We’re on the hunt for a “love at first sniff” non-toxic perfume that doesn’t make our planet say pee-EW.

The criteria? A signature scent that doesn’t harm our planet, people, animals, or our own bodies.

So following our noses, we’ve rounded up our favorite brands that, among other eco-credentials, use botanical ingredients (without chemical fillers and toxins) that are backed by relevant certifications.

Soon we’ll be launching our new Brand Rating System, which will go beyond these considerations to vet brands against a range of criteria, like chemical use and ethical souring. You can read about all of them here.

We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more here.

The Cleanest Non-Toxic Fragrance Brands

We are personally addicted to DefineMe. Between ultra long-lasting wear, empowering crystal infusions, and totally toxin-free ingredient lists, they define what it means to make sustainable perfume.

Luxury fragrance house Sana Jardin uses a circular business model to upcycle orange blossom waste and support women’s economic empowerment.

Heretic Parfum turns natural botanical ingredients into timeless, genderless scents that are vegan and cruelty-free.

Index: Natural Perfumes (Without Chemicals)

  1. Heretic Parfum Jump to brand
  2. Define Me Jump to brand
  3. Sana Jardin Jump to brand
  4. For Strange Women Jump to brand
  5. By/Rosie Jane Jump to brand
  6. The 7 Virtues Jump to brand
  7. Rainwater Botanicals Jump to brand
  8. M.Hainey Jump to brand
  9. Abel Jump to brand

Heretic Parfum

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Heretic Parfum is yet to be rated.

Heretic Parfum’s Natural Perfume

Price Range: $65–$165

Heretic Parfum is committed to being beyond clean.

Where traditional perfumes are made with synthetic fragrances (known to contain carcinogens and endocrine disruptors) and “clean” perfumes often still include petrochemical-derived ingredients, Heretic Parfum is a perfume pioneer.

They work with non-synthetic and botanical ingredients combined with non-GMO organic sugarcane alcohol and are happy to share every single one that ends up in the bottle. With names like the tropical Dirty Coconut and flowery Florgasm, the sensual and seductive scents are designed to be non-gendered and inclusive, and all are vegan and cruelty-free.

About Heretic Parfum

These self-proclaimed “Heretics” (hence the name) want to do “beautiful in a different way.” They exist to disrupt the status quo and explore unpolished natural fragrances from plants and flowers—everything from stems to dirt to petals.

The functional and fashionable scents rely upon ancient traditions and therapeutic properties of essential oils and natural extracts—those once relied upon by the original heretics (AKA witch doctors, alchemists, and naturalists).

Define Me

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Define Me is yet to be rated.

DefineMe’s Clean Perfume

Price Range: $7–$144

DefineMe aims “to empower self-worth and confidence through scent”.

Their range includes crystal-infused perfume mists, hair fragrance mists, and travel sprays, all of which are cruelty-free, gluten-free, and vegan.

While most of their fragrance oils and mists are naturally scented, they do use some clean synthetic fragrance oils in cases where they’re safer on the skin and the more sustainable choice.

About DefineMe

The non-toxic perfume is made in Southern California using ethical manufacturing practices. Every product is free of palm oil, phthalates, parabens, petroleum, formaldehyde, and BHT. The glass bottles are all reusable except for the 1.7 oz bottle (which is recyclable), and the packaging is made using FSC-certified paper and plant-based inks.

My Personal Review of DefineMe’s Kahana Perfume Mist:

“I’ve tried several scents and love the Kahana Perfume Mist, with its refreshing, summery scent blend of hibiscus and white orchis reminiscent of beach holidays and tropical islands. Another favorite of mine is Sofia Isabelle. If a perfume can be like a warm hug, this one is it! I found the subtle vanilla scent warm and comforting. The addition of respective aquamarine and citrine crystals in the bottles infuses the scents with harmonious or energizing energy so I tend to pick our daily scent based on what vibes I need that day.

Every scent of theirs I’ve tried is incredibly long-lasting—as in all day and into the next day if you don’t shower, too! Plus, I find that just one spritz rubbed between both wrists and onto the neck is plenty to provide a perfectly subtle, non-overpowering all-day odor, so they last ages.”

Review by Amber McDaniel, SJ’s Head of Content

Sana Jardin

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Sana Jardin is yet to be rated.

Sana Jardin’s Perfumes

Price Range: $30–$145

Inspired by “the ancient and sacred power of perfume”, Sana Jardin’s fragrances harness the healing power of plants to take wearers on a journey.

From Vanilla Nomad to Sandalwood Temple and Jaipur Chant to Berber Blond, these bottles of women’s perfume and men’s perfume take wearers on a global journey. If you’re in the mood for something scintillatingly spicy, the Tiger By Her Side Eau De Parfum includes a heady mix of coriander seed, cinnamon, and vanilla. It’s name is inspired by the mythical High Priestesses of Ancient Egypt.

All scents are vegan and certified cruelty-free by Leaping Bunny. You won’t find synthetic dyes, parabens, phthalates, or formaldehyde.

