grateful.

P.S. As a strange, side note, I had to give up Maybelline Stiletto mascara because the smell strangely reminds me of beer.

10 comments:

Someone Being Me said...

I love the Honeysuckle scent from Bath and Bodyworks. I used the foaming but it also comes in the regular soap type. I also love the Coconut, Lime Verbena smell. I use that in the kitchen for washing my hands. For a less fruity/girly smell I like the Method soap in Sea Mineral scent.

Molly said...

I am not sure my nose is as sensitive as yours, but I can't use anything from BBW any more. I don't use antibacterial products, but if I did, I would probably get them at a local nature/whole food type store

Tari said...

i buy Nature's Gate liquid soaps for the sinks and for the boys' shower. the purifying one has peppermint, tea tree, lemon and lavender, and the moisturizing one has lemon and fennel. there's a 3rd one but i don't happen to have any of it in the closet, it seems. they all smell really nice but aren't over-powering.

i can't even walk into a place like Bath and Bodyworks, nor can i wear perfume - that's my "smell" perspective.

Amy said...

I am a Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar girl but also have to use a really good hand cream to keep the dryness away, and I don't love that smell but it keeps my hands moist.

Smells to me are tied to memories...very strongly.

Amy

pcb said...

I buy handmade soaps from an Etsy shop, Suds by Sarah. They do not dry my hands out and she has lots of different fragrances...you could probably even custom order. She's very easy to work with and communicates well. http://www.etsy.com/shop/sudsbysarah

Kathy ... aka Nana said...

My daughter has a sensitive "smeller" ;-) and she likes the Gold Bond hand sanitizer moisturizer. It works really well, and its scent isn't offensive to her. Just a thought?? ;-)

Anonymous said...

I don't have any great suggestions because I have the same problem and am hoping your inter-peeps will answer the question for me as well.
My olfactory nightmare? Winter with aging animals. It's cold out there and the soft, gentle side of me says let the poor ailing dog and cat in, but the smelling part of me (that'd be my nose people) says eewh! Now my whole house smells of wet dog and litter box. Even though they've all been out for DAYS!

Roxanne said...

Don't laugh. . .Cornhuskers lotion for your hands. It's wonderful in the winter, and I love the smell. BUT you'll just have to see how it works for you.

The smell I can't do is anything that leans toward ocean scents. . .if it has a photo of surf or sand or shells, then it's got this odd scent that hits me in the back of my throat--kind of like somethign sour.

See--again with the similar symptoms you and me.

Melanie said...

Okay, this cracked me up. I can smell things stronger than most people but not like you.

Anyway, I love JR Watkins Lemon Cream lotion because it smells like lemon pie, lemon squares...you name it. I could just eat myself up when I wear it. Give it a try. Walmart and Target carries it.

Susanne said...

Do you guys have a Fruits & Passion store down there? They have a few really nice lines for dry skin. One is an olive oil line that is wonderful and the smells in all the lines are really, really good. I love most of their smells and I'm a smell freak too.

http://www.fruits-passion.com/