Just like defining sustainability in any area of consumerism, what constitutes a ‘sustainable perfume’ is constantly evolving. There’s no legal definition of what makes a fragrance sustainable, and so many factors come into consideration for producers of perfume and conscious shoppers.
The beauty industry creates an estimated 120 billion units of packaging alone each year, and then there are the issues of “over-farming, volatile organic compounds and excess waste (caused by manufacturing processes),” says Amy Christiansen, founder of luxury fragrance house, Sana Jardin.
All that, and the perfume industry is not exempt from greenwashing. As demand for eco-friendly scents rise, there are fragrance labels that opt for easy wins without thoroughly considering the ethics surrounding its supply chain, or the waste it creates by overproduction.
"There is a creative ethic that relies on making a fragrance with high quality ingredients so it smells unique, diffuses beautifully and lasts a long time. The other ethic is sourcing," master perfumer Aurélien Guichard tells Bazaar. He is the nose behind countless celebrated fragrances – from Burberry Hero to Narciso Poudrée by Narciso Rodriguez – and now his own perfume house, Matière Première.
But with the fragrance market rapidly growing, finding a sustainable scent can be tricky. Here’s how to do it:
Check for logos
Accreditations that indicate ethical production can be helpful, offers Christiansen. Some key ones to note are:
- Leaping Bunny: cruelty-free
- Fairtrade: fair labour
- Positive Luxury Butterfly Mark: high standards for people and nature
Another popular symbol is B Corp, which sets a benchmark for social and environmental standards. However, in recent years, B Corps have been questioned for awarding its accreditation to less-than-favourable companies, so do look out for additional certifications such as the above.
Ingredients
Supply chain traceability, which involves ensuring all ingredients are sustainably-sourced and verifying suppliers are complying to ethical standards, is a challenge that many fragrance companies face.
Often – similar to many other industries – perfume houses work with various external resources for their ingredients and packaging, and while meticulously monitoring every part of the production process can be complex and costly, a brand must do their due diligence in order to back its sustainability claims. There are currently no governing bodies to oversee the process.
“It is therefore up to the brand and their suppliers to share responsibility in ensuring their fragrance is created ethically,” says Christiansen, who works closely with non-profit partner Nest to source its floral ingredients while offering business mentorship to its female harvesters in Morocco.
“It’s important to take time to research different producers of raw materials and to make sure the raw materials used are organic where possible,” adds Guichard. “The provenance of ingredients can be certified by different organisations such as Fair for Life, ECOCERT and Fairtrade.” Guichard both grows his own perfume plants using organic, cruelty-free and sustainable methods of production, and collaborates with partners whose social and environmental behaviour is on par.
As well as accessing natural ingredients that are produced responsibly, the industry offers increasing access to new synthetic ingredients produced according to green chemistry principles. Upcycled ingredients are also a big focus in perfumery with perfume houses such as Miller Harris, La Bouche Rouge and Sana Jardin incorporating them.
Advances in perfume technology also allow for the creation of life-like synthetic scent molecules so the scent of nature can be recreated without harming or over-harvesting the real thing such as ouds and musk.
Bazaar's favourite sustainable perfumes
Sana Jardin Vanilla Nomad
Matiere Premiere Santal Austral EDP
The 7 Virtues Amber Vanilla EDP
Bastille Un Deux Trois Soleil EDP, £98
Production
“Brands should be mindful of the quantity of products they produce,” Christiansen feels. “Smaller production runs can reduce the impact on the environment.”
The harvesting of the ingredients, creation of the formula and manufacturing of the end product are all equally important. This is something Guerlain, one of the oldest – and most revered – perfume houses in the world, takes very seriously.
Among the brand’s key working pillars are: biodiversity (protecting raw materials and ecosystems on sites); eco-design (manufacturing while limiting the environmental impact of products and activities, including control of CO2 emissions caused by shipments and travel); sustainable procurement (agreeing sustainable collaborations with partners, suppliers and service providers); and social responsibility (promoting diversity and improving the working conditions and lives of employees and local communities, while supporting charitable associations aligned with the brand).
Elsewhere, homegrown brand Ffern sells its products on a made-to-order ‘ledger’ system every season, while British perfumeries such as Maya Njie and Deya offer minimal launches annually.
The philosophy of ‘buy less but better’ applies to perfume, too. It is far better for the environment to invest time into researching a scent you truly love instead of purchasing multiple fragrances that end up forgotten in the drawers.
Social impact
As at Guerlain, Sana Jardin feels that incorporating humanitarian values into the supply chain is vitally important. “We want to use sustainable perfume as a vehicle for social impact and female empowerment,” Christiansen says. For example, the brand’s model empowers its floral harvesters with the skills and materials they need to increase their wages through commerce, not charity. “This alternative business model is based on ‘flower recycling’ and illustrates that luxury business can be used to drive social change.”
Packaging
The packaging of a perfume is also vital to its impact on the planet. To be sustainable, all brand materials used for a fragrance should be as environmentally friendly as possible and fully recyclable.
Think: reusable (generally in a refillable capacity), recyclable or biodegradable being non-negotiable assets.
In addition, Christiansen says that: “Brands should also understand the need to adapt and evolve to reflect the ever-changing landscape.” At Sana Jardin she’s looking to more eco-friendly alternatives for every detail, such as upcycling disposable paper coffee cups into paper fibre for outer packaging, and bioplastic caps made from upcycled textile waste.
100% transparency
Ultimately, the best brands understand that full-transparency in regards to their supply chain, production, sourcing and everything in between is the way forward. As consumers, do use your voice and when in doubt, reach out to your favourite brands for further clarification – those which are open to having the tough conversations are a major green flag.
Bastille Parfums, for example, goes one step further by providing a QR code on every packaging which includes information on ingredient traceability and live-tracking of production.
"One of the most ethical things fragrance brands can do is to source raw materials that are produced with respect to nature and human beings," says Guichard, when asked whether its possible for perfumes to be 100% sustainable. "For instance, the hero ingredient in our Santal Austral fragrance is Australian organic sandalwood oil, which we source from First Nations people who plant 20 new trees for every one they cut down. This demonstrates our commitment to responsible commercial practice and desire to support local communities. The second consideration is to create luxury fragrances that will endure and people will enjoy wearing every last drop of."
In other words, buy only what you love so nothing goes to waste.
Ethically-crafted fragrances to try now
Maison Louise Marie No. 13 Nouvelle Vague EDP
Perfumer H Fig, £150
