Natural Perfumes FAQs

Natural Perfumes FAQs

How do natural fragrances perform vs synthetic ones and what is the difference?

Enis, founder of Haoma, a natural perfume brand that's made in the UK, gives us his take on the most frequently asked questions about all natural perfumes. 
enis founder of haoma skincare and fragrance

What is a natural perfume? 

Natural perfumes are created using scents found in nature, think roses, lavender, citrus fruits etc. Generally they're made from essential oils, resins and absolutes that have been extracted from the botanical ingredients rather than made synthetically in a lab.

Do truly natural perfumes exist?

Like most things in the natural wellbeing industry there are variations within the category. From some brands using predominantly natural ingredients combined with synthetic ingredients, to others using naturally derived ingredients and lastly, to the purists like Haoma, who are the only certified organic perfume brand in the UK, who use only 100% natural and organic ingredients.

Here's Enis' thoughts on the industry:

"Around 99% of perfumes on the market use synthetic fragrances. Even ‘natural’ brands use synthetic fragrances in their perfumes, these are generally listed as ‘perfume’ , or ‘fragrance’ in the ingredients list. These by law do not have to be disclosed further and can be made up of anything including very toxic materials. My advice is that you look at the full ingredients lists of your favourite perfumes (if the company actually discloses them), if you spot any ‘aroma’. ‘perfume’ or ‘fragrance’ listed in the ingredients list, it means they use synthetic molecules in their perfumes which we are highly against. There are numerous studies of synthetic fragrances and how they impact our health.

I understand that there is a market for every product but the perfume industry has changed the perceptions of smell in consumers for a very long time after the introduction of synthetic molecules. These are extremely cheap to produce and have a significantly different scent profile. Now everyone is so accustomed to these smells, they find natural smells ‘medicinal’ , ’spa-like’, and describe them as ‘health shop smell’ or 'hippie smell’. Unfortunately it is a fact that natural scents will never smell the way synthetic ones do. This will not change with formulation changes or technological advancements either. They are just not meant to smell like that. I trust that as a society we will once more learn to appreciate and get used to the natural scents but unfortunately big perfume producers in the world are working hard to stop this. This is due to the price advantage. Let me give you an example. Organic Myrrh essential oil is around £1000 per kilogram and we use this in our formulations, if we were to buy it as a synthetic ingredient it would cost us around £10 for the same quantity. Big perfume producers love to keep their prices low and mass produce, but this is not possible with natural ingredients so there is always a push to go synthetic."

How do natural fragrances compare vs synthetics? 

Enis says "Most people want an identical concept to conventional perfumes in terms of scent profile and longevity when they say they want to switch to natural perfumes. I cannot emphasise this enough that it simply is not possible. It is my mission through Haoma to change these perceptions...Natural perfumes will never be the same as synthetic ones. I am also extremely confident that there is no more than maybe only 1 or 2 brands in the whole of the UK that offer perfumes that are truly natural made absolutely with no ‘fragrance - aka synthetic scents’ in them. None of them as far as I know use certified organic and certified food grade essential oils. This means people will have to see natural perfume brands almost like aromatherapy products rather than conventional perfumes"

organic perfume no 1 blend haoma

How long do natural perfumes last?

Enis advises that "Longevity on skin really depends of skin types (oily, dry, hormonal etc) as well as the weather, however our customers consistently reported they get a whole day from No 1 and Ylang Ylang perfumes. Frankincense & Myrrh lasts a whole day on some people’s skin but some people reported average 4 hours. This particular perfume only has resinoid essential oils in them so it behaves differently on every skin type. Our Lavender and Orange would last up to 4 hours and these are the shortest lasting ones."

    Can I spray perfume on clothing?

    Enis says "Perfumes can be sprayed on clothing but we always recommend testing first. Some essential oils have natural colours but our perfumes do not leave a permanent mark on fabrics. They would not be noticeable unless they are sprayed on a snow-white fabric (sometimes not even then), and in any case they are easily washed. In terms of scent holding, natural fabric usually has more porous surface so holds scents better but again it is advisable to test first"

    haoma certified organic perfume range uk

      What is unique about Haoma perfumes and fragrances?

      In Enis's words "What we are trying to do here at Haoma is completely getting rid of all processed ingredients, all harmful chemicals, all preservatives and emulsifiers. We only use edible, pure, certified organic and certified vegan ingredients of the highest quality which in turn is better for both humankind and our planet. I would like to note however if you have not used a fully natural perfume before, you will notice our perfumes have a completely different scent profile.
      We have two varieties, single note perfumes and complex perfumes. Single note perfumes are the Lavender, Ylang Ylang and Orange ones. Complex perfumes are No 1 and Frankincense & Myrrh.
      With single note perfumes you will only notice one aroma, which is the name of the perfume. We only use the essential oil of that particular plant to give a clear, defined experience.
      No 1 is a unisex perfume with very complex notes. First you will notice Geranium and slowly moving into Patchouli with all of the other undertones. It is both intensely floral and green. This is a long lasting perfume. 
      Frankincense & Myrrh on the other hand has a very deep smokey, leathery and woody aroma. All of the essential oils in this perfume are made of steam distillation of tree resins so you can expect an earthy scent.
      Remember, even though these are perfumes, they are also aromatherapy products because they are made purely with essential oils so they will certainly have positive effects on your body and mind due to the small molecules in essential oils crossing the blood-brain barrier."

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