We introduce you to the best labels and brands that delight our noses without using animal ingredients and are still cruelty-free! For a sustainable start to a fragrant 2024!
In the clip: Vegan cosmetics
Discover sustainable scents
My first contact with the vegan lifestyle? A snack from my friend Caro. She shoved it under my nose and said: “Almost like mortadella, try it!” The greyish soy cold cuts tasted more like cardboard with salt – and smelled vaguely of bouillon cubes. That was in the mid-90s, and a lot has happened since then, and not just in the food sector. The beauty industry in particular today offers us countless vegan alternatives that not only protect animal welfare and the environment, but also look appealing and smell great. Even more Good for the environment do? Then store your perfumes properly so that they last a long time and smell good for years.
No wonder that the Demand is increasing and also a small, owner-managed label like “Jean & Len” The drugstores are conquered within a very short time. First with shower gel and body care and more recently with vegan fragrances, as I recently discovered in the online shop. I was looking for my favorite hand soap that was sold out at the store. I actually only order perfumes online if I already know the scent, but my curiosity was greater – and the investment of less than 20 euros for an eau de parfum from the “Alchemist”-Series manageable.
In addition, the description of sounded “Jasmine Diva” simply too tempting: who doesn’t want to smell like a “hint of powdery grace”? And the creation with jasmine, rose and patchouli is actually surprisingly complex and successful. This immediately made me curious about even more sustainable scents and vegan perfumes. Of course, I would be happy to share my most beautiful discoveries with you!
Also very interesting: These 10 perfumes are absolute bestsellers among men! We also have the most beautiful perfumes with fiery ginger here. Watch out! Cosmetics often contain dangerous plasticizers. You can find all the information about it here. Did you know that oud is a sought-after perfume ingredient? Here you can find out what is behind the fragrance and whether it is vegan. Do you want to smell as good as the stars? Then we have the stars’ favorite fragrances here – from Heidi Klum, Selena Gomez to Zendaya.
Why not all perfumes are vegan
I confess: When I first heard about vegan perfume, I initially had question marks in my eyes. What shouldn’t be vegan about a fragrance? In fact, you bet animal ingredients has been used in perfume production since ancient times. The animal aromas, most of which smell more repulsive than stimulating when pure, are added extremely diluted and very reduced. They add depth and warmth to a scent and ensure that perfumes last longer on the skin. The most well-known are:
- musk
- Castoreum (Castoreum)
- Civet
- Amber
Be careful, things are about to get scary! Behind the sonorous amber (or ambergris) is undigested material from the sperm whale’s stomach, which it excretes and then floats around in the sea in waxy lumps. The pleasant aroma develops through floating in the water.
Civet, Castoreum and musk are glandular secretions that animals use as sexual attractants. Even today, civet cats, beavers and musk deer have to suffer or even die for the coveted fragrances. Sounds more like a horror show than haute perfumery to me!
You already guessed it – now comes the “but”: real amber, castoreum and the like are hardly used anymore in modern perfumes. On the one hand, because they are simply too expensive. Depending on the quality, a kilo of amber can be worth around 30,000 euros. On the other hand, it is also in the Fragrance industry a rethink to more sustainability, Animal welfare and environmental Protection noticeable. And the use of animal musk has been banned in the EU since 1979.
So if you read amber and musk in the fragrance description, in most cases they are synthetic replicas or plant extracts with a similar aroma. Fans of these two sensual nuances will find what they are looking for in one of the pioneers of ecological perfume production: the vegan fragrance label “Clean Reserve”. Brand new in the range there “Lush Fleur” with mandarin and raspberry in the top notes, jasmine and rose in the heart on a base of moss, amber and musk.
Natural cosmetic scents and natural perfumes
When it comes to care and cosmetics, I discovered my green conscience a few years ago and prefer to use natural cosmetics brands, from face cream to mascara, which often also have vegan products in their range. Exception? Perfume! This was simply because what organic perfumes are in vegan quality It didn’t last particularly long – neither in the bottle nor on my skin. And that many natural cosmetic fragrances remind me less of fine eaux and more of them “Real Cologne Water” remembered. Fun fact on the side: the classic one – that’s right, the green and gold bottle that’s in Grandma’s bathroom – is actually vegan!
