Millions of bottles of perfume and cologne are sold each year in England, and most are over-wrapped in plastic packaging, overpriced (usually simply to carry a designer name) and also many contain animal ingredients and non-biodegradable ingredients like artificial fragrance oils (so they wash off your skin in the shower and go into the seas, rivers and lakes to harm marine wildlife). Perfume is difficult to be ‘totally natural’ (as some use synthetics to mimic animal or endangered ingredients). But these are about as natural as you can get right now, save making homemade perfume (made by combining essential oils with base oils in a roller bottle). You can also make your own solid perfume with jojoba wax, if so inclined.
Due to essential oils, avoid perfumes for pregnancy/nursing and medical conditions affected (epilepsy, asthma, high blood pressure etc) and avoid shea butter (in solid perfumes) for latex allergies. Never spray near children or pets (air rooms before allowing them back into rooms where you have sprayed scent – many ‘natural’ ingredients like citrus/nutmeg are also toxic to animals).
Designer perfume is a good example of greenwashing. As an example, one of the most popular perfumes on sale is full of cheap chemicals like benzyl salicylate and benzyl alcohol, along with artificial colours and fragrance. And the world’s best-selling perfume contains tree and oak moss, which both may soon be banned in Europe on health grounds.
Animal ingredients to avoid in perfume include civet (anal secretions of African/Asian cats), musk (anal secretions of musk deer), castoreum (anal secretions of beavers), hyraceum (badger urine) and ambergris (‘whale poop’). It’s also important to choose scents made with biodegradable essential oils (but not from critically endangered trees like rosewood oil).
For best results, apply scent to damp or hydrated skin (say after a shower) but don’t rub it in. The most effective pulse points are on the wrists, inside the elbows, neck, behind the knees or cleavage. Store perfumes and colognes away from heat, light and humidity (so not in bathrooms) to make scents last longer.
Shay and Blue is an organic company that offers fine organic perfumes, created by someone who has over 20 years experience in the perfume industry. All fragrances are designed for both genders and include blackberry woods
Floral Street (London) offers perfumes made with sustainable ingredients, and sold in boxes made with upcycled coffee cups. Inspired by the life and work of artist Vincent van Gogh, the sunflowers perfume is made with oils of bergamot and mandarin.
Abbey Perfumery makes scented handcrafted in Sheffield with plant-based ingredients (mostly natural but some are synthetic to avoid animal and ingredients). There are perfumes based on roses to peppercorns, and the sample vials are sent or bigger bottles with spray tops.
Haoma offers simple yet elegant organic perfumes that don’t expose you to synthetic fragrance molecules. In timeless aromas, the range includes lavender, orange, ylang ylang, frankincense myrrh and no.1 (a blend of myrrh, geranium, patchouli, frankincense, cedarwood, palmarosa, sweet orange and thyme).
Dolma Perfumes (Nottinghamshire) were developed by a vegan chemist. There is an extensive range for men and women and you can buy trial packs and reusable gold spray tops. Made with real essential oils, these are quite traditional scents so your mum or nan will love them!
Eden Perfumes (Sussex) makes vegan versions of designer perfumes (with refills) using plant-based ingredients). So No.007 is similar to Chanel no.5 and so on.
