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Natural perfume and cologne is a smart choice for those looking to avoid the earth-damaging, allergy-aggravating petrochemicals found in many fragrances. Natural perfumers go straight to the source—plant-based essential oils—so you can wear eau de green without harming the environment or your health.

Find it! Natural perfume

Are you seeking an alluring eau de parfum free of chemicals and pollutants? The perfumes and colognes featured here replace harsh petroleum-based synthetic ingredients with those found in nature so they're better for the planet and for you.

Before you buy

When looking for natural perfumes or colognes, expect to pay more; substituting natural, sometimes organic, ingredients for synthetic chemicals is not an inexpensive endeavor.

It's also important to note the different labels you may spot on a fragrance bottle. Perfume (or parfum) contains the highest concentration of fragrance oils followed by eau de parfum (EDP), eau de toilette (EDT), and eau de cologne (EDC). EDT and EDC are used interchangeably in the men's fragrance market. If you want to smell like a bunch of fresh-cut flowers from noon to midnight, opt for long-lasting perfume.

Choosing natural perfume helps you go green because...

• It replaces petrochemicals—benzyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and benzaldehyde to name a few—with natural botanicals. Ninety-five percent of the chemicals found in fragrances are petroleum-based.[1]
• The use and manufacture of synthetic fragrances pose a wide range of health issues, such as allergic reactions.
• Many companies that produce natural colognes follow sustainable business practices, such as using recycled packaging and seeking out alternative forms of energy like wind power.

Perfume contains 70 to 85 percent alcohol, which is formed from crude oil, an unsustainable resource that poses various environmental dangers during production and transport.[2]

Another problem: the estimated 5,000 man-made fragrances used in perfume and personal care products that make their way into ecosystems during production and after disposal.[3] In fact, fragrances have shown up in some unlikely places—including in the fatty tissues of fish and shellfish. A 1999 review of literature by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that aquatic wildlife host measurable amounts of slow-to-break-down synthetic musk compounds in their tissues; these compounds are considered persistent organic pollutants or POPs. Traces of synthetic musk have also been found in sediment from the Great Lakes and in the milk of breastfeeding mothers. An estimated 8,000 tons of synthetic musk are produced annually and are added to a wide variety of personal care products, such as perfume, shampoo, soaps, and detergents.[4]

Green claims

With the race to be the first to offer eco-friendly products, especially in the personal care industry, companies are touting their products' green attributes with claims that at times can be confusing and misleading. Making sense of environmentally friendly standards is an important part of being a wise consumer.

What does “organic” really mean?

One murky area is the term “organic.” While the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) maintains clearcut standards for organic food, the same can’t be said for body care products. The industry is in turmoil trying to agree upon a set of standards. Some companies use the USDA certified organic food standard, which requires 95 percent of the ingredients to be organic. Others use the less stringent California state standard for organic cosmetic products, which requires at least 70 percent organically produced ingredients. And still others label their products organic without meeting any external criterion.

In the meantime, a nonprofit standard-setting group called NSF International has released a draft set of rules for organic personal care products and a group of 30 cosmetic companies recently devised their own set of specifications called Organic and Sustainable Industry Standards (OASIS). How it all washes out remains to be seen.

Watching out for all creatures great and small

While you're contemplating green attributes, you may also wish to join the cruelty-free movement. Just keep in mind: a company may claim that they don’t employ animal testing for their products, but without third-party verification, it’s hard to know whether these statements are in fact completely true. So stick to those products certified as cruelty-free by looking for products with the Leaping Bunny Logo or the Certified Vegan Logo. You can rest assured that no bunnies (or monkeys or cats for that matter) were harmed in the making of these non-animal-tested products.

Related health issues

Some 5.72 million Americans have skin allergies related to fragrances, including those in perfume and cologne, while about 72 percent of people suffering from asthma claim their condition can be triggered by breathing in synthetic fragrances.[5] These fragrances—a mix of volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—enter the atmosphere with each spray, splash, or spritz. According to the California Air Resources Board, around 265 tons of VOCs are emitted into the air in California daily due to the use of consumer products.[6]

Synthetic perfumes and colognes also contain other toxins—many of them found in tobacco smoke—that can lead to cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders, migraines, and sinus problems. In addition, they contain phthalates, widely used industrial chemicals that are estrogenic or anti-androgenic. Studies conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health reveal a link between monoethyl phthalate, a chemical used to preserve scent in perfumes and colognes, and sperm damage.[3]

Fragrances and other cosmetics are loosely regulated and do not require stringent pre-testing by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), though phthalates are banned from use in perfumes by the European Union (EU). Additionally, due to secrecy laws, fragrance companies aren't required to list ingredients on product packaging. From Jan. 1, 1999 to Dec. 31, 2001, 20 percent of the 690 cosmetic-related consumer complaints filed with the FDA were complaints about skin allergies, neurological disorders, and respiratory issues related to perfumes and colognes.[7] Rigorous ecological and safety testing within the fragrance industry is overseen by the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM). Click here for a breakdown of the leading chemicals found in fragrance products and their related health effects.

Glossary

• volatile organic compounds (VOCs): Organic solvents that easily evaporate into the air. VOCs are emitted by thousands of products including paints, cleaning supplies, pesticides, building materials, and furnishings, and they may cause immediate and long-term health problems.
• persistent organic pollutants: POPs are toxic chemicals that were, and in some instances still are, used in agriculture for pest and disease control and crop production. Although many POPs have been banned, they remain in the environment and global food chain, easily traveling via wind and water.
• phthalates: Additives that are widely used in plastics and other materials, mainly to make them soft and flexible. They have applications in industry, in medicine, and in consumer products.

External links

• Natural Perfumers Guild
• 4 Perfume Info.com - FAQs
• New York Times - Synthetic No. 5
• Style Will Save Us - Scents And Sensibility
• Ideal Bite - Looking to spoil (or seduce) someone with a fabulous scent?
• Plenty Magazine - Green in Perfume: How to build a better rose From fragrance critic and New York Times columnist, Chandler Burr.
• The Organic Beauty Expert includes reviews of natural perfumes.
• Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database - Fragrance See where your favorite scent ranks on the hazard scale.
• wiseGEEK.com - What is the Difference Between Perfume and Eau De Toilette? An ages-old question, answered.