Since then, a lot has happened. This is how the Swiss fragrance manufacturer succeeds Farfalla To create scents that are at the same time organic, vegan and convincingly composed. Including the brand’s bestsellers such as “Aura 1968” or “Nomad”. Other natural cosmetics labels that have vegan fragrances in their range:
- Alverde
- Pony hat
- Alterra
- Taoasis
- Speick natural cosmetics
However, pure natural cosmetic scents can occasionally, let’s say, seem a bit special for our conventionally shaped noses. A good temporary solution? Natural, vegan scentssuch as “Midnight Dahlia” from Korres with lychee and peony or “oriental” from Colaboa new sustainable brand whose ingredients are 90 percent natural and contain few synthetic notes that make the perfume a little more pleasant.
Are vegan creations always cruelty-free?
Animal testing for cosmetics have been banned in the EU since 2013. And in my opinion, fragrances tested on animals should automatically be considered non-vegan. The problem: Unfortunately, there are loopholes for some raw materials that are also used for cosmetics and fragrances.
So if you want to be on the safe side, check the label in the PETA list for cruelty-free cosmetics or look for a vegan seal when purchasing, such as the Vegan Flower from the Vegan Society. The classic fragrance “White Musk” from The Body Shop is certified with it, for example, as I recently discovered. I was really happy about that because I have enjoyed wearing the scent with jasmine, lily of the valley and notes of musk for years and can highly recommend it. The cult brand, of which Lady Di was once a big fan, has now even managed to convert the entire range to vegan. Well then, go ahead!
In addition to vegan perfumes – have you ever thought about a vegan diet?
From niche to trend: How vegan fragrances are conquering the market
But even the big beauty companies have now caught wind of the fact that vegan cosmetics are not only totally trendy, but can also make “good” money: According to an American study, the global potential is over 18 billion euros by 2027 . Fragrance market leader Coty now not only relies on sustainable alcohol in perfume production. With “Natural Eau de Parfum” from Chloe The company has launched a fragrance that is not only vegan, but also contains only fragrances of natural origin naturally derived alcohol and contains water. According to its own information, Coty does not test on animals and does not sell the new fragrance in China, where animal testing is still mandatory for imported cosmetics. So something is happening on the vegan perfume market!
Will I rely entirely on vegan fragrance alternatives in the future? Difficult. Too many of my favorite fragrance labels either don’t have one yet vegan labeling – although many have probably long been vegan – or still export their fragrances to countries where animal testing is still mandatory. But I have discovered more than enough vegan perfumes that excite me so much that in this year’s Veganuary I not only want to try out a completely vegan diet for the whole of January, but also only use vegan fragrances. Are you joining in?
My top 10 clean scents and perfumes for Veganuary 2024
- “Midnight Dahlia” by Korres, EdT, 100 ml, around 40 euros
- “Eau de Parfum Naturelle” by Chloé, EdP, 30 ml, for 67 euros
- “Jasmin Diva” by Jean & Len, EdP, 50 ml, for 20 euros
- “White Musk” by The Body Shop, EdP, 30 ml, for 28 euros
- “Alien” by Mugler, EdP, 60 ml, for 95 euros
- “Fleurs de l’Himalaya” by Rituals, EdP, 60 ml, for 42 euros
- “Lush Fleur” by Clean Reserve, EdP, 100 ml, around 110 euros
- “Natural perfume set” from Farfalla, EdP, 5×2 ml, for 16 euros
- “Natural fragrance Glücksoase” by Alverde, EdP, 50 ml, for 10 euros
- “Natural Aktiv” from Speick Naturkosmetik, EdC, 100 ml, for 12 euros
Tilo Schulze is not just an author; he is a connoisseur of the olfactory world, writing with a passion that can only come from a profound love and understanding of scents. His words unravel the mysteries of perfumery, bridging the gap between the allure of vintage bouquets and the crisp innovation of modern fragrances.
