Fragrance Safety and What to Avoid: Knockoff Perfumes, Cheap Fragrances, Body Oils

In high school, I loved the smell of Escape perfume, but I didn't want to shell out the money for the fragrance so I'd buy the knockoff version, Fly With Me. I received consistent compliments about how close it smelled to Escape.

However, not every knockoff perfume smells or has the same ingredients as the originals. Like store brand contact lens solutions, lotions, shampoos and other cosmetic items, it's imperative that you check the ingredients in each box.

In addition to checking for knockoff perfumes to get more economical deals, sometimes you can find good deals on the "originals." However, beware of suspicious sales or street deals.

Suburban residents Shontae R. Bennett, 18, from Dolton, IL, and Sandra L. Clay, 43, from Harvey, IL, were arrested on Wednesday, Apr 15, for stealing over $2,100 worth of fragrances from a Kohl's department store at 350 Randall Road in Elgin, IL. Chances are they planned to re-sell these fragrances for cheaper prices. Who doesn't want a fragrance for a more reasonable price? However, would you rather support the brand and the person behind the brand? Buying stolen perfume is equal to buying bootleg movies. You get the product but cheat the company. And if you like the face behind the fragrance, you're cheating your favorite artist, too. Some perfume prices are ridiculous, but would you rather risk having a stolen item confiscated and supporting a thief or shelling out the money for the real perfume or reliable knockoff?

Besides the obvious problem with buying stolen products, you must also be careful of who you buy fragrances from online. A month or two ago, there was an ad with someone selling a large amount of fragrances on Chicago's Craigslist. But considering you don't see the products beforehand, don't know where they came from and cannot verify that they are from the manufacturer, you could risk buying incorrect products or fragrances that include faulty ingredients. A seller could be adding other liquid items (i.e., water, alcohol) to spread the product's quantity out, which may change the smell of the fragrance. If more dangerous products are used, you could possibly damage your own skin. Without a return policy, what you buy is what you get.

With the variety of perfumes and colognes in department stores, it's a reasonable assumption that you can find one within your price range without breaking the law or giving yourself a rash. Shop around and look for perfume deals or manufacturer coupons on the fragrance's Web site. Some fragrance suppliers, like Baby Phat, have giveaways on Twitter just by doing simple things like posting a photo of yourself with your favorite animal. And if all else fails, stick to perfume samples, body mists or fragrance lotions.

Additional Notes: This entry was published by the Chicago Fragrance Examiner. To check out her fragrance reviews, visit the Examiner link.