With everything from clean eating to the clean girl makeup trend making waves, it can be hard to know exactly what clean means when it’s used to describe a scent.
That’s why this guide is going to take a close look at what clean scents are, the qualifications needed to earn this title, and why you may want to make sure your next signature scent is clean.
What Are Clean Scents?
At the most basic level, clean scents are fragrances made with either natural or non-toxic ingredients. In other words, you can think of clean scents as the perfume equivalent of organic food. They’re fragrances that are intentionally crafted to be good for you and the planet.
That said, clean scents aren’t a regulated category. Many fragrances nowadays are marketed as clean, which is why it’s important to know what to look for to determine if a fragrance is truly clean or if it’s just being sold under that label.
What Makes a Scent “Clean?”
Now that you know what clean scents are, it’s time to look at the three main elements that qualify a fragrance as clean: non-toxic ingredients, ethical sourcing, and vegan and cruelty-free.
Non-Toxic Ingredients
One clear indicator of a clean fragrance is that it exclusively contains non-toxic ingredients.
Unfortunately, not all perfumes are created equal, and certain fragrances (usually those you find in the dollar section or next to the cash register at the pharmacy) contain toxic ingredients. Some of the toxic ingredients that can be found in perfumes include phthalates and synthetic dyes.
Phthalates were used in the past in fragrances because they can stabilize and enhance scents. As nice as this sounds, they have been found to be endocrine disrupters and may pose potential health risks. That’s why we avoid them entirely when making our line of Snif fragrances.
Synthetic dyes give certain fragrances bright, exciting colors. While those might have been all the rage in the ‘90s, they can irritate your skin and cause discomfort. For those reasons, we always steer clear of synthetic dyes when formulating our scents.
Ethical Sourcing
Another essential qualification for clean scents is that they are ethically sourced. Sourcing refers to how the ingredients used to make and scent the perfume are collected. When ingredients are ethically sourced, they’re obtained in a way that doesn’t do harm to people, animals, or the environment.
Musk is one example of an ingredient that must be ethically sourced when crafting perfume. When musk was originally used for fragrances, it was obtained from the secretions of the male musk deer, native to the Himalayan mountains.
However, due to environmental and conservation concerns about the sourcing of this ingredient, the majority of musk used in fragrances nowadays is synthetically derived. For example, the musk used to give our Vanilla Vice its powdery, warm edge is synthetically derived.
The story of musk, how it went from being a naturally derived product to one that can be recreated synthetically, is a great example of why clean fragrances should not just be labelled as fragrances that use only natural ingredients.
If this were the case, then using musk in scents would involve further endangering a protected species. That’s why it’s important to distinguish between natural and clean fragrances, even if there’s ample overlap between the two categories.
Vegan and Cruelty-Free
Last but certainly not least, clean fragrances also need to be vegan and cruelty-free. Although both labels refer to protecting animals, they refer to different stages in the fragrance production process.
Vegan fragrances are scents that are made without any ingredients derived from animals.
That said, just because vegan fragrances can’t feature these ingredients doesn’t mean perfumers can’t attempt to replicate their smells. This is what happened in Honey Suite, a warm, cozy fragrance that makes use of a synthetic crystallized honey scent to give our fragrance the signature sweetness of honey without any negative environmental impacts.
A perfume that is labelled as “cruelty-free” is one that hasn’t been tested on animals at any stage of production. Given that these two labels apply to different phases of scent production, it’s important to make sure a fragrance is both vegan and cruelty-free, given that a scent can be vegan and not cruelty-free, and vice versa.
To make matters easy, we can guarantee that all of our fragrances are vegan, cruelty-free, and undoubtedly irresistible!
Why Should You Choose Clean Scents?
You know the ins and outs of what makes a fragrance “clean,” which means it’s time to dive into the reasons why you should seek out this type of scent.
We know that not all wellness trends are everything they’re made out to be, but we promise this one is. This section will present the top three reasons why your next signature scent should be clean.
Better for You and the Planet
Arguably the best reason to reach for a clean fragrance is because they are better for you and for the planet (if that’s not a win-win, we don’t know what is).
If you’re the kind of person who pays attention to what they eat and scans over the ingredient list when you’re trying a new shampoo, then clean scents are ideal for you. The absence of toxic ingredients means that they smell delicious without any concerning side effects.
Thankfully, you don’t have to choose between smelling amazing and supporting sustainable practices when it comes to clean fragrances. The emphasis on vegan and cruelty-free production methods means you don’t have to sacrifice your love of the natural world just to smell good.
High-Performing
Clean fragrances are also known for being high-performing. Two important characteristics define high-performing perfumes.
For a fragrance to be considered high-performing, it has to have impressive longevity. Simply put, it has to stay on your skin and continue to smell for a long period of time without the need for several reapplications.
You’ll also know a fragrance is high-performing if it has potent sillage. In the world of fragrances, sillage refers to how far the smell of a fragrance projects from your skin. The higher the quality of a fragrance, the more it will project.
Since clean fragrances are made with high-quality ingredients, they often last a long time and project well.
Unique
When you see a fragrance labeled as “clean,” it’s a good indicator that more care, energy, and passion have been poured into this perfume than usual. Aside from all the wellness benefits, this also means that clean fragrances tend to be more unique and individual.
If you need to be convinced of the originality of clean scents, just take a look at the Snif line. With everything from Hot Cakes, an olfactory ode to the beauty of a fresh stack of flapjacks, to Rose Era, a modern take on a floral fragrance that features clean laundry accord, there’s truly something for everyone.
The Scents You’ve Been Looking For
If you’re dying to try a clean scent after reading this guide, then you’re in luck. All of the fragrances in the Snif line are clean and delicious. Remember, “clean” doesn’t have anything to do with the kind of smell a fragrance has.
Whether you’re looking for a rich, woody scent or something light and floral, Snif has your dream scent.
FAQs
Are vegan and cruelty-free different?
Yes, vegan and cruelty-free are different. Vegan fragrances are made without any ingredients derived from animals or animal byproducts, such as musk or honey. Cruelty-free fragrances are scents that were not tested on animals at any point in the production process.
One easy way to guarantee that a fragrance (or any product) is cruelty-free is to see if it is certified by Leaping Bunny. This organization works to ensure that a company has never tested their products on animals and is invested in helping end animal testing.
What makes a fragrance sustainable?
A fragrance is considered sustainable when the production and packaging are intentionally designed to reduce environmental impact. Sustainability in terms of fragrances may refer to ethically sourced ingredients, compostable packaging, biodegradable ingredients, and production processes that are eco-friendly.
To determine whether or not a perfume is sustainable, check out the brand’s values and commitment to quality.
What are the benefits of clean fragrances?
There are several benefits of wearing clean fragrances. Firstly, they are better for you and the planet because the ingredients are non-toxic and ethically sourced.
Clean fragrances are also often high-performing and will stay with you throughout the day with minimal reapplication. Given the intentionality put into crafting clean fragrances, they also often feature more unique and individual scents.
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