Are Natural Fragrances Safer?

People often cite that natural is better and that synthetics are toxic, but how true is that statement? We have been conditioned against change. Is there a reason to be?

If you peruse any social media site of an all-natural brand, you will often find people making a statement against synthetics. They are toxic, hormone disrupting, or unhealthy. Time and time again, this narrative seems to play out as often as hearing “Jingle Bells” on the radio during Christmastime.

I am not a scientist of any sort. I am not a doctor either. However, I do know what IFRA and perfumers say, for the most part. This isn’t a debate on naturals smelling better. It is contesting the narrative that is in place, and it’s a far more complex topic than people would have you believe.

So, naturals smell amazing, there is no denying that. I love natural perfumes, and I own many in my collection. They are safe to use, given you are not allergic to any of the ingredients. This is not a debate about the safety of them, but rather the safety of synthetics.

Let’s begin by talking about mainstream brands. They often cite their use of naturals like a proud badge of honor that they had just won at a Boy Scout camp. They lure you in with promises of sustainability, natural essences, and the price that comes along with obtaining them.

The trick here is that they do indeed use those essences, but they are bolstered by synthetics. Oftentimes, these synthetics don’t need to be listed because they are not common allergens that are restricted by IFRA, so they skirt the line by including some of the natural form, then loading the synthetics to bolster it.

Let’s look at Atelier Cologne’s Pacific Lime as an example—they often cite their scents as containing 90% or more “ingredients of natural origin”. This is a somewhat deceptive tactic. This simply means the ingredients came from nature originally. Ambroxan, for example, can be extracted from clary sage, then isolated and labeled as natural origin.

The issue is that Pacific Lime smells like a shampoo to me. Have you ever been out in nature and smelled shampoo? I am an avid outdoorsman, and I haven’t. This is simply marketing to people who think synthetics are bad.

So, are synthetics bad? Not in general, no. There are synthetics that are banned or restricted heavily by IFRA. There are natural oils that are banned or heavily restricted, such as the atranol in oakmoss because the natural essence is a strong allergen. It can go either way.

Just as with your diet, eating tons of meat will make you gain weight via calories, or eating super-processed sugary foods will make you gain weight through calories as well. Either way can be dangerous if you aren’t balancing them.

The statement that synthetics are toxic is disingenuous at best, and there is no scientific data that supports such broad, overarching claims. Are some synthetics toxic? Absolutely. Are some naturals toxic? Absolutely.

I often review brands that don’t follow IFRA, but if you are concerned about the toxicity, then you should stick with brands that follow it, and you will be fine.

Absolute statements don’t make sense. There are nuances to everything, and context is needed in order to properly educate people on such things. If someone makes such a blanket statement, then they likely aren’t very educated on the topic, or they wouldn’t make such claims.

I didn’t cite any scientific papers on such things because I am not a scientist and even if I did, it likely wouldn’t change anyone’s opinion. If you like naturals, then go for it. However, stop making companies feel bad for using something that you are unjustly afraid of.