Our sense of smell is incredibly powerful and direct, bypassing traditional sensory pathways to reach the limbic system in the brain. This area is responsible for emotions, memories, and behaviors, explaining why certain scents can instantly evoke strong feelings or recollections. The unique connection between smell and the limbic system highlights the profound impact fragrances can have on our emotional and psychological well-being.

Natural vs. Synthetic Fragrances

Natural perfumes from essential oils and botanical extracts offer a clean alternative to synthetic fragrances often loaded with harmful chemicals that can disrupt hormones and cause skin irritation.

Natural perfumes also provide therapeutic benefits through aromatherapy. They help us create rituals of self-care that nurture body and soul, promote mindfulness, and connect us more deeply with ourselves and the natural world.

Good for your skin too? Antioxidant-rich natural essential oils can also benefit the health of our skin, improving conditions like dry, oily, sensitive, inflamed, or acne-prone skin.

Natural essential oils are powerful compounds extracted from plants. When inhaled, they are rapidly absorbed by smell receptors connected to the limbic system, which regulates heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and stress. Their health benefits come from the health benefits of the plants themselves, and include relieving anxiety, improving your mood, fighting infections, boosting your immune system, easing headaches, soothing sore muscles, and much more.

Essential oils are very concentrated and should not be used pure ("neat") on the skin. Because of their potency, there can be dangers associated with their incorrect use around pregnant women, children, and pets. It is also possible to be allergic to essential oils.

Natural fragrances made from essential oils often do not last as long as synthetic fragrances, and they can be difficult to recreate consistently. This is because the natural sources of these fragrances vary based on factors like climate, season, soil, etc... (a bit like wine). Each batch is unique.

Fragrance Oils & Synthetic Fragrances

Fragrance oils, often called perfume oils, are aromatic compounds synthetically created by perfumers and chemists to replicate various scents. They are ONLY designed to smell nice and do not have any aromatherapeutic benefits. Their main advantages are that they are cheap, long-lasting, and can be consistently reproduced.

Synthetic fragrances owe their lasting power to the potent fixatives they contain. Personally, I find heady fragrances that linger all day and embed themselves in our clothes quite unpleasant. Have you ever hugged someone wearing a strong perfume and then found yourself unable to shake the scent for the rest of the day? Yuk!

When Lack of Transparency is a Red Flag

Did you know that more than 95% of the chemicals that make up synthetic fragrances are derived from petroleum - crude oil? To add insult to injury, they are not legally required to be listed on product labels. They can just be listed as “Fragrance”. Indeed, the word “fragrance” has long been protected in the industry as a “trade secret”. What a lame excuse!

Our 100% natural fragrance oils and eaux de toilette (Provençale, Joli Neroli, Exotique, and Lotus Raslila) display clearly each ingredient. Transparency is of the utmost importance. We want you to make informed decisions. Besides, isn’t it wonderful to understand which botanicals make up your favorite blend?

Fragrances around the House

Whether we like it or not, there are added scents or fragrances to most household products. In fact, we have grown so accustomed to them that we expect them in our body care products, shampoos, cosmetics, air fresheners, candles, cleaning products, laundry detergents, pet products, and much more. The vast majority of these fragrances are synthetic (remember, they are cheap to make), and actually pollute our indoor air, cause allergies, respiratory problems, or disrupt our hormonal balance.

If you want to limit the amount of synthetic scents in your home, the first to eliminate, in my opinion, would be:

Scented candles and air fresheners. Instead, you can use natural beeswax candles, which smell naturally great, and do not pollute the air (or your lungs!). As for air fresheners, you can create your own by mixing a few drops of essential oils with distilled water and alcohol like vodka (not rubbing alcohol). Make small amounts at a time, refill your own spray bottle, and minimize wasteful packaging.

Laundry detergents & softeners. You can use a few drops of essential oils on a dryer ball if you want that freshly cleaned scent.

Pet products like cat litter. Those can actually be quite toxic for your kitty! Opt for unscented, natural options.

Bottomline, try eliminating mindless scents so that your nose is not on overload and can actually pick up the scents that you intentionally choose. And by choosing natural scents, you can create a truly pleasant and breathable environment, enhancing your well-being and making everyday interactions deliciously fragrant.

Bonus DIY Room Spray Recipe

I always recommend making small batches to avoid waste and bacterial growth.

2oz Spray Bottle
1oz Distilled Water
1oz High Proof Vodka
20 or so drops of essential oils

Mix the essential oils with the alcohol first. Add the distilled water. It may cloud your mix, but it’s OK. Shake before each use. Adjust the amount of essential oils to your preference. Good combos are: Lavender + Eucalyptus, Rosemary + Lemon, and Orange + Peppermint.