The Difference Between an Essence and a Fragrance

What do you think of when you look at a product and read, "Scented with all-natural, organic fragrance?"

What about a product that reads, "Scented with all-natural, organic essential oil?" 

While these two statements may read the same, there is one key difference. More often than not, such a statement denotes a product that is made solely of natural, from-the-earth ingredients. Would you agree? 

 

Before we get to the point...and don't worry, we do have one...let's just quickly define those two terms - 'fragrance' and 'essence'.

'FRAGRANCE' is defined by the International Fragrance Association as "a chemical mixture that has a smell or odor...The mixtures that make a fragrance may include natural aromatic raw materials, obtained from plants using distillation, expression and extraction, or synthetic materials."

"ESSENCE" is defined by the National Institute of Environmental Health Services as "essential oils, which are obtained through mechanical pressing or distillation, are concentrated plant extracts that retain the natural smell and flavour of their source." 

Now we can get to the point! While fragrances contain natural ingredients, they are then manipulated in a laboratory with, more often than not undisclosed, synthetic ingredients. Essences on the other hand, a.k.a. essential oils, are 100% natural in ingredients, and left in their original state. 

DOES IT MATTER IF A PRODUCT IS SCENTED WITH A FRAGRANCE INSTEAD OF AN ESSENTIAL OIL?

Nope, it really doesn't, so long as the manufacturer is upfront about its claims. If a product is advertising 100% natural ingredients but contains a fragrance it is false advertising. 

IS THERE A DANGER IN USING FRAGRANCE OILS?

Technically they shouldn't be, however it's important to know that people with sensitivities should be watchful of how their body reacts to a fragrance. It's also important to use products as directed and discontinue using them on first sight of any irritation. The CHEN cautions, "Many synthetic chemicals in fragrances are derived from petrochemicals (petroleum-based), and can be harmful to human health. Chemicals found in man-made fragrances include phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors, and benzene derivatives, aldehydes, and toluene, which are known carcinogens."

DO FRAGRANCES HAVE THE SAME BENEFITS AS ESSENTIAL OILS?

Fragrances are designed to portray scents, especially those that cannot be extracted naturally. The process they undergo dilutes the natural properties of any essential oils, thus limiting the benefits they are known for. Essential oils retain their benefits, as the oils are unadulterated. 

DOES PAMPERED FEMME USE FRAGRANCES IN THEIR PRODUCTS?

Our goal at Pampered Femme is to create amazing, decadent skincare derived from the most natural ingredients possible. In line with that objective, our products do not include fragrances. We prefer to use unadulturated essential oils and blend them to obtain our signature scents. 

THE PAMPERED FEMME PROMISE

In short, we provide you with the best, unadulterated natural products possible. One of the reasons we release our products one category at a time is because we want to know how they hold up over time, through shipping, and so on. They don't go onto our site until they have passed our ridiculously high standards.

We don't opt for marketing gimmicks, or inflated pricing, and keep the accessibility of our products in mind when selecting ingredients and packaging.

If you have any topics that you wish to know our stance on, just ask! We promise to do what we can to honour our bodies, the planet and society as a whole. 

So, what are you waiting for? Get pampered!