GRAPHIC TEXT SAYING MYTH MEASURED/008 NATURAL SYNTHETIC

Natural Ingredients Are Not Automatically Safer Than Synthetic Ones

Natural fragrance ingredients are safer and less likely to cause reactions than synthetic ones

The IFRA (International Fragrance Association) restriction list includes a significant proportion of natural materials alongside synthetics. Oakmoss absolute — a classical natural ingredient in chypre perfumery — was progressively restricted due to high rates of skin sensitisation. Cinnamon bark oil, clove bud oil, and ylang ylang are all natural and all subject to use limits due to sensitisation potential. Bergamot contains bergapten, a natural furanocoumarin that causes photosensitisation on sun-exposed skin. Peru balsam — entirely natural and historically used as a fixative — is one of the most common fragrance allergens identified in clinical dermatology. Naturalness does not determine safety. Chemistry does.

Black and white line illustration of two laboratory scenes. On the left, a worker in full protective gear dispenses liquid from machinery into a large glass flask. On the right, a seated technician in a lab coat uses a dropper at a desk in front of shelves lined with small bottles. Text in the bottom corner reads MYTH MEASURED / 008

WHAT TO DO INSTEAD

Evaluate fragrance materials by their chemical profile and documented sensitisation data, not by their origin. The correct question is not 'is this natural?' but 'has this compound been assessed at this concentration on skin?' This is what IFRA standards attempt to quantify. A well-formulated synthetic fragrance is not categorically more hazardous than a natural one — and in some cases is safer, because synthetic materials can be produced at consistent purity without the variable contamination profiles of plant-derived extracts.


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