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Perfumes without nasty additives?

28 replies

nowitsenough · 13/02/2015 23:24

Can anyone recommend a perfume brands that don't use nasty additives? Preferably some that ate available in high street stores or as samples to try. I prefer slightly sweet perfumes, in the past I have liked Armani mania, A touch of pink, Gajltier Classique.

OP posts:
Missushb · 13/02/2015 23:33

Jo Malone? I don't know if they use additives but I personally think they are fresher and less artificial smelling than others

Petitgrain · 13/02/2015 23:52

What exactly do you mean by additives?

nowitsenough · 13/02/2015 23:55

Sorry, I'm just looking for something like a natural oil without chemicals that may cause allergic reactions or health problems.

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nowitsenough · 13/02/2015 23:56

Do Jo Malone do a sweet one that is quite subtle?

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Siolence · 14/02/2015 00:01

Natural oils are just as likely to cause allergies as synthetics. Is there something specific you are avoiding?

Petitgrain · 14/02/2015 00:56

A natural oil would be an essential oil. You can buy blends of essential oils that smell lovely, or blend them yourself, and they wouldn't have any synthetic chemicals in them. Perfumes are a different thing and are mainly made from synthetics for various reasons, including cost. Both are equally likely to give you a reaction. Both are made up of chemicals. It's a myth that natural chemicals are "good for you" and synthetic chemicals are not. The rest is just marketing. If it's a perfume it will have things other than fragrant plant oils in it, such as alcohol, colour, preservatives.

ZaraW · 14/02/2015 10:22

I've bought organic perfume from M&S and currently use the Origins ginger perfume which is free of phthalates. I want to try KAI perfumes next. What about LUSH might be worth looking at?

NaiceVillageOfTheDammed · 14/02/2015 12:24

www.pacificabeauty.com/

Vegan, cruelty free, will give you a full ingredient list.

The solid perfumes are good. No risk of the bottle smashing if you want to take it out and about with you.

nowitsenough · 14/02/2015 21:36

UK online shops would be better Smile

I'll have a look at M&S and Lush, thanks.

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nowitsenough · 14/02/2015 23:58

Naice, thanks. Pacifica is available from Amazon and eBay and sounds perfect, especially the solid one. I'm fancying the chocolate one and the coconut one Smile

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OttiliaVonBCup · 15/02/2015 00:03

Perfume is all chemicals.

You can try and roll in the morning dew on a flower covered meadow but it will only give you hay fever and the odd insect sting.

Kundry · 15/02/2015 12:20

Natural oils are the most likely part of a perfume to cause a reaction!

All natural perfumes are also often not long lasting.

If it's the way you want to go, lovely but don't kid yourself they aren't full of nasty chemicals.

LMLytton · 15/02/2015 12:26

I like Dolma www.dolma-perfumes.co.uk

specialsubject · 15/02/2015 14:20

unless you want a bottle of vacuum or one element, you will get chemicals.

even water is a chemical.

extract-of-civet-cat-anal-gland is a chemical.

www.senseaboutscience.org/pages/making-sense-of-chemical-stories.html

the website linked above is non-animal-tested perfumes. Seems a good idea, it is long overdue that all animal testing was stopped for cosmetics and perfumes. In fact it is time manufacture of new cosmetics and perfumes was stopped, we've got plenty.

magicnys81 · 23/02/2015 04:37

I can attest to the use of essential oils for perfumes. For years I thought I have had multiple chemical sensitivity as I had to be so careful with the cleaning and skin care products I bought and used. I never used perfume, and rarely deodorant and the perfumes would irritate my nose. I have since started using essential oils ( DoTerra) and found that I can smell them without my nose getting irritated. I now use whichever oil I want (usually a blend, I like Whisper, and Serenity) as my perfume and I love it!

FrugalFashionista · 23/02/2015 06:47

I know you mean well OP but you've gotten it all wrong. Natural essential oils contain some of the worst allergens in perfumery. Synthetics are safer. Currently, the EU severely limits the use of naturals and a handful of core aromachemicals in nearly always present in naturals must always be listed (geraniol, linalool...) because they are known irritants.

It sounds intuitively right that what we can eat must be wonderful on our skin but unfortunately it isn't so - citrus essential oils or innocuous-sounding things like cinnamon can be strongly allergenic. Perhaps the most irritating perfume component that is been phased out is oakmoss. You could collect that from oak trees and cook up your own perfume but it triggers a rash in some perfume wearers (I'm one of them). For this reason, there are industry regulations that are trying to make perfumes more synthetic - to make them safer.

If you find a natural perfume that lasts well (exluding some very heavy naturals like labdanum, castoreum and birch tar), you can be almost certain that synthetics that modify their volatility have added. Those synthetics are often synthetic musks that you can also find in your laundry detergent.

Perfumers do not like going all natural for the following reasons 1) health and safety issues limit the use of naturals 2) lack of longevity 3) the price of raw materials 4) a very limited palette - the use of synthetics moved us beyond citrus colognes and rose and jasmine perfumes.

A decent perfume line that claims to be natural, with a good perfumer involved, is Honore des Pres. Mandy Aftel works with naturals too. I've tried some of her perfumes and while I respect her efforts and vast knowledge, the perfumes last perhaps for thirty to sixty minutes on my skin. There is also a wonderful South African perfume maker, Frazer, her solid perfumes are lovely.

And sorry, nothing natural about Jo Malone and Lush.

FrugalFashionista · 23/02/2015 06:57

Substantiating my claim about EU regulations. Here is a list of the potential irritants. Compare the names to the substances in essential oils and naturals and you will see lots of overlap. Eugenol is for example the aromachemical in cloves, santalol in sandalwood, damascenone is a key constituent of the rosy smell. And you will find a list of scientific names of plants that are known irritants. Evernia is oakmoss.

nowitsenough · 23/02/2015 09:50

Thanks for the replies Smile

I didn't actually ask about perfumes without chemicals. I asked about perfumes without nasty additives, by that I meant anything that could cause irritation or may be dangerous if absorbed by the body. I am well aware that water is a chemical Hmm

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nowitsenough · 23/02/2015 09:52

Although I realise I did say in my later post "something without chemicals"! Sorry, I realise that was confusing.

So, to be clear, I'm looking for a perfume that doesn't contain anything that could be dangerous if absorbed by the body.

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fridgepants · 23/02/2015 16:37

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at the user's request.

nowitsenough · 24/02/2015 08:19

Thanks Smile Gothy could be quite good actually. I used to be a bit of a rock chick Wink I'll take a look at them.

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avagosling · 24/02/2015 15:58

I like to experiment with essential oils, there are soooo many aromas out there, the good quality ones last quite long too. Plus they will have therapeutic effects too. I'm pretty sure that's one of the reasons why perfumes were invented in the first place??

nowitsenough · 25/02/2015 16:07

Thanks Ava Smile Can I ask which essential oils you prefer and do you dilute them with a neutral skin friendly oil?

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FrugalFashionista · 25/02/2015 19:29

Please read this so that your experiments are safer.
A friend got a really nasty phytophotodermatitis (lime burn = citrus oil + sunshine), google at your own risk.

nowitsenough · 25/02/2015 21:31

Thanks Frugal

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