Should I Avoid Wearing Scents to Hot Yoga?

Yes. The guiding principle for scents in a hot yoga studio is to be as neutral as possible. This means you should avoid wearing any strong, noticeable fragrances, whether they come from perfumes, colognes, scented lotions, or even potent essential oil blends. The heat and humidity of the yoga room act as powerful amplifiers for any scent. A fragrance that seems subtle and pleasant in a normal environment can become overwhelmingly strong and even nauseating in the enclosed, heated space. What smells good to you might be distracting or allergy-inducing for the person on the mat next to you, who is breathing deeply and is in a heightened state of sensory awareness. This etiquette is about creating a clean, neutral, and inclusive space for everyone to practice in. The focus should be on the internal experience of yoga, not on navigating a cloud of external scents. Arrive clean, but free of any applied fragrances. If a studio uses essential oils for aromatherapy, it is typically done very sparingly by the instructor with a single, light scent that is known to be generally non-allergenic.