You might be familiar with vegan food like soy-based cheese, but the concept of “vegan” can be a bit more confusing when it applies to products like perfume.
In this article, we’ll break down what a vegan perfume is, common fragrance ingredients that are not vegan, and a few of our recommended vegan scents.
What Is Vegan Perfume?
Just like with vegan food and other vegan products, the hallmark of a vegan perfume is that it’s made without any animal-derived products or by-products.
In other words, no animals are needed at any point in the production process of a vegan perfume.
How Are Vegan and Cruelty-Free Different?
Many vegan perfumes are also cruelty-free, but that’s not to say they are synonymous labels.
The label “vegan” means that no ingredients derived from animals were used to make the product, whereas the label “cruelty-free” means that a product hasn’t been tested on animals.
Looking for scents with formulas that are both vegan and cruelty-free (like all of our Snif fragrances) is the best way to ensure your perfume is just as good for the planet as it is for you.
What Common Perfume Ingredients Are Not Vegan?
It’s common knowledge that many ingredients often used in cooking (think eggs, meat, and milk) aren’t vegan, but you might be wondering what animal products could possibly be used to make a fragrance.
Although they’re not as obvious, many animal-derived products have been staples in the world of perfumery.
For example, musk is made from glands of male deer, honey is harvested from bee hives, and lanolin comes from sheep. Other non-vegan ingredients used to make perfume include ambergris, castoreum, kasturi, and milk.
What Are Some Vegan Perfumes To Try?
Now that you know about what makes a perfume vegan and the common non-vegan ingredients included in fragrance formulas, it’s time to take a look at some of our favorite vegan scents.
Sweet Ash
Understated and seductive, Sweet Ash is a woody fragrance that brings together juniper, bergamot, fir balsam, tonka bean, vanilla bean, and white moss.
Hot Cakes
For a gourmand fragrance that will keep you coming back for more, try Hot Cakes. This scent features maple syrup, melted butter, berry compote, buttermilk, pancake accord, and sugared musk.
Vanilla Vice
Vanilla Vice is an ode to soft serve in a bottle, with a blend of ice cream accord, vanilla bean, jasmine sambac, amberwood, musk, and orcanox.
Scents for You and the Planet
Thanks to vegan perfumes, you don’t have to sacrifice your signature scent to save the planet. Look for formulas that are vegan and cruelty-free to ensure that you’re getting the highest quality perfumes with the lowest environmental impact.
Sources:
Effects of harvesting methods on physicochemical and microbial qualities of honey | NIH