Sustainable fragrance, all-natural perfumes, and eco-friendly scents are now trendy as people ask ‘what’s in my perfume?’ Discovering new fragrances that are sustainable and ethically made isn’t always easy, particularly when you are used to purchasing mainstream perfume brands. If you go into the ‘Perfume Shop’ and ask them for a sustainable perfume, you’ll likely be met with a blank face. I’ve pulled together a list of sustainable and ethically sourced brands for you to try out.
I started to question ‘is my fragrance ethically made? Is my perfume non-toxic? It’s really not much different from wearing polyester clothes and comparing that to wearing organic cotton. Checking what’s in the ingredients is also important, I highlight this in my ’10 toxic ingredients to look out for in perfume’ blog.
Non-toxic and sustainable perfume
It certainly puts things into perspective when you think about how much ‘toxicity’ we expose ourselves to through our choice of clothing, beauty products, and perfume. If like me, you’ve decided to steer clear of polyester because you don’t like the idea of your skin absorbing toxins from the petroleum, then it stands to reason that we’d also want to avoid rubbing toxic creams, makeup, and perfume into our skin too.
Our skin and perfume
The skin is our body’s largest organ, it accounts for more than 10% of our body mass.- and it’s highly porous. It can easily absorb what we place on it, or what we expose our skin to – ultimately we’re inviting that into our bloodstream. That’s where safe, toxic-free perfume, sustainable fragrance, and ethically made scents come in – a key element in our signature style also includes our chosen aroma.
Discover amazing sustainable perfume brands that are making their mark and being remembered for all the right reasons.
1. Sana Jardin – Ethical and Sustainable Fragrance
Sana Jardin is a socially conscious luxury fragrance brand that believes in clean and sustainable perfume as a vehicle for social impact and the economic empowerment of women. The brand is built on the principles of a circular economy – their alternative business model enables the women in their supply chain to become micro-entrepreneurs by up-cycling the waste products from perfume production.
My thoughts on Sana Jardin (tried and tested)
One of my all-time favourite ethical and sustainable perfume scents is by Sana Jardin. I just adore the fragrance: Tiger By Her Side (Top notes: Cinnamon, Coriander, and Bergamot; middle notes: Siam Benzoin, Patchouli, and Moroccan Rose; base notes are Amber, Incense, Vanilla, and Labdanum)
But I honestly love so many of the other perfume options too.
Visit their website here: https://sanajardin.com/
My nose got excited by Tiger By Her Side in the mini-set and have the full-size perfume now, which only requires a very tiny pump of spray, and it lasts all day. I also enjoyed layering the other perfumes to create my own scents. My recommendation is to always start with sample sets when exploring a new perfume brand.
the styling course
2. Ellis Brooklyn – Responsibly Sourced Fragrance
Ellis Brooklyn is a cult brand based in New York. An innovator in clean perfumery, they are phthalate-free, paraben-free, PETA certified vegan and cruelty-free, sustainably sourced and eco-friendly. This non-toxic perfume is on my ‘to-try list’. The brand is similar to my usual one, the fragrances are made to be layered to enable you to create your own bespoke scent.
My thoughts on Ellis Brooklyn
I love the fact that this company is doing things responsibly and creating scents that rival mainstream brands and enabling us to swap our toxic perfumes for ones that are good for us. The people who make the ingredients are considered, and the perfume-making process is also kinder to the planet too.
The fragrance Bee or Fawm really appeals to me.
BEE: Pink pepper, Dark rum, Davana, Honey, Bran absolute, Cinnamon, Sandalwood, Vanilla bean, Cocoa absolute, Musk.
FAWN: Base notes: Amber, Vanilla, Musk, Middle notes: Damask rose, Lily of the valley, Coconut milk, Top notes: Neroli, Sicilian bergamot, Magnolia oil.
Visit their website here: https://www.ellisbrooklyn.com/
3. The Nue Co, Forest Lungs – Sustainable Perfume
The Nu Co has created a new signature scent that is a complete game-changer. It’s one that is actually good for you! Forest Lungs is a unisex anti-stress fragrance supplement that delivers the healing effects of nature to the body.
The Nue Co Perfume Science
It contains volatile organic compounds called phytoncides these are emitted from all parts of the tree and are believed to play an important role in plant immunity by preventing the growth of attaching organisms. Scientific research shows that phytoncides—once inhaled—significantly increase levels of natural killer (NK) cells in the human immune system. Phytoncides are credited for the positive health benefits associated with forest bathing, namely stress reduction, anxiety reduction, and boosting the parasympathetic (rest) nervous system.