About Sana Jardin

Luxury fragrance house Sana Jardin is on a mission to use “perfume as a vehicle for social impact and the economic empowerment of women”. Their circular business model empowers women in their supply chain to become micro-entrepreneurs by upcycling production waste. Through “flower recycling” and business skills training, local women in Morocco are supported in developing and selling their own range of products from orange blossom waste.

In addition to upcycling byproducts, Sana Jardin uses recycled packaging materials, compostable bottle caps, and glass bottles from 30% recycled materials.

For Strange Women

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For Strange Women is yet to be rated.

For Strange Women’s Perfume Oils

Price Range: $15–$150

Transporting wearers to another time and place through sensory aesthetics, For Strange Women is in a class of its own. The scents are designed to go beyond surface memories to conjure up those deep within the subconscious. Despite the name, FSW believes that smelling good shouldn’t be defined by your gender, so all of their natural perfumes are designed for anyone.

All of their natural perfumes are free from alcohol, palm oil, phthalates, parabens, and synthetic ingredients—meaning they actually make perfume without chemicals of any kind. The oils are vegan, but the solid perfume contains beeswax. All are cruelty-free.

With unique scents like Astral Projection (a nighttime perfume made with chamomile, lavender, rose, valerian, and vervain) and November in the Temperate Deciduous Forest, it’s safe to say that you won’t smell like anyone else.

About For Strange Women

For Strange Woman is based in Kansas City, Missouri, and features an all-female apothecary team that uses traditional recipes and small-batch manufacturing.

They prioritize sustainably wild-harvested and organically grown ingredients and minimize their plastic consumption by using compostable and recyclable materials for packaging as much as possible.

By/Rosie Jane

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By/Rosie Jane is yet to be rated.

by/rosie jane’s Perfume

Price Range: $28–$82

Mom-founded and owned brand by/rosie jane is committed to using clean, safe formulas for their non-toxic fragrance range.

They offer three types of fragrance products: eau de Parfum, travel spray, and fragrance oils in eight different scents. From the fruity and floral Leila Lou with notes of pear and jasmine to the earthy Dylan with notes of cedar and frankincense, there’s a scent for everyone.

Can’t decide which one to go for? Their Fragrance Discovery Set contains seven perfumes for you to test-drive and discover your favorite.

About by/rosie jane

Transparency comes first for by/rosie jane. They provide full ingredient lists for all their fragrances and a general ingredient list with the corresponding EWG rating for each ingredient. Each one is responsibly sourced and organic when possible, and all products are handmade with love in Los Angeles, California.

They also put people, the planet, and animals first with their certified vegan and cruelty-free scents, Carbon Neutral certification, 1% for the Planet membership, and 100% recyclable packaging.

The 7 Virtues

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The 7 Virtues is yet to be rated.

The 7 Virtues’ Perfume

Price Range: $25–$88

The “Peace Perfumes” from Canadian brand The 7 Virtues are unlike any others.

When you snag a bottle of their warm and spicy Vanilla Woods Eau de Parfum—or any of the other six scents— you’ll get a perfume that’s free of chemical nasties and contributes towards the brand’s social mission of helping rebuild communities post-war.

You won’t find any: SLS, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, synthetic colors, UV inhibitors, palm oil, animal byproducts, or sulfates. Instead, you’ll find hypoallergenic organic sugar-cane alcohol blended with a gender-neutral scent with aromatherapy benefits.

Each Eau de Parfum comes in either a 50ml spray bottle, a 10ml travel spray, or a 1.7ml sampler. To try them all, check out the Peace Perfume Discovery Set (which makes an ideal ethical gift).

About The 7 Virtues

One of the best natural perfume brands, 7 Virtues is a social enterprise with the motto “Make perfume not war.” They’re PETA-certified vegan, Leaping Bunny-certified cruelty-free, and a registered Clean at Sephora brand.

Through targeted ingredient sourcing (including fair trade, natural, and organic essential oils), they help farmers rebuild their families, communities, and countries post-war. Their partner farmers earn more than double the standard income, which prevents exploitative work conditions and the drug trade.

The 7 Virtues has produced a best-selling empowerment book and an award-winning documentary showcasing their work as a social enterprise. A percentage of proceeds from their Amber Vanilla, Cherry Ambition, and Lotus Pear bottles supports the Days For Girls charity with its work to advance menstrual equity.

Rainwater Botanicals

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Rainwater Botanicals is yet to be rated.

Rainwater Botanicals’ Perfume Oil

Price Range: $14–$24

Rainwater Botanicals has a line of natural organic perfumes with inviting fragrances to please any nose.

With no synthetic ingredients, they make a great choice if you’re looking for a safe perfume or non-toxic body spray without chemicals. The 100% natural fragrances include Orange Blossom, Spruce and Cardamon, Wild Rose and Bergamot, Lavender Vanilla, Woodland Berry, Coconut Lime, Patchouli Citrus, and more—all carried in organic jojoba oil.

About Rainwater Botanicals

This natural skincare company has been around for more than a decade. Their first product was a healing salve that helped thousands of people treat eczema, dry skin, rashes, and more. Today, they offer a wide range of natural beauty products, including face cream, natural foundation, makeup, and zero waste lip balm.

