The Ultimate List of Clean Perfumes Safe To Use
I went into my local Sephora multiple times to try out as many clean perfumes as I could get my hands on. The store associates probably thought I was a bit crazy trying out this many perfumes.
So I’m here to share what I think are the best non toxic perfumes and which ones I didn’t love. But I know scents are such a personal choice so I’ll talk about my top 6 and then I’ll go into some other runner-ups so you have more options.
Before we dive in, I wanted to talk about what is actually considered a clean perfume. This is super important!
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What is a clean perfume?
People have different opinions on what exactly “clean perfume” means but what I do know is everyone can agree on a few things. Clean perfumes do not contain phthalates, parabens, artificial dyes, synthetic preservatives, or harsh chemical solvents.
I’ve noticed that very few have 100% natural ingredients. The majority of clean perfumes use a mix of both natural and safe synthetic ingredients. And that leads me to…
So, what’s the difference between Synthetic Fragrance and Natural Fragrance?
Natural fragrances contain 100% natural and organic ingredients formulated without any synthetics. Using only natural ingredients in a perfume makes it harder to find the exact scent you want. Natural scents also require harvesting the plant from its natural habitat and that can be problematic for endangered species.
Synthetic fragrances are made in a lab and they give perfumers more creative freedom to pick the exact scent they want. They can be made without toxic chemicals like phthalates, parabens, and synthetic preservatives. These are also known as “safe synthetics”.
When people hear the word “synthetic fragrances”, they automatically think it’s bad. Not always. I think synthetic fragrances are problematic to use in products you apply directly to your face. But for perfume, I think it’s acceptable to use both natural and synthetic as long as they are free from toxins.
The Best Non Toxic Perfumes
1. By Rosie Jane Leila Lou
Best Clean Floral Perfume
About: By Rosie Jane uses synthetic and natural ingredients. They disclose all ingredients and don’t use phthalates, formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasers, oxybenzone, triclosan, and other toxic ingredients.
Packaging: Comes in 7mL rollerball, 7.5mL travel spray, and 50mL full-size bottle. They also have a fragrance discovery set for $25!
My Review: If you want a fresh floral scent without being too overpowering, I’m a huge fan of Leila Lou! The scent smells like jasmine flowers with a hint of pear and fresh-cut grass.
I’m someone who easily gets a headache from scents. So I liked that by Rosie Jane scents are not too strong at all. At the same time, it makes you smell good without feeling you have much perfume on.
If you’re someone who likes the scent to really stand out, I don’t think you’ll love any of by Rosie Jane’s scents.
2. Henry Rose Flora Carnivora
Best Clean Summer Perfume
About: This brand was created by Michelle Pfeiffer after she became a mom and wanted to create a fragrance brand that is non-toxic. They’re 100% transparent about their ingredients and it’s EWG-verified and Cradle to Cradle certified. One of the few EWG-verified perfume brands.
Packaging: 8mL travel spray and 50mL full-size bottle. They also have a discovery set for $28!
My Review: I was torn between this one and Leila Lou for the best floral scent. So I’m putting this in the summer category!
It smells like a fresh bed of jasmine flowers with a hint of earthy vetiver. They use a mix of synthetic and natural ingredients.
3. DedCool – Milk
Best Clean Fresh Perfume
About: This perfume is also 100% biodegradable, water-free, and they also use organic extracts in their formula. It’s phthalates-free, carcinogen-free, and paraben-free.
Packaging: Comes in a 15mL travel spray and a 50mL full-size bottle. They have a discovery set for $30. Boxes are FSC-certified and biodegradable printed ink.
My Review: All I have to say is wow. This perfume smells so natural. When you put this on, you still smell 100% like yourself but better. It gives a bit of a soft and warm scent too. The formula is also water-free so it’s longer lasting on the skin.
This is one of those scents that I’ll never get tired of. It’s so light and airy and it’s what I want to smell like all the time. If you don’t like strong fragrances but want to smell good, this one is for you.
4. Heretic – Dirty Hinoki
Best Clean Woodsy Scent
About: This brand is one of the few non-toxic perfume brands that use 100% natural raw ingredients! They use non-GMO sugarcane alcohol and it’s vegan and cruelty-free.
Packaging: They have a discovery set for $30, a 10mL rollerball, a 15mL bottle, and a 50mL bottle.
My Review: My all-time favorite scent from Heretic is Dirty Hinoki. The best way I can describe it is a very fresh, earthy, and woodsy scent that isn’t too smoky. You’ll love it if you love the smell of nature.
The scent is lighter than most other woodsy scents but I needed to reapply multiple times throughout the day. I really like that it’s made with all natural ingredients and no synthetics – so hard to find among perfumes.
5. Skylar – Capri Summer
Best Clean Citrus Perfume
About: The brand uses natural and safe synthetic fragrances to create its collection of fragrances. Their fragrances are inspired by California landscapes.
Packaging: Comes in a discovery set for $25, 10mL rollerballs, and 50mL full-size bottles.
My Review: This perfume smells fruity and sweet with a citrus scent that is not overwhelming. I smell lots of bergamot, orange, and grapefruit notes.
Their natural perfumes are also hypoallergenic and safe for sensitive skin.
Besides Capri Summer, I didn’t really like any other scents from Skylar. The scent wasn’t very complex and tended to be on the fruity/sweeter side.
6. The 7 Virtues – Vanilla Woods
Best Clean Warm Perfume
About: 7 Virtues’ perfumes are vegan, cruelty-free, phthalates-free, paraben-free, and formaldehyde-free.
