Most redheads have sensitive skin, which may not take kindly to heavily fragranced products. Also, redheads are known to have their own scent naturally. Because of these facts, many redheads might opt for something fragranced naturally rather than with a chemical perfume. We wanted to get the truth about natural and synthetic fragrances, so we went to the source. Emily Fletcher, the founder of the Australian Clean + Conscious Awards, gave her expert commentary on the truth about natural fragrances.
READ: 7 Vegan Fragrances for Redheads
H2BAR: What does natural actually mean when it comes to body care product fragrances?
EF: Natural fragrances, as defined by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) must be plant-derived from aromatic natural raw materials. They must be physically obtained from plants through mechanical extraction (through cold pressing for example) or distillation (via water or steam.) They cannot be chemically altered or made from artificial materials.
H2BAR: What is the difference between natural and synthetic fragrances?
EF: Natural fragrances are beautiful, however, the scent doesn’t last as long as synthetic. Also, natural extracted scents can vary according to environmental changes and harvest variation.
Synthetic fragrances are lab-created and designed to mimic natural scents. There are thousands of fragrance chemicals that are used in different combinations to create different notes. Synthetic fragrances are more potent and contain added fixatives – often endocrine-disrupting phthalates, to make the scent last longer.
Phthalates have been associated with a whole host of negative health effects including direct links with asthma, low sperm counts, and genital malformation in young male babies. They have also been associated with endometriosis, diabetes, and thyroid issues.
H2BAR: So it seems like natural fragrances are the way to go, especially if you suffer from any sensitivities. What about fragrance-free or unscented products?
EF: Fragrance-free means no additional fragrances have been added to the formulation to make the product smell a certain way, or mask the scent of the ingredients the product contains. This means the product may still have a scent.
Unscented refers to a product that may have had masking scents added to it, in order to try to create a product that doesn’t smell like anything. These may contain synthetic fragrances.
READ: 6 Best Natural Perfumes for Redhead Skin
READ: 9 Delightful Fall Perfumes for Redheads
If you want our advice: use natural perfumes, redheads.
Rock it like a Redhead!