My thoughts on The Nue Co
I’m not sure this scent is right for me, but I am fascinated by the concept. I completely relate to the effects of being in a forest and how that helps sooth the of your stresses and worries away. The ingredients are sustainably, sourced which is great. I think this is one of those fragrances I would need to go int store to try – I believe Liberty in London stocks this one.
Forest Lungs has a woody, smoky, clean resinous, tart citrus scent. Notes: Vetiver, Cedarwood, Benzoin, Pine, Patchouli, BergamotIngredients are sourced sustainably, working with local initiatives. It is vegan, cruelty-free, and free from phthalates, parabens and hexane.
Visit their website here: https://uk.thenueco.com/products/forest-lungs
4. Henry Rose, Perfume made to Empower and Protect
The Henry Rose brand has fantastic credentials. Whilst they started out looking to meet the EWG Verified™ safety standards, they now have partners in IFF, a luxury fragrance house, and only use a list of high-quality ingredients they trust. They also work with the Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute to make sure they meet their standards too.
My thoughts on Henry Rose
I love their 100% transparency commitment – everything is clearly stated on their website. They also have an online tool to discover to help you discover a scent for yourself and Torn was recommended. I’ve not tried this one, but a good way to ascertain if you’d like the scent is to look carefully is to read the description. See if you recognise any ingredients that feature in the existing perfumes you wear.
TORN PERFUME: Vanilla bean blends with the earthiness of vetiver roots to create an aroma that’s both spicy and floral
Visit their website here: https://henryrose.com/
Update Aug 2023: since I published this blog back in 2021, Henry Rose has launched a discovery set. They also now describe their sustainable fragrances as gender neutral
5. Lovorika, Bee – Toxic Free Fragrance
Lovorika is an ethical fragrance house that prides itself on being all-natural, vegan, sustainable, and gender neutral. They have come a long way since I first tried their signature range of 3 fragrances back in 2018.
Daphne the co-founder has a great passion for raising awareness of toxic chemicals. It is her passion that got me to switch from my synthetic perfumes and seek out toxic-free options for myself. The brand is committed to transparency and education. Helping us to say no to toxic chemicals which are harmful to us, animals, and the planet.
My thoughts on Lovorika (tried and tested)
I tried a few of their fragrances (kindly gifted) and have yet to find the one for me. However, I see they have more fragrances on their website since they started.
DRY OIL PARFUM: BEE (Top Notes: Bergamot, Sweet Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, and Mountain Pepper, Middle Notes: Egyptian Geranium, French Lavender, Base Notes: Cedar, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Coffee)
Visit their Ethical Brand Directory website listing here: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/brand/lovorika/
Read their founder interview here: https://ethicalbranddirectory.com/lovorika-interview/
Shop their full collection: https://lovorika.com/
6. Dolma – Vegan & Cruelty-Free Sustainable Fragrances
Next up is a vegan perfume brand Dolma that is cruelty-free. They also pride themselves on being sustainable. They follow the strict regulations set out by Europe’s largest Fragrance Association – IFRA (International Fragrance Association). On their website they state that they know ethical fragrances are important. All of their products are 100% vegan, cruelty-free, and made in the UK.
Dolma list out all of the ingredients that they use here, so can research them beforehand. It’s good to know what you’re getting in your fragrance. Dolma chooses to use a blend of 100% natural ingredients and 100% safe synthetic ingredients. They highlight the reason why and it’s because some natural ingredients can be extremely taxing on the environment.
Did you know it takes 10,000 roses to fill a single 5ml bottle?
My thoughts on Dolma (tried & tested)
A bottle of Dolma Midnight Velvet and a Women’s Discovery were gifted to me to test out. My initial reaction, the perfume strength is a little overpowering. Just one tiny little spritz lasted all day and night. I am still in the discovery phase with my miniatures – I haven’t concluded on a combination that is truly ‘me’ yet…
Midnight Velvet
I tested out the larger bottle, which sounded like my kind of scent. Midnight Velvet is: “An elegant oriental woody scent. Midnight Velvet perfume is the perfect match to your favourite vintage ensemble in deep, rich hues. A sweet and sticky resinous base with saffron and tonka to spice it up. Midnight Velvet inspires depth and intrigue”
MIDNIGHT VELVET PERFUME: Top Notes: Saffron, Tonka, Middle Notes: Jasmine, Amberwood, Base Notes: Fir Resin, Cedar, Golden Amber.
I have finally decided that I do like this one. But I think I can smell the synthetic ingredients, and I find them a bit overpowering. I’m not sure… it could just be that it is so different from my usual fragrances. The peppery element gives it a slightly masculine smell. I have been spritzing it on my partner, and it really suits him. I think less is more from this one.
Check out the DOLMA website here: https://www.dolma-perfumes.co.uk/
