Now that the consumer’s mindset is shifting, as they are becoming aware of how important it’s for health and for a sustainable development of the planet to consume organic products, industries need to adapt. That’s why the perfume’s industry has recently started to shift towards “green” fragrances. But does it mean it’s only producing organic and natural fragrances? If you want to know more continue reading, as we explain everything in this post!
Are “natural” and “organic” the same?
In the world of perfumery there is a great confusion regarding natural fragrances and organic fragrances. First of all, not every natural fragrance is organic nor sustainable. So, lets clarify it.
Natural essences come from vegetable or fungal origin, such as Eucalyptus Oil, while bio essences come from organic farming, which have not been treated with chemicals or synthetic pesticides. Therefore, a natural essence can be either organic or not, depending on how it’s its growth process.
Furthermore, Global Organics define 4 categories of organic products:
- “100% organic”: if the product only contains organic ingredients
- “Organic”: if more than 95% of the ingredients are organic
- “Made with organic products”: if more than 70% of the ingredients are organic
- And a fourth category that allows to indicate when a particular ingredient is organically grown.
Natural ingredients are understood to be beneficial for the health and environment, nevertheless, some can contain harmful allergens and substances of endangered species.
Let’s introduce a third type of ingredient: synthetics. They can be natural identical, taken from an existing molecule in the nature, or a created olfactory molecule, which produces a smell that does not exist in nature. Natural identical can be extracted naturally or replicated in the laboratory. Taking into consideration the different legislation, and the extraction method, some of these molecules can be included in natural fragrances.
Taking into account that, not all the natural ingredients are Eco-friendly, we want to highlight that many synthetics are environmental friendly, as they could replace over-harvested species of naturals like sandalwood.
We must pay special attention to labels that certify ingredients and production processes. There are many certificates that can ensure us that we are buying sustainable products. They look at the life cycle of the product, from its ingredients to its final use (renewable sources, recycled materials etc.). This does not require that they are mandatory natural!
Sustainable fragrances certifications can be official (regulated by official organisations), private and self-declaration (they are not official, but it’s the company itself which declares they are following certain sustainable regulatory and processes). Moreover, there are certifications related to the nature of the product and to the impact of the product on the environment. You can find some of these labels in the info-graphic bellow.
Sustainable fragrances represent a balance between economic growth, environmental protection and social welfare. Not every natural fragrance is organic, and synthetic can be also sustainable!.
In Eurofragance, we are working to offer you a collection of natural fragrances based on real and reliable criteria. Stay tune, we will keep you updated!
#GreenIsEasy
