for our session because I go home and having a perfumed scent on my clothes is not conducive for my health nor safety as my SO has an acute sense of smell. I shower before and after a session so perfume or scented oil will wash away, but not if it is on my clothes. Unlike the old days where I could go to any bar and leave smelling of smoke, I have to be more creative if my clothes smells of perfume or scented oil...go to the gym, not shower and put the clothes with the perfume; throw my clothes immediately in the washer when I get home.
I find when I do ask it's pretty split with none or a light amount of fragrance.
Perfumes and oils have a way of sticking onto people and also, assuming you shower and oil/perfume up before every appointment, the taste of them on your skin is usually rather unpleasant.
If you greet your client with a hug/kiss at the door there is a chance that the oil may get on their clothes and oil stains are very hard to get out of certain fabrics - you mentioned using specialty scented oils so I assume they are made with carrier oils for scent (e.g. jojoba oil, almond oil, avocado oil) which are usually preferred over coconut oil, though coconut oil can carry a fragrance mixture as well.
Also? What’s light scented and smells goods to you may be strong and disgusting or conjure up bad memories for someone else. People have allergies, skin sensitivities, and a number of other things you should be considerate of.
My general routine is to shower, moisturize with unscented coconut oil (lightweight and generally absorbs into the skin very quickly), and then put on some deodorant with a pleasant scent... If I know the client well enough and know that he is not committed or fragrance is okay, I will sometimes do one spritz of something like D&G 2 L’Imperatrice on the back of the neck.
Hopefully others will comment and have some more input for you!
There is really nothing to add to what Priya stated. She pretty much hit the nail on the head in regards to the depth of information. So, all I can offer there is my electronic John Hancock of agreement & my personal input on perfume use.
I'm a fan of the theory of "I would rather have one & not need it, than need one & not have it." With that in mind, can you have both speciality scented oils and non-scented oils? Then during the booking process, a potential client could communicate which they would prefer?
In regards to perfume, I ask this question upfront on my booking form. In the "Attire Request" section, I ask about certain attire, glasses, heels, and perfume. If a client check the box saying "No Perfume", I know to not pick up the bottle at all. Personally, it's helped alleviate that anxiety of "should I" or "shouldn't I" when it comes to perfume because I know upfront. If wearing perfume is an option, I keep it minimal: a small dab behind the ear & a very light spray on the wrist. Never rub your wrists or the perfume into your skin otherwise it will alter the scent every so subtly. It's meant to "air-dry" on the skin. Also, keep it light because perfume tends to travel upwards (which is why some women will put it on their ankles as well). And as always, use the "parfume" (higher concentrate) over the "toilette" (more watered down which means more frequent application).
I'm looking forward to hearing the other responses as well!