Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Know Your Normal, Know the Facts

Reading Time: 5 min | Category: Community & Awareness | Level: All Readers

October 2026 — Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Key Takeaways

• Know your normal — the National Breast Cancer Foundation (NBCF) calls it breast self-awareness: knowing how your breasts usually look and feel, so changes stand out.
• Know the changes to watch for — a new lump or thickening, skin dimpling or swelling, nipple changes, or anything that feels different for you.
• Found a lump? Make an appointment, but don’t panic — NBCF says most lumps are not cancerous. Checking gets you answers sooner.
• Self-checks don’t replace screening — NBCF calls mammograms the most effective screening tool for women at average risk. Your provider can tell you what’s right for you.
• We’re proud supporters of NBCF — you can add an optional $2 donation at checkout on our website.

Every October, the pink ribbon is everywhere. On shirts. On storefronts. In the corner of your favorite app. You see it so often it can start to blend into the background.

This year, we want to slow down and talk about what the month is really for, and what each of us can do with it.

What Is Breast Cancer Awareness Month?

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a yearly campaign that brings attention to breast cancer, pushes for early detection, and supports the people and families living with the disease.

Over the decades it’s grown into more than a health campaign. People wear pink. Businesses put up ribbons. Friends and coworkers talk about things they might not bring up any other time of year.

That last part matters most. The ribbon is the reminder. The conversation is the point.

Why It Hits Close to Home

Almost everyone knows someone who’s been affected by breast cancer. A mom. A sister. A coworker. A customer who’s been coming into our store for years.

When something touches that many lives, awareness gets practical fast: knowing what to look for, knowing when to ask a question, and knowing where to find good information.

Knowing the basics also takes some of the fear out of it. People who understand what to watch for are more likely to pay attention to their own bodies, and less likely to ignore something because they’re scared of what it might mean.

Know Your Normal

NBCF calls it breast self-awareness. We like to say it in three words: know your normal.

It means getting familiar with how your breasts usually look and feel. Every body is different, and breasts can change with your cycle, with age, and for plenty of everyday reasons. When you know what’s usual for you, it’s a lot easier to notice when something changes.

There’s no perfect technique and no way to get this wrong. It’s a habit of paying attention, the same way you’d notice a new mole or a tooth that suddenly feels sensitive. NBCF encourages adult women to do a breast self-exam at least once a month.

Changes to Watch For

According to NBCF, these are changes worth bringing to a healthcare provider:

• A new lump, thickening, or hardened knot in the breast or underarm area
• Changes in the skin, like dimpling, swelling, or other irregularities
• Changes in the nipple
• Anything else that looks or feels different from what’s normal for you

NBCF also says this, and it’s worth repeating: if you find a lump, make an appointment with your doctor, but don’t panic. Most lumps are not cancerous. Paying attention gets you answers sooner, and that’s the whole goal.

Why Early Detection Matters

NBCF defines early detection as finding breast cancer as early as possible, often before it has spread or caused symptoms. Breast cancer found in its earliest stages is often easier to treat.

Early detection takes a few pieces working together. NBCF lists breast self-awareness, breast self-exams, clinical breast exams by a healthcare professional, and mammograms, which NBCF calls the most effective screening tool for women at average risk.

Self-checks are the part you can do on your own. They don’t replace regular screening. The rest is a conversation with your provider.

Talk With Your Healthcare Provider

If you take one thing from this post, make it this one.

Screening recommendations depend on your age, your personal and family history, and your own risk factors. Only a qualified healthcare professional can tell you what’s right for you. If you’ve noticed a change, if you’re unsure about your family history, or if you just haven’t had the conversation yet, make the appointment.

We’re a fragrance company, not a medical one, and nothing here is medical advice. What we can do is get the conversation started and point you to people who can answer your questions the right way.

Standing Together This October

October looks a little different at Perfumes LA. Our team is wearing awareness shirts in the store. We’re sharing breast health reminders on our social channels. And we’re talking about it, with each other and with our customers, more openly than we usually would.

None of that is complicated. It’s a group of people deciding to pay attention this month and to encourage everyone around them to do the same. If you walk in and see the shirts, that’s what they mean.

A Note for Our Reseller Community

A lot of you run your business face to face, at a table, a booth, a salon chair or a storefront. Your customers know you and trust you. That makes you one of the best people to start this conversation.

It can be as simple as a pink ribbon on your display, a breast health reminder in your story this week, or pointing a customer to nationalbreastcancer.org. A reminder from someone you trust can be the push to make that appointment.

Perfumes LA + the National Breast Cancer Foundation

We’re proud supporters of the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

NBCF was founded in 1991 by Janelle Hail, a breast cancer survivor. Its mission is to help women now by providing help and inspiring hope to those affected by breast cancer through early detection, education, and support services. Its programs include free mammograms for women who couldn’t otherwise afford them, patient navigators who guide people through diagnosis and treatment, support groups, and breast health education.

If you’d like to support the cause, you can add an optional $2 donation at checkout on our website. It’s completely optional and separate from anything you buy.

Thank you for reading, for paying attention, and for having the conversations that matter this month. We’re proud to stand with NBCF and with everyone whose life has been touched by breast cancer.

For More Information

NBCF offers free educational guides, breast health resources, and information about its programs at nationalbreastcancer.org. For questions about your own breast health, risk factors, or screening, talk with a qualified healthcare professional.

With care,
The Perfumes LA team

Published: October 2026 | Sources: National Breast Cancer Foundation — Breast Self-Exam; Early Detection of Breast Cancer; Signs and Symptoms of Breast Cancer; About NBCF (nationalbreastcancer.org). This article is for general awareness and is not medical advice.