It’s very common to spray perfume on your neck. A lot of people put perfume on their neck and other pulse points to make the scent last longer. But not many people think about the thyroid gland that is right under the skin in that area. Putting perfume on your neck can put chemicals that could affect your hormones right over your thyroid.
How Wearing Perfume on Your Neck Could Affect Your Thyroid
The thyroid is a small gland in the shape of a butterfly that is at the front of your neck. It controls mood, metabolism, energy levels, heart rate, and body temperature. Because it is close to the skin, things put on the neck can be absorbed by the body over time.
Many perfumes have synthetic fragrance chemicals in them, like phthalates and other chemicals that help scents last longer. Some of these chemicals are called endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are things that can mess with the body’s hormone system. Hormones are like messengers that control many important things, like growth, sleep, fertility, weight, and more.
Spraying perfume directly on the thyroid area every day may make it more likely that you will be exposed to these chemicals over and over again. Although research is ongoing and perfume alone is unlikely to directly cause thyroid disease, minimizing continuous chemical exposure is a prudent health decision.
An imbalance in the thyroid can cause symptoms like tiredness, weight gain or loss, thinning hair, dry skin, anxiety, or periods that are not regular. Taking care of your hormones is important for your overall health.
Don’t spray perfume directly on your neck to lower the risk. Instead, put it on clothes or places that are farther away from the thyroid, like the wrists. You can also pick products that don’t have a scent or that say they don’t have phthalates. Over time, small changes in your daily habits can help your thyroid and hormones stay healthy.
