Axe body scent stinks

When I was a tot, a woman would have to have a transfusion of perfume for the scent to penetrate the ubiquitous cloud of cigarette smoke. Now, however, in the wake of growing no-smoke zones, our recovering olfactory senses are able to pick up more subtle odors. Ironically, this too is creating a problem.

The problem is that the increasing use of perfumes to scent the air in tony stores, dirty homes and tennis shoes has resulted in allergic reactions by many. The current campaigns for body scents such as Axe have inspired one Minnesota legislator to propose a campaign for scent-free schools.

I'm not fond of wading through the boudoir-like atmosphere permeating the makeup counters at our local department stores, so I'm sure I wouldn't enjoy sharing a room with a bunch of Axe-wielding teens. However, I'm equally sure that the answer is not to be found in the odor of the natural human.

Perhaps the answer is moderation. Or nose filters. Throwing out the Axe might be a good idea, too. Instead of body scent, try taking a shower, for crying out loud.

A clean body - now, that's sexy. And hypoallergenic.