The Benefits of Alcohol-Free Perfume and Natural Fragrances
A little-talked about subject in the natural beauty community is the important topic of non-alcoholic perfume.
Often, when creating a perfume or a fragrance, alcohol is added to the mix for the purpose of diluting and strengthening the scent of the oils used when making the perfume.
And although this method is commonplace, it isn’t the only way to go! Many companies and private perfumers choose to create alcohol-free perfumes.
Why do People Go for Eau de Parfum?
Eau de parfum translates directly to water of perfume – more specifically, perfumed water. This technique has been used for as long as humans have been using fragrances (even dating back to ancient Babylon).
Water-based perfume has been the gold standard of perfume for millennia. In our current era, more and more people are ditching the now normalised method of alcohol-made perfume for a more natural, water-based one.
There are many reasons why people prefer to wear alcohol-free perfume and go with a water-based alternative, aside from the fact that it’s been used throughout history. Not only does it create a more natural fragrance based on primarily essential oils and botanicals – there are some serious upsides to water-based perfume.
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The scent of alcohol-free perfume is rarely overpowering, and often smells better. Raise your hand if you’ve ever walked into a room and immediately smelled that person. That person is wearing too much perfume in a scent that doesn’t agree with your taste, and it’s suffocating the whole room in a dense cloud of what you can only imagine is called Essence of Cherry Cough Syrup. Water-based perfume isn’t clouded by an alcohol enhancement, meaning it smells less strongly of perfume and more of the actual scent you’re deciding to put on. The scent is far cleaner than one with alcohol.
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It’s easier on the skin. Unlike alcohol, water is a very non-invasive chemical to the human body. Alcohol can create skin damage if used over a consistent period of time – this means that those who use an alcohol-based perfume regularly risk having dry, irritated skin. Not only are water-based fragrances more subtle on the nose, they make the perfect perfumes for sensitive skin. Sometimes, certain skin types can have terrible reactions to products with alcohol. This is an issue that is entirely avoided by using essential oils and water-based perfumes.
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Eau de parfum is versatile. Take, for instance, rosewater. This is a product that can be used as a room spray, body perfume, hair perfume, and as part of various skincare regimes. Whereas many alcohol-based perfumes are only intended to be used on the body (where they often dry up and irritate the skin), water-based fragrances can serve several purposes.
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Alcohol-based perfumes are Halal. Although a perfume being water-based is not the only qualification for a Halal (it must also be cruelty-free, free of animal products, free of food ingredients prohibited by Islamic law, and officially certified Halal), this is an extremely significant reason many people don’t go for alcohol-based perfumes.
- Often, companies who produce and supply alcohol-free perfumes are consciously making the effort to create a more subtle, earthy fragrance based around essential oils and botanicals. These are easy-to-follow, naturally occurring ingredients that humans have been using as perfumes for millennia. Companies that create water-based scents can often be relied on to use only organic, natural and ethically sourced perfume ingredients. When people wear water-based perfume, they’ll know exactly what’s going on their body and how each ingredient operates.
Water-based perfumes are much easier on the mind and body.
They create an overarching atmosphere of all-natural, soft-spoken fragrance, and they’re a top pick for anyone looking to ditch the alcohol inclusion in their perfume and go for a more natural route.
How to Use Alcohol-Free Perfume
Water-based perfume, unlike the general standard, applies quickly and gently to the skin. Where alcoholic perfume mandates a wait time for absorption and drying against the pores, water-based perfume bonds with the skin immediately to create a botanical scent that lasts for hours.
Not only this, but alcohol evaporates quickly – this requires a larger dosage of perfume throughout the day. This is not an issue with water-based perfume.
It has an indefinite shelf life and is easily customisable in a DIY setting (essential oils and water have an almost limitless number of available combinations).
Eau de parfum is typically packaged, sprayed, and worn just like any other perfume. Simply apply a spritz to your wrists, chest, and (optionally) the area between your side and underarm.
Applying a small amount of perfume to the hair is a surprisingly effective way to retain the fragrance for longer, and have it released throughout the day in a non-overwhelming, unassuming way. Water-based scents make for good non-drying hair perfumes.
When worn on pulse points, areas of high body heat, and commonly moved-around body parts, you’re optimizing the scent potential for the perfume applied. Just make sure you don’t use too much of it!
Going back to point number 1 of the previous section, you don’t want to overwhelm your body with the scent and defeat the whole purpose of wearing water-based perfume.
Smelling, Feeling, and Living Naturally
Natural beauty, as it has been typically discussed in the past, often revolved around exclusively promoting the idea of no makeup and minimal skincare.
As this idea has evolved, the term has taken on a different meaning – one that aims to promote the incorporation of natural, non-invasive ingredients to the standard beauty routine, and normalize earthiness.
Water-based perfumes, essential oils, and botanical ingredients bring natural beauty to your fragrance cabinet.
They promote a lifestyle and mindset of healthy subtlety and glowing, floral-smelling skin.