Have you ever walked into a room and immediately wondered if someone emptied an entire bottle of cologne into the air? I recently had that experience while traveling, and it wasn’t exactly pleasant.
Not only was I away from home, my family, and the business for a couple of weeks, but I was also exposed to products I wouldn’t normally choose to be around. It started off small. TSA confiscated my laundry soap (my fault—I didn’t label it), so I had to go find something locally. It took three stores before I found an option without synthetic fragrance or ingredients I try to avoid.
That was just day one.
Day two was worse. Much worse. I was in a classroom setting with very little ventilation, and it seemed like everyone had made the same decision that morning: apply as much cologne, perfume, or aftershave as humanly possible.
By early afternoon, it wasn’t just annoying—it was a migraine, lack of focus, and the realization that I was going to be dealing with this every day.
After a couple of weeks of this, the person sitting next to me finally asked what was wrong. Apparently I wasn’t asking as many questions as usual (some days were better than others, depending on how “fragrant” the room was).
I explained that the combination of scented products in the room was getting to me. Poor ventilation didn’t help, and my assigned seat was as far from the door as possible, so even a quick escape for fresh air wasn’t exactly convenient.
To his credit, he was understanding and even asked if his aftershave was part of the problem. I told him yes—but he wasn’t alone. The issue wasn’t one product, it was the cumulative effect of many.
Unfortunately, understanding didn’t change the outcome. Day after day, the same routine. From his perspective, he was doing what most people do—using products he was accustomed to, likely without ever questioning what was in them or how they might affect others.
For those who aren’t sensitive to fragrances, this may not seem like a big deal. But for some people, strong or synthetic scents can trigger headaches, irritation, or difficulty concentrating. And beyond that, fragrance is often a catch-all term that can represent a mixture of many different compounds, some of which are still being studied for their potential health effects.
The problem isn’t just one product—it’s the combination. Dryer sheets, soaps, lotions, perfumes, aftershaves, hair products… all layered together throughout the day. It adds up.
And most people have no idea.
Sitting in that classroom, I remember thinking: if I had something better to offer, I would hand it out just so I could make it through the day.
So, a few months later (yes, a little late, but better late than never), we developed one.
Our goal wasn’t just to create another aftershave. It was to create something that people could actually use without overwhelming themselves—or everyone around them.
Cool Velvet Aftershave is formulated with a blend of witch hazel, aloe, and vegetable glycerin to help soothe and condition the skin after shaving.
For scent, we use essential oils of lavender, organic peppermint, cypress, and a touch of vanilla. We chose essential oils instead of synthetic fragrance. The goal is a lighter, more balanced scent profile, not something that fills a room.
We also made a deliberate choice to avoid citrus oils in this formulation. While they smell great, they’re not always ideal on freshly shaved skin.
The result is an aftershave designed to feel smooth, clean, and subtle, and without the overpowering effect that sparked this whole experience in the first place.
If I had this aftershave with me during that trip, I probably would have handed out bottles just to improve my chances of making it through the class without a headache.
Now I make sure to bring a few with me when I travel. Hopefully TSA doesn’t confiscate those too, but I’ll make sure to label them this time. Although I may have to explain why a female is traveling with multiple bottles of aftershave. I’ll just tell them I shave my legs daily or something.
For Health,
Tober
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