What Is Natural Fragrance and Why Is It Better? The Benefits Might Shock You
If you’re reading the Kinder Beauty blog, there’s a good chance you care about what ingredients are in the products you use. Maybe you’re passionate about avoiding harsh cleaning products that use toxic chemicals. Perhaps you love planet-friendly makeup products and vegan beauty. Or maybe you’re a vegan advocate who cares deeply about animals and goes out of your way to consume cruelty-free foods that treat your body, the earth, and its inhabitants kindly.
If you’re passionate about any of these, you probably care about what goes into your perfumes and colognes. Natural fragrances are a sustainable way to enjoy smelling sweet without exposing yourself or the planet to harmful chemicals.
So, let’s find out how to tell if a fragrance is natural.
Fragrances: what are they really made of?
We get it. You don’t want to worry about body odor all day. Sometimes we worry so much about hiding “bad” smells that we forget body odor is totally normal. But sweating and smelling are just what our bodies do. These things indicate that our bodies are working properly and doing what they do best.
Of course, we understand that the natural fragrance straight from your armpits might not be the scent you’re going for. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to smell like flowers, or coconuts, or sunshine. But the debate surrounding perfume ingredients has been a long and tiring one.
Because of certain rules concerning company privacies, perfume manufacturers aren’t required to hand out a complete list of ingredients.
Not only could an undisclosed ingredient cause an allergic or adverse reaction, but refusing to disclose ingredients just gives us really sketch vibes in general. So what’s in most perfumes and fragrances, and what harm can those hidden ingredients cause?
Most perfumes and fragrances are full of chemicals and toxins that are not-so-sexy
If you walk into a nearby store and take a look at the fragrances sold, you’ll probably read labels that advertise a “floral,” “beachy,” “tropical,” or “musky” scent. You take a whiff and think to yourself: this smells like vacation.
While it may smell like the beach, thousands of chemicals may be hidden in the fragrance that you don't want to be breathing in or spritzing around. It’s very common for perfumes and colognes not to disclose up to 40 chemicals per bottle—yikes.
Recent studies have found “secret chemicals” in popular fragrances. These are ingredients that aren’t on the label or accessible to users. The icing on the cake is that most of these secret ingredients aren’t approved by the FDA. You wouldn’t eat food without knowing the ingredients, so why spray something on your body if you don’t know what’s in it?
Here are a few of the harmful side effects of the secret chemicals in fragrances:
- Certain chemicals can trigger allergic reactions. These are known as sensitizing chemicals.
- Hormone disruptors are found in many fragrances and can interfere with natural hormones and hormonal processes. This includes disruption of the endocrine systems and reproductive system.
- Some of these chemicals are prone to sticking around in body tissue—like musk ketone, which accumulates in fat tissue.
Natural fragrances are free of these toxins
If the above information doesn’t convince you to go natural, we don’t know what will. The benefits of using a natural fragrance are abundant, but one of the most obvious is that they don’t use these secret chemicals that can harm our bodies and the planet.
Natural fragrances come from natural sources—think trees, fruits, plants, and flowers. Because of their closeness with the earth, natural fragrances are clean and can positively impact our wellbeing and health. Not only is this a step away from the harm other fragrances can cause, but it’s a step in a healthy direction.
The benefits of a natural fragrance
Natural fragrances have tons of benefits that extend to our bodies and our planet. Here are some of the biggest benefits of making the switch!
It’s better for the environment
The chemicals present in most fragrances and perfumes are slowly poisoning the planet. But it’s not just the spritzing and squirting of good-smelling fragrances that’s harming the earth.
Manufacturing perfume requires acquiring harmful toxins and chemicals. The production of those chemicals alone can release harmful fumes. When you add in the fact that many people improperly dispose of the perfumes and fragrances that use these chemicals, you’ve got a recipe for disaster.
As long as you’re careful about where the ingredients of a natural fragrance come from, you’re setting yourself and the environment up for success.
It’s better for your body
Perfumes with these harmful chemicals aren’t too good for our bodies either. Every time you catch a whiff of your synthetic rose perfume, you’re inhaling those chemicals into your body. Synthetic fragrances are likely to trigger asthma attacks, migraines, and allergic reactions, and that’s not even considering what all those secret chemicals hiding in a product might do to you.
Using a natural fragrance means you only inhale natural ingredients. For example, smelling natural eucalyptus or coconut works for your body, whereas smelling a synthetic chemical cocktail that resembles coconuts isn’t so hot.
It’s better for animals
Natural perfumes are also better for animals. When we harm the planet, we hurt those who inhabit it. Yes, that means your neighbors close to you, those far away, and even the critters that live alongside us on this big beautiful Earth.
Many perfume brands use animals to test cosmetic products and check for adverse reactions or sensitivities. When you buy a natural fragrance, there’s no need to test for harmful chemicals, and you can help the animals by purchasing a cruelty-free perfume.
Examples of natural fragrances
Natural fragrances come straight from the planet—no chemical cocktail necessary. They don’t contain any chemicals that can harm the body, and certainly not any chemicals manufacturers aren’t willing to print on the label.
Some natural fragrances use 100-percent essential oils as well, which come with a long list of benefits on their own! So if you choose the right product, you might be not only avoiding harm, but you’ll be getting some additional perks, too.
Natural fragrances to try
Kinder Beauty’s recent Embody Beauty Box (featured in May 2021) contains Inkling’s Embody Roll-On Scent—a natural fragrance made with bergamot, mandarin, Madonna lily, jasmine, and vetiver—for a sweet, floral smell. This option is an affordable, convenient option for those looking to try a natural fragrance. Plus, it’s vegan, cruelty-free, clean, and women-owned.
More of a DIY-savvy person? No problem. Check out this guide that walks you through how to make your own natural perfume with essential oils.
Keep smelling sweet—safely
Natural fragrances are an excellent way to protect your body from harmful chemicals while still boosting your confidence when you rock that signature scent.
That’s why we made Kinder Beauty! We’re passionate about showing you brands that take care of the planet and your body at an affordable price. Learn more here about how to sign up for your first Kinder Beauty Box today.\
Sources:
Working For Safer Cosmetics | Safe Cosmetics
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