If you are into natural and organic living, then you have probably wished for an essential oil perfume. Am I right?!
Perfume, cologne, fragrance, whatever name you called it, I think most of us at one time, had a signature scent that we loved to wear (and if not you then certainly someone in your life comes to mind, like your mom, grandma, or a teacher). Often times it's one of the last things we give up as we move towards more intentionally clean living because it's just so hard to replace!
Why use a non toxic perfume? Fragrances are chemicals! And they contribute to all kinds of adverse health effects and are known to disrupt hormones. Years ago when I learned what was in conventional fragrances, perfumes, colognes and other scented products, I was horrified and quit using them on my body and in our home. Products in the health food store were disappointing, they were labeled poorly and did not disclose what exactly was in them. Feeling hopeful (or was it desperate?) often I would look them up online only to find that they contained "fragrance" and then didn't bother to elaborate on what exactly that was in their product. To me that comes across as 'we aren't going to tell you what it actually is because it's not good', after all if it was just essential oils they would be proud of that and would fully disclose it!
From an older article on Web MD, titled, Does Perfume Have Hidden Health Risks?, there is a quote from the senior vice president for research for the EWG "'The fragrance mixture itself can be comprised of dozens, even hundreds, of individual chemicals, and those don't have to be listed on the label" If you want to learn more about this topic this article is a great place to start.
There is also this concern, taken directly from the FDA's website - "the phrase " and other ingredients" may be used at the end of the ingredient declaration." No disclosure as to what those ingredients are. None. Zero.
There is also this concerning paragraph from the same webpage on the FDA's labeling regulations for cosmetics "The ingredient or mixture of ingredients acting as a masking agent, i.e., covering the undesirable off-odor of a product without adding a discernable odor to it, may be declared by their individual name(s) or as "fragrance" (in lieu of a better designation). A masking agent present in a product at an insignificant level may be considered an incidental ingredient under § 701.3(1)(2)(iii) in which case it need not be declared on the label."
Okay, so we've learned that conventional perfume, cologne, fragrance is out because the "fragrance" ingredients aren't being disclosed. And even the ones marketed as clean aren't disclosing their ingredients. But you really want to wear a scent. So what do you do?
Well, I really wanted a scent to wear.
And since I struggled to find one that was clean enough for me, I decided to give blending essential oils a try.
Why use essential oils for perfume? Essential oils are made from plants! The plant material is steamed with water which causes the plant to release it's essential oil. Making it simply from nature.
(Now there is a lot more to essential oils and using them, but that is outside the scope of this article. We do explain the difference between essential oils, absolutes and CO2 in the FAQ on our website here)
Over the years non toxic perfume making with essential oils became a hobby of mine. I found I really enjoy blending different essential oils together to come up with something complex and new. My teenager says I am pro at it (which is quite the compliment, if you know teenagers), and while I wouldn't say I am a pro, I do think I have a knack for it.
We have masculine, feminine, and unisex blends
Tropical Vanilla Island Flower, our feminine scent, includes the exotic flowers plumeria & ylang ylang, the warmth of coconut & almond, and the creaminess of vanilla & tonka bean blended into a long lasting island inspired vanilla floral.
Creamy Coconut Lime, our unisex scent, has crisp and sweet lime, the warmth of coconut & almond, the creaminess of vanilla with the sweet woodiness of cedarwood atlas & sandalwood blended together in a refreshing, creamy scent.
Dreamy Sandalwood Tonka, our masculine scent, has the bright but subtle fruitiness of melissa & roman chamomile, the sweetness of tonka bean, and the woodiness of sandalwood & fossilized amber blended into a lasting fresh & clean scent that is really dreamy. If you want a natural cologne for men, give this one a try!
Simply Vanilla, our pure vanilla scent, is a creamy buttery vanilla scent, that is not musky or flowery.
Our samples are a great way to try all our blends
You can get them here
Can you use essential oil as perfume? Yes you can! It can be fun to smell different essential oils and dilute them (always dilute them!) and apply them to your skin to see how they mix with your body chemistry.
How do you turn essential oils into perfume? Well, it can be as simple as picking your favorite essential oil an diluting it with a carrier oil and wearing a single note perfume. But a true perfume contains top notes, middle notes, and base notes and you can learn all about it here in this fabulous article by Eden Botanicals
What at the best essential oil fragrances? Oh, well that is hard to answer as scent preference is extremely personal. That's why there are so many perfumes available at the department stores. Everyone has things they are drawn too. Me I love vanilla, and tropical florals. Other people like fruity, or musky, or .... you get the idea.
Are perfume oils the same as essential oils? That depends on the where you are looking. Read the ingredients! If they aren't boasting about how natural their perfume oils are, chances are they aren't. Essential oils are expensive, and any company using them wants to educate you on why their product is better than the chemical alternative.