What are Plant Based or Natural Fragrances?
Plant Based & Natural Fragrances
It seems these days, nearly every product we use has a fragrance. From our laundry soaps, to our shampoos, and even our tampons, artificial scents seem impossible to avoid. The trouble with these synthetic scents is that they’re almost always composed of harsh chemicals that have no business being anywhere near our bodies. So, what’s a safe alternative that will actually provide a long-lasting, luxurious smell?
Natural, plant-based fragrances that are derived directly from Mother Earth’s beautiful bounty are the perfect scented substitute to synthetic man-made perfumes. Nature offers a wealth of sweet smells to discover that there are natural alternatives to your traditional fragrances.
What are natural fragrances?
Unlike synthetic perfumes in a laboratory that have no natural derivative, natural fragrances are composed of raw materials that come directly from nature. On the other hand, most scented household products contain undisclosed ingredients and complex chemical compounds that the consumer can’t understand, or even pronounce. And let’s face it, who really has the time to sit and research what’s in every single one of their products?
Our favorite natural fragrances
When crafting products at Moody Sisters we create scent blends using essential oils or natural fragrance and flavor oils. These are products that are derived from nature and provide the most delicious scents - while remaining low risk for skin irritation. When you use an essential oil blend or natural fragrance oil you’ll know these are made from the finest ingredients.
While there are too many incredible naturally derived fragrances to list them all, the following are just a few of our favorites! You can find these scents and more in our entire lineup of Moody products.
1. Lavender Essential Oil- soothing & calming, great for evening use.
2. Peppermint + Eucalyptus Oil- known to ease pain, clear congestion, and quiet nerves.
3. Tea Tree Oil- great additive to household cleaners, medicinal properties can heal skin.
4. Raspberry Natural Fragrance Oil - a naturally derived blend that smells like fresh raspberries.
5. Sandalwood Essential Oil - an earthy, woody scent that pairs wonderfully with vanilla.
6. Jasmine Natural Fragrance Oil- exotic, sensual fragrance that intoxicates the senses.
7. Citrus Essential Oils - grapefruit, tangerine, and lemon are known to decrease anxiety and aid digestion.
8. Cinnamon Essential Oil- a relaxingly sweet scent that provokes fond memories.
9. Gardenia Natural Fragrance Oil - a scent slightly similar to pine, linked to memory.
10. Vanilla Natural Fragrance Oil - warm, inviting smell that reminds you of a freshly baked batch of cookies.
Beyond using skincare products that are scented you can use these tips for incorporating some of these scents in your home. Consider trying one of the following:
· Bring natural materials indoors, such as pinecones
· Boil citrus, cinnamon, and other items to release their natural aromas
· Keep fresh flowers around the house or dried flowers like potpourri
· Start an indoor herb garden with rosemary, sage, basil, and other fragrant foliage
· Make your own room spray using some of these oils
How are plant-based fragrances produced?
While there are several methods to extracting the various notes of a naturally derived scent, some are more widely practiced than others. In most cases, manufacturers will use one of the methods detailed below.
Most common extraction techniques:
· Steam-Distillation- the process of steam-distillation involves small droplets of water vapor that transport tiny bits of organic material into a flask that creates condensation and separates the substances. This method is commonly used to produce essential oils.
· Cold Pressing- cold pressing is mainly used as a method of extracting oil from seeds using specially designed equipment.
· Expeller Pressing- a mechanical process like cold pressing, but instead it relies on the heat created from friction. Used to extract ingredients from stronger nuts and seeds.
· Refining- using a specially formulated solvent to help break down the material in order to separate individual ingredients. This is a popular method for separating concretes and absolutes.
· RBD- An abbreviation for refining, bleaching and deodorizing.
· Dehydration- the process of removing water in order to more easily extract raw materials.
Why wear plant-based fragrances?
There are plenty of reasons to make the switch to a plant-based perfume or fragrance. Besides the previously stated fact that natural fragrances are better for your body, there are a few less obvious advantages.
First, organic fragrances adopt a smell that is unique to the wearer. In other words, they don’t smell the same on everyone. How many times have you gotten a whiff of someone’s scent, and immediately been able to detect what they’re wearing? It’s because like everything else, designer and celebrity fragrances are a fad. People tend to buy the same things that their friends and family have, resulting in everyone walking around looking and smelling the same.
Another reason to opt for natural over synthetic scents is that they’re often much less overpowering than their artificial counterparts. When you take a casual stroll through nature, you don’t really ever find yourself thinking, “Wow, those roses smell way too sweet.” Well, the same goes for a plant-based perfume. It’s going to have slight hints and notes of various fragrances, but only enough to compliment your own natural scent. Artificial aromas actually do the opposite, and often overpower and even mask our body’s fragrance.
If animals and the environment are near and dear to your heart, this may be another reason to choose a plant-based fragrance. Unfortunately, it’s pretty common for synthetic scents to first be tested on animals before being deemed safe to consume by humans.
At Moody Sisters we’re proud to use essential oils and natural derived fragrance or flavor oils only.
