Non-Toxic Perfumes

What is non-toxic perfume?
Why non-toxic perfumes?
Types of non-toxic perfumes
How non-toxic perfumes are made
Benefits of non-toxic perfumes
Final words

What is a Non-Toxic Perfume?

A non-toxic perfume is simply a perfume that is free from any toxic ingredients such as synthetic alcohol, aroma chemicals that may harm you. They are typically made from natural ingredients using only aromatic materials that are directly extracted from natural flora and fauna.

Non-toxic constituents include various types of natural extracts like essential oils, resins, absolutes, concretes, infusions, and tinctures of raw plant materials. Roots, flowers, stems, leaves, seeds, resins, and wood can be used efficiently to extract precious essences. Besides, non-toxic perfumes don’t contain harmful substances such as phthalates and parabens.

Diverse types of animal pheromones have been used by perfumers for centuries and these animal scents also fall into the non-toxic and natural perfumes category. Some types of animal scents include civet, ambergris, and genuine musk which are used to live longer and more depth wear to the perfumes.

Non-toxic perfumers often use animal essences while composing historical recipes. Other non-toxic perfumers work only with plant extracts, in which case they commonly call their products “botanical perfumes”. These perfumes are usually harmless and vegan, as most small perfumers’ companies don’t test on animals.

See our Ethical complete list of ingredients in our perfumes

Why Non-toxic Perfume?

Many people have asthma, allergies, and several toxic chemical sensitivities. However, some people often experience negative reactions to synthetic perfumes, usually made from toxic synthetic ingredients.

Modern perfumes rely broadly on toxic synthetic chemicals. Virtually 95 percent of perfumes available in the market today use toxic synthetic chemicals because of the lower price, easier availability, and wider variety of smells.

On average, mainstream fragrances are combined with at least 80% toxic chemicals. Synthetic chemicals can make a fragrance more intense and longer-lasting. But they tend to have some negative reactions to the body as well as the mind. Sometimes, people face serious medical issues using toxic perfumes.

Non-toxic perfumes are derived from natural extracts which have tremendous healing power and have been used in many traditional medicines for thousands of years. By adopting natural perfumes, you can experience several healing benefits in many mental and physical conditions.

Types of Non-Toxic Perfumes

Non-toxic or natural perfumes are available in several forms including –

Roll-ons and oil perfumes – non-toxic oil perfumes are composed by combining essential oils such as sandalwood essential oil with carrier oils like olive oil. The carrier oils used in perfumes usually don’t contribute to the scent but are helpful in blending the essential oil and making formula. These types of perfumes can be worn using a roll-on ball. You can also dab these perfumes on your skin.

Non-toxic or natural spray perfumes are blended with natural alcohol which acts as the foundation solvent. Typically, spray perfumes are available in liquid forms.

Solid perfumes or perfume balms – for making a balm or solid perfume, perfumers use wax to mix natural oils with plant extracts, resulting in a solid formulation. You can apply these types of perfumes to your skin spots directly using your fingers.

How Non-toxic Perfumes are Made

The major difference in making processes between synthetic and non-toxic perfumes lies in their components. The fundamental steps followed for manufacturing both types of perfumes are almost the same.

Here’re some methods that are used in making non-toxic perfumes –

Extraction process

The process of the extraction of oils from plant sources. Some popular extraction methods include solvent extraction, steam distillation, and enfleurage.

Steam distillation – during steam distillation methods, parts of the plants such as roots or leaves are steamed in a place until the oils separate.
Solvent extraction – in solvent extraction methods, the plant is dissolved in a solvent like alcohol. Then the container is rotated until or unless a waxy material is produced. Then the waxy material is put into ethyl alcohol, which helps to dissolve the oils. And ultimately the alcohol is evaporated leaving the perfume oil behind.
Enfleurage – in enfleurage methods, perfumers spread flowers on a glass plate that is poured with odorless vegetable and animal fats. The fats soak up the flower scents.

Blending process

The second step is blending all the substances. The blending is done using water, alcohol, resins, coal tar, or other useful compounds. These substances are called fixatives. They also give the final products a longer life.

Aging process

Aging is the final step in the production of perfumes. It usually takes months and sometimes years to study and take notes used in the perfumes to blend and create formulas.

Benefits of Non-toxic Perfumes

Non-toxic perfumes have diverse benefits on the body, mind, soul, and even on the associated environment. Some benefits of non-toxic perfumes include –

Safe for the human body – they don’t contain toxic chemicals such as acetone that might cause eye, throat, or skin irritation while inhaled or applied topically. Non-toxic perfume contains natural (non-artificial) ingredients that show no harm to both internal and external body organs.

Soothing and calming – non-toxic perfumes majorly contain herbal essential oils that are used in aromatherapy to produce a soothing and calming action. Unlike synthetic fragrances, instead of attacking your emotions, a non-toxic fragrance may help induce relaxation and uplift your mood.

Animal-friendly – With most synthetic and toxic compounds used in synthetic fragrances, animal tests are needed for ensuring safety and efficiency before passing approval for human use. In this experimental process, many animals are used and often exposed to inhuman conditions that may lead to serious illness, health damages, and even death.

Perfumers who work with natural and non-toxic raw materials usually don’t need any tests on animals as these materials have been used historically for thousands of years and proven. Most non-toxic perfumers avoid this sort of damages and maintain ethical standards.

Environment-friendly – many man-made materials used in making synthetic perfumes are injurious to the environment. For example, petroleum-based chemicals such as aldehydes and toluene. If these ingredients mix up in water bodies, for instance, they may endanger marine lives. In contrast, the substances used in non-toxic natural perfumes usually cause no risk to the environment. You should definitely consider shifting from synthetic fragrances to natural non-toxic perfumes if you are an environmentally conscious person.

Gentle for sensitive skin – people who have sensitive skin may experience limited choices with mainstream fragrances as most artificial substances are irritating. This is rarely a concern in non-toxic perfumes since natural extracts are typically gentle on the skin.

Final Words

With the increasing threats of allergies and drug-resistant incidences worldwide, non-toxic perfumes are the new hope for perfume lovers. Most of them are safe and don’t produce any adverse effects on the body. Besides, the natural ingredients used in preparing them have tremendous healing effects on the human body, mind, and soul.

If you would like to remain safe from the harmful effects of artificial fragrances, you should obviously consider choosing non-toxic perfumes to enjoy the scents of natural legacy.