The delicate scent of a newborn is often an intoxicating aroma and apparently a strong source of inspiration for luxury designer brands.
Dolce and Gabbana plan to release a perfume for babies – an alcohol-free concoction which will sell for $45 per bottle, according to the Daily News.
The brand's co-designer Stefano Gabbana, who said the perfume is "designed to cuddle and pamper every little boy and girl," posted a picture of the new product on his Instagram account on Jan. 27, posing the question, "How can babies smell sweeter than they already do?" Apparently, with a splash of their infant cologne, which is a blend of melon, honey and citrus scents that can be dabbed on a baby's skin. The unisex fragrance, which does not yet have a release date, is housed in a sleek box and bottle, not unlike the various other packaging to come from the house.
Of course, keeping an infant tidy and changing their diaper regularly is also an effective way of maintaining the clean scent, a ubiquitous sentiment from those commenting on the Daily Mail.
"A totally unnecessary product," remarks one commenter on the Daily Mail. "Change its nappy," wrote another. Though, the goal of baby perfume is not solely to mask unpleasant odors, but also to enhance an infant's natural scent and appeal to parents who might want to wear the enticing aroma themselves.
"I am by nature a fragrance lover," said Sara Riff, a mother of a 7-month-old in Beverly Hills. "That being said, I wouldn't be interested in masking my baby's natural scent. It is the most pure and beautiful smell to me and I wouldn't want to alter it in any way."
"I sometimes wear Mustela (a line of baby products that carries a soft smell) myself, but I would never camouflage my daughter's delicious scent," said Monica Corcoran-Harel, mother to a 2-year-old in Los Angeles.
According to Dr. Jay Gordon, a Santa Monica-based pediatrician and author of a forthcoming book on children and toxins, abstaining from perfumes all together may be the healthiest option.
"Babies and people who have babies should not wear fragrance," Dr. Gordon told TODAY.com. "There are chemicals and toxins labeled as 'fragrance' in these products that can cause children to have respiratory reactions." He adds that even though most of the formulas that make up baby perfumes are alcohol-free, it's the components that create the actual scent that are the most potentially harmful to a baby's developing respiratory system and sensitive skin.
Regardless of whether mothers or their babies are wearing these luxury perfumes, it hasn't stopped the trend from gaining momentum. Bvlgari, Burberry and L'Occitane all have their own versions of children's perfumes, marketing to moms who just can't get enough of that blend of sweet breath and innocence splashed with a dash of baby powder and diaper cream.
Similar to the Dolce and Gabbana scent, the Bvlgari Petites et Mamans Eau de Toilette contains citrus notes as well as chamomile and talc. Burberry Baby Touch also includes citrus in the blend, but adds notes of wild mint, rhubarb jelly plus a dash of milk.
Baby perfume may be a head scratcher to many, but when it comes to the market for odd infant products, it falls into a long line of similarly curious inventions, including baby wigs, baby bikinis and diapers emblazoned with designer prints.
What do you think of perfume for babies? Share your thoughts!
Melissa Magsaysay is an L.A-based writer who's never met a red lipstick she didn't like.
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