Clean perfume: the brands making sustainable, eco-friendly fragrances free of chemicals like parabens and sulphates
- Perfume from brands like Hermetica and Ellis Brooklyn contain naturally sourced ingredients and are free of all ‘nasties’
- Transparency is also key for these brands, as thanks to industry regulations around trade secrets, fragrance ingredients are rarely spelt out
“Clean beauty” is big business. More people than ever before are searching for sustainable goods when they shop, in everything from fashion to food.
This year, global market research firm Mintel found that 57 per cent of shoppers will buy or boycott a brand for its ethical values. This figure is up 20 per cent from the year before.
Now, the fragrance industry is going green too, thanks to brands such as Ellis Brooklyn, French luxury fragrance line Hermetica and actor Michelle Pfeiffer’s new clean fragrance line, Henry Rose.
The term “clean beauty” can be tricky to explain. “Natural”, for instance, doesn’t necessarily mean “cruelty-free”, and “vegan” doesn’t always mean it is sustainably sourced. The general consensus, however, is that clean beauty products don’t contain chemicals such as parabens and sulphates, and are ethically and sustainably produced in a transparent way.
The perfume industry, however, does not lend itself to transparency when it comes to the ingredients used.