Most perfumes are a blend of toxic chemicals and animal ingredients, and also over-wrapped in over-priced packaging. One of the most popular perfumes is Coco Mademoiselle, yet it’s full of chemicals like benzyl salicylate, benzyl alcohol), artificial colours and artificial fragrance (try Eden Perfume Madame Glamour) instead. Chanel No 5 is the world’s best-selling perfume yet contains tree moss and oak moss, both may be banned soon in Europe on health grounds (use Eden Perfume’s 007 instead).
Avoid aromatherapy essential oils for pregnancy/nursing (and medical conditions like epilepsy and asthma). Avoid rosemary & citrus oils for high blood pressure. Avoid shea butter (in some solid perfumes) for latex allergies. Keep scents away from sunlight. Never spray cologne/perfumes near pets or children (air rooms before allowing them back in room).
For best results, apply perfume to damp or hydrated skin (like after a hot shower), and don’t rub in. The most effective pulse points are wrists, inside the elbow, neck, behind the knees or at the cleavage. Store away from heat, light and humidity (so not in bathrooms) to make scents last longer.
Ingredients to Avoid in Perfume
- Civet is taken from anal secretions of an African/Asian cat.
- Musk is taken from anal secretions of the musk deer. Try Dolma’s Vegamusk.
- Ambergris is ‘whale poop’. As whales are still hunted today, it’s a grey area as to whether whales are harmed. So be safe, and avoid it.
- Castoreum is taken from anal secretions from beavers. Artificial vanilla essence can also be made with this ingredient.
- Hyraceum is made from badger urine.
- Rosewood Oil is from a critically endangered tree from tropical rainforests.
- Chemicals (choose brands made with natural grain alcohosls and scented with real aromatherapy oils. If a brand does not list ingredients, don’t buy it!
Walden Natural Vegan Perfumes
Walden Natural Vegan Perfumes (Cheshire) are named after phrases from Henry David Thoreau’s book on simple living. Made with absolutes, resins and essential oils, they are sold in various strengths, with samples and purse sprays. The range includes:
- A Different Drummer opens with a rich blast of tobacco, followed by peppery cedarwood and patchouli, and finished with creamy hints of amyris, vanilla and tonka bean.
- A Little Star Dust is a bouquet of ylang ylang, iris and jasmine, enriched with hints of creamy amyris and exotic tonka bean.
- The Solid Earth opens with bracing petitgrain, followed by a heart of light patchouli oil and black pepper, to finish with creamy vetiver and amyris.
- See the Moonlight opens with fresh bergamot, followed by a heart of jasmine and hints of rose. The finish is luxurious sandalwood and exotic ambrette seed.
- Two Eternities is a garland of wild roses, jasmine and iris, floating above a fresh citrus base of mandarin, bergamot and sweet orange.
- A Gentle Rain grows with a blend of oak moss, labdanum and patchouli. The heat that follows is composed of bergamot, smooth orris, sandalwood and timeless rose de mai. With base notes of vetiver, lavender green and clary sage.
- Castles in the Air is a fresh blend of citrus, with a hint of tropical flowers and lavender.
If you have built castles in the air, your work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put the foundations under them. Walden
Indie Small-Batch Vegan Perfumes
Elementary Scents makes small-batch vegan perfumes, with reusable atomisers. Sold in glass jars with zero waste packaging, the unisex concentrated scents were created by a couple who use the power of natural ingredients to create bold botanical fragrances, with aromatherapy essential oils. Choose from:
- Lazy Sage (fresh green foliage with smooth floral spice and a hint of fresh citrus). Includes key notes of clary sage, cannabis, ho wood, rose, vetiver, geranium, bergamot, chamomile and lavender.
- Lowbrow Jazz (a sharp burst of spice and earthiness, with fruity incense). Includes notes of galbanum, opopanax resin, cardamom, clove, olibanum, caraway, Sichuan pepper, basil, coriander, cinnamon leaf, bergamot, benzoin resin and vetivet.
- Unscheduled Wander (a warm undertone softened by a hint of fresh flowers). Incudes key notes of guaiac wood, oud, cade, geranium, sandalwood, lavender, patchouli, cedarwood and bergamot.
Dolma Vegan Perfumes
Dolma Perfumes (Nottinghamshire) were developed by a vegan chemist, and offers perfume, eau de parfum, trial packs and gifts. You can buy reusable tops for your next order.
- Amethyst Mist – woody notes of cedarwood, sandalwood, patchouli and vetiver decorated with white floral accents of ylang ylang and heliotrope. Finish of ginger, mandarin, cardamom and clove.
