Most people think natural fragrances are primarily made of only essential oils and are safe to use. But in fact, natural fragrance companies often add synthetic chemicals to fragrances for various reasons, like adding long-lasting scents or staying away from harsh chemicals.
According to Articulate, 68 percent of marketing promotions are made up. There are a lot of false advertisements in the beauty and wellness industry. Misleading advertising fools consumers into thinking that natural is always equal to safe.
As long as some companies sell, they disregard overlooking or not explaining the precautions of their “natural product.” Just to favor marketing tactics that might lead customers to buy products that are unknown to them.
What are Natural Fragrances?
Before we deepen our understanding of natural fragrance, let’s discuss the three types of oils to understand them fully.
Essential oil
Essential oils are concentrated plant extracts that have been used for thousands of years. They can be derived from the leaves, bark, roots, stems, and flowers of plants. They are extracted from plants and are used in aromatherapy, massage, and as a dietary supplement.
The process of extracting essential oils is delicate that starts with distillation. Next, the plant's material is boiled in water to extract the essential oils. The next step is cold pressing which removes all water from the plant material and creates a pure oil without any dilution or adulteration by water.
The production of essential oils is an expensive process that requires skilled professionals to extract them from their plants. Some essential oil requires a lot of plants to create a single drop, like lavender essential oil, while others are more generous.
Fragrance oil
Fragrance oils are typically composed of complex mixtures of organic compounds that make up the scents and fragrances that we associate with flowers and plants. Fragrance oils are used in various products, including perfume, soap, cologne, lotion, and many more. There are two types of fragrance oil:
1. Synthetic Fragrance oil
Synthetic fragrance oils are synthetic chemicals made in the laboratory with the same molecules as an essential oil. They are used to make perfumes and other products that require artificial fragrances. They are also known as laboratory-made perfumes or lab-made perfumes.
2. Natural Fragrance Oil
Natural Fragrance oil is still different from essential oil, but producing an essential oil through distillation is similar to natural fragrance creation. The difference is that in essential oil, the extracted compound are gathered to create the oil itself, but in Natural fragrance oil, a specific molecule is separated from the extract. This single molecule is the chemical responsible for making the fragrance.
In simple terms, you can compare this to a coffee:
- Instant coffee = Synthetic fragrance oil
- Freshly brewed coffee = Essential oil
- Coffee beans = Natural fragrance oil
The Pros and Cons of Natural Fragrances
Natural fragrance oils are still man-made despite isolating the chemicals from a natural plant source. As stated above, it doesn’t have the same aroma therapeutic effect as an essential oil. Furthermore, being called natural does not mark them safe as causing an allergic reaction and sensitization as synthetic fragrances do.
While in comparison to essential oil, both of the former fragrances are cheaper and long-lasting. If you are looking for a fragrance body wash that smells good all day, read more in our blog!
Bottomline
The clear answer is that natural fragrances should still be treated as how we treat synthetic fragrances. There is no such thing as “safe fragrances.” You can only get a lesser risk by using natural fragrances.
While as a benefit, natural fragrances are a better option if you are looking for a fragrance oil with a long-lasting scent and lesser risk.
If you are looking for a fragrance oil that lasts, we recommend you to visit our website for essential oil and fragrance oil that might pique your interest. Which one is your favorite? Let us know below!