Rainwater Botanicals prioritizes organic, sustainable, and locally sourced ingredients. All products are handmade in small batches, never tested on animals, and use mostly zero waste packaging, like the mini glass bottles used for the fragrances.

M.Hainey

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M.Hainey is yet to be rated.

M.HAINEY’s Perfume

Price Range: $12–$138

“Scent as meditation” is M.HAINEY’s philosophy. Their MIZU line of fragrances are made “to create an atmosphere that awakens the senses and brings us back to ourselves.”

Every eau de parfum and perfume oil is 100% natural, meaning no additives, aroma chemicals, dyes, natural isolates, or phthalates. Instead, they’re made with organic cane alcohol or organic jojoba oil combined with essential oils, absolutes, CO2 extracts, and tinctures. At least 80% of the ingredients in each formula are USDA Certified Organic.

The six botanical perfumes (Floral Delusion, Monarch, Moonflower, Palo Santo, Wild Vetivier, and Temple) are designed to reconnect us to the natural world. Sample five fragrances with the discovery sets, or purchase individual samples to find your favorite.

About M.HAINEY

M.Hainey offers a range of fragrance products, including botanical perfumes, zero waste candles, and perfumed hair oil. Inspired by nature, they’re mindfully blended using organic, wildcrafted, and sustainably harvested ingredients. The brand also prioritizes direct farm partnerships. Their Palo Santo, for example, is wild harvested from their partner farm in Ecuador, which is committed to sustainable practices and reforestation.

Each 30ml Eau de Parfum comes in a French glass bottle with a wooden cap, and the perfume oils come in amber glass with a steel roller ball. The Palo Santo perfume oil is also available in a refillable 30ml glass flacon. Purchase a refill bottle or send your empty bottle back to be refilled. The outer packaging consists of FSC-certified boxes.

Abel

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Abel is yet to be rated.

Abel’s Natural Perfume

Price Range: $35–$180

With a belief in the power and beauty of scent, Abel wants to create elegant, genderless natural perfumes without chemicals that indulge our senses.

Every ingredient started as a plant, meaning the ingredient lists include only essential oils, plant extracts, and plant-derived scent molecules held in organic, food-grade grain alcohol. Many of the plant extracts are made out of byproducts ethically sourced from other industries or processes.

Choose between nine different scent profiles—including NURTURE, a special perfume blend designed for new mothers (a sustainable Mother’s Day gift, perhaps?)—in 15ml and 50ml bottles. Or try out a few via their perfume sample service.

About Abel

The clean perfume brand was founded when former winemaker Frances Shoemack met Master Perfumer Isaac Sinclair. All of their products are certified by the Vegan Society and you can view the full ingredients list for each fragrance.

The perfume bottle caps are made from bakelite (natural gas and plant-based cellulose), and the compostable boxes are FSC-certified and printed with soya ink.

What Is Non-Toxic Perfume?

We want to know exactly what we’re spritzing on our sensitive skin.

Unfortunately, many fragrance houses market their products as “clean” or “natural”—when these terms are not regulated and basically can mean anything.

Complicating things further, perfume companies can mislead consumers based on the alcohol content.

As explained by Abel, an Eau de Parfum typically contains around 14 to 20% perfume oils with the remainder of the ingredients coming from plant-derived alcohol.

So, in a smell-good form of greenwashing, a brand may suggest their perfumes are 85% natural—but in reality, it only includes that single plant-based alcohol while all the fragrance is still artificial (AKA: chemicals).

We want artificial fragrance-free perfume without toxins of any kind.

Are there toxic chemicals in perfumes?

In short, yes. Synthetic fragrances often contain a cocktail of chemicals that put both our own health and the health of the planet at risk.

Because of their risk of adverse health effects, synthetic dyes and other toxins like parabens, phthalates, and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are all ingredients of concern that non-toxic perfume brands make sure to avoid.

From a sustainability standpoint, synthetic ingredients are usually made of petrochemicals which A) support the oil industry and B) don’t biodegrade.

Polycyclic musk (PCM), for example, is a known environmental pollutant posing a risk to aquatic wildlife.

However, it’s important to know that some synthetic ingredients are entirely appropriate to use if they are proven to be non-toxic and are used in place of otherwise harmful practices (like using animal secretions).

Some of the clean perfume brands on our list do use a combination of natural and synthetic ingredients, opting for clean synthetic fragrance oils when they are either safer for the skin, or provide a more sustainable choice.

What’s the difference between a non-toxic and natural perfume?

Truly natural means made with naturally derived ingredients (i.e., those that are found in nature and not created in a lab).

A non-toxic perfume doesn’t contain any toxic ingredients. This doesn’t mean it’s 100% natural as it may still contain synthetic ingredients, albeit safe ones.

How do I know if my perfume is non-toxic?

When looking for a perfume without toxic chemicals, a brand’s transparency is key. Look for brands that are happy to share their full ingredients list so you can see exactly what’s in (and what’s not in) that little glass bottle.

Read: ” trade secrets” which are so common in the fragrance industry.

Look for mainly natural perfume ingredients (essential oils, plant extracts, plant-based oils) and if you’re not sure about any of the ingredients, don’t be afraid to reach out and ask.