- Anahita is named after a Persian Goddess. It has fruity notes of peach and lemon, a floral heart of carnation and ylang ylang, and spicy notes of sandalwood and cypress.
- Andromeda is a green floral perfume with cyclamen and green crushed leaves, a heart of jasmine and neroli, with deep shades of amber and vegan musk.
- Calista opens with fresh notes of bergamot and lemon, revolves around a rich bouquet of jasmine, geranium and ylang ylang, and melts into sandalwood and amyris. The name is Greek for ‘most beautiful’.
- Compassion has ylang ylang, delicate tones of lemon and ginger, and notes of copaiba, vetiver and amber.
- Cushi B blends cardamom and cinnamon with lime and orange, that rest on a floral heart of geranium, ylang ylang and patchouli (spicy floral)
- Sarabande is a romantic rose perfume with geranium leaves on wood notes of cypress, earthy patchouli and soft amber.
- Vegamusk is an alternative to animal musk perfume. It has soft notes of jasmine and lily with sandalwood on a bed of honey (not real, it’s a vegan perfume).
- First Rain has a strong mossy wood base with green balsamic notes of galbanum and whispers of jasmine.
- Light Bloom is like sky on a crisp spring morning: white florals, magnolia, lily of the valley and freesia, with top notes of sweet orange and orange blossom.
- Light Velvet is an elegant woody scent with a sweet resinous base of saffron and tonka to spice it up.
- Sun Joy is a modern green floral with woody base and fresh notes of citrus, rose and freesia.
Haoma Natural Perfumes
Haoma Perfumes are handmade in small batches. No.1 is a mix of myrrh, geranium, patchouli, frankincense, cedarwood, palmarosa, sweet orange and thyme. Sold in a beautiful violet glass bottle, other scents include Frankincense & Myrrh, Lavender, Orange and Ylang Ylang. The name is a sacred plant in ancient Persian and Zoroastrian culture. Also in orange, frankincense,
Vegan Versions of Designer Perfumes
Eden Perfumes makes vegan versions of designer perfumes (with refills) using plant-based ingredients).
- No 007 is similar to Chanel No.5 (a top note of ylang ylang, with iris and jasmine).
- Madame Glamour – like orange juice in the warm sunshine with an Eastern hint
- Daisy is like strolling through summer meadows, with gardenia and violet leaf
- Vegan Sii is an Italian-influenced perfume, with cassis, vanilla and rose
- Caroline Carrera is the scent of New York in a bottle – spicy, peppery, green, floral
The Best Natural Brands of Men’s Cologne
Have you switched to a reusable razor, and now want to splash on some cologne? This post links you to the best natural brands of men’s cologne and aftershave, made with natural ingredients, and all cruelty-free.
Avoid aromatherapy essential oils for pregnancy/nursing (and medical conditions like epilepsy and asthma). Avoid rosemary & citrus oils for high blood pressure. Avoid shea butter (in some solid perfumes) for latex allergies. Keep scents away from sunlight. Never spray cologne/perfumes near pets or children (air rooms before allowing them back in room).
Conventional aftershaves may contain animal ingredients (civet, musk, ambergris, mink or ambergris from whales). Some contain rosewood oil, from a critically endangered tree. Natural aftershaves are made with biodegradable ingredients and tend to charge for the scents, rather than packaging and ads.
Dolma Men’s Vegan Aftershaves
Dolma Men’s Vegan Aftershaves were developed by a vegan chemist (the company also sells perfumes for women). The bottles are sold alongside reusable gold tops, to use for future orders. All four are available in tester bottles, 50ml bottles or try them all with the box set, or save with an aftershave bundle.
- Freedom has accents of lavender enhanced with crushed mint, cinnamon leaf extract, cedarwood, patchouli and vetiver
- Imagine is a dark earthy scent with green violet leaves, juicy pineapple tones and dry ambers.
- Sirius opens on accents of artemisia oil around bergamot and bay laurel tones, with a heart of geranium leaves spiced up by carnation and cinnamon, on a wood base of pine needle, patchouli and amber.
- Kwame means ‘man born on a Saturday’. with refreshing bergamot and lemon splash on a lightly spiced heart of nutmeg. Never wear this one near pets, as nutmeg can be toxic if inhaled.
Eden Perfumes (Brighton) is a company that recreates the best-selling brands of perfume and aftershave, then makes them vegan, ethical and eco-friendly. The company also offers a unisex selection, if you want to share with your other half. For instance, No.244 Intense is a natural alternative to Pegasus by Parfums de Marly. It features a strong almond note, thick vanilla and a touch of lavender.
