As of late, I have been experiencing headaches when using strong after shaves and soaps...D.R. Harris scents, strong Bay Rum scents, and a few others. What's up with that? What base notes might be causing this? I don't seem to experience this with after shave balms, which I usually use.
I experienced the same problem with bay rum. When you apply it, try to stay away from putting it on directly under your nose. That helped me and the headaches went away.
Some of us are VERY sensitive to particular fragrances and can either react topically (burning, discoloration, rash, itchiness) or internally (nausea, headache, light headedness). Just as in avoiding those soaps and cream that react negatively on the skin, best to avoid those aftershaves or colognes which disagree with your body's chemistry and cause discomfort.