Packaging: It comes in a 50mL full-size bottle, a 10mL travel spray, and a 1.7mL small spray. They also have a discovery set for $25. Packaging is also FSC-certified.
My Review: The 7 Virtues is a fragrance brand that initially really stood out to me because of its packaging.
I really love this Vanilla Woods scent. It’s become my favorite warm and cozy scent. It has a very deep vanilla scent with a hint of floral. I really like their Lotus Pear scent as well. That one is more of a fresh and sweet scent.
Other Clean Perfume Options
These are some other clean perfumes and I tried and liked! Not as much as the top 6 I listed above, but I would definitely recommend it.
Best Clean Woodsy Perfumes
- Sana Jardin Sandalwood Temple Eau de Parfum: Smells like a rich sandalwood with a touch of creamy vanilla.
- Maison Louis Marie No.04 Bois de Balincourt Perfume Oil: Very earthy and woodsy scent but also very fresh.
- Henry Rose Queens & Monsters Eau de Parfum: This is one of the most woodsy and musky scents.
Clean Floral Perfumes
- The 7 Virtues Lotus Pear: This smells like sweet fresh floral pear, peach, and rose mixed together.
- Leahlani Pua Lei Organic Perfume Oil: A mix of tropical florals with the scent of Hawaiian Lei.
Clean Summer Perfumes
- The 7 Virtues Coconut Sun Eau de Parfum: A mix of the freshness of coconut and the sweetness of Jasmine.
- Floral Street Sweet Almond Blossom Eau de Parfum: The scent is very fresh, beachy, and has a hint of coconut.
Clean Fresh Perfumes
- Ellis Brooklyn SALT Eau de Parfum: Smells like the fresh clean ocean and the salty smell from the sea combined.
- Abbott Crescent Beach: Smells like the ocean breeze and laundry mixed with a hint of flowers.
Clean Citrus Perfumes
- Vyrao Free 00 Eau de Parfum: This clean perfume smells very citrusy with lemon and mandarin.
- Sana Jardin Paris Berber Blonde Eau De Parfum: This has a beautiful orange flower scent that smells incredibly clean and fresh.
- Floral Street Sunflower Pop Eau De Parfum: The scent is bright, summery, and has lots of citrus.
Clean Warm Perfumes
- 01 “Taunt” Eau de Parfum by DedCool: Smells like vanilla cream but is also very fresh and mature.
- Sana Jardin Paris Tiger By Her Side Eau de Parfum: It has a more spicy scent but is also warm and comforting with notes of patchouli, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Clean Spicy Perfumes
- 5 Sens Burn For You Eau De Parfum: A blend of smoky, woody, and vanilla scent.
- DedCool 03 “Blonde” Eau de Parfum: Floral and also spicy from the black violet and saffron.
Clean Perfumes I Didn’t Like So Much
There are some scents I just didn’t like at all. But I want to say that just because I didn’t like them, doesn’t mean you won’t!
- By Rosie Jane Dylan: I couldn’t really smell the scent in this one. I could smell a hint of white musk but it didn’t stay on for long. I found that most of By Rosie Jane’s perfumes are not very strong. Only Leila Lou stood out.
- Skylar Peach Fields: Smelled way too sweet for me. To be honest, it smells like the mass-produced perfumes I could find anywhere. Nothing special for me.
- Henry Rose Windows Down: This was a bit too masculine for me. It has a deep sultry and woodsy scent that I didn’t like.
What to Look For In Non-Toxic and Natural Perfumes?
- Natural and Organic Ingredients: Look for natural perfumes made with essential oils, plant-based extracts, and ingredients that use natural sources.
- Free from Harmful Chemicals: No phthalates, parabens, synthetic dyes, formaldehyde, and benzene.
- Transparent Ingredients: Many perfume brands use the term “fragrance” or “parfum” without disclosing the full ingredient list. Oftentimes, they hide potentially toxic ingredients under the term “fragrance” or “parfum”. Just check to see if they are actually non-toxic.
- Cruelty-Free and Vegan: I like to look for non-toxic clean perfume brands that are cruelty-free which means they’re not tested on animals. Vegan perfume ensures no animal-derived ingredients are used in the formulation.
What is 100% natural fragrance?
100% natural fragrance is a fragrance that is made up of entirely plant-based essential oils and natural sources without the use of synthetic chemicals. Many fragrance brands use the term “natural” even if there’s a small percentage of synthetic additives. Just make sure to look at the ingredient list to ensure it is 100% natural.
What ingredients in conventional perfume are harmful?
Conventional perfume brands contain harmful ingredients to avoid. These are the toxins to avoid in perfumes:
- “fragrance” or “parfum”
- ethyl acetate
- ethanol
- camphor
- acetone
- acetaldehyde
- methylene chloride
- benzyl alcohol
- benzophenone
- benzaldehyde
- parabens, phthalates, and formaldehyde
What is perfume oil?
Perfume oils are highly concentrated fragrances that contain very little to no alcohol or water. This allows natural perfume oils to last longer on the skin. To apply perfume oils, you use the rollerball to dab on your skin’s pulse points.
What’s the difference between body spray and perfume?
Perfume is a highly concentrated fragrance that has a strong scent. It is designed to linger on the skin for a few hours to the whole day.
Body sprays are less concentrated than perfumes and have a lower fragrance oil percentage. It doesn’t last as long on the skin as perfumes do. The result is a more subtle scent.
For more non toxic fragrance and clean fragrance guides, check out these posts!
