Natural vs. Botanical perfume

In the last 10 years, there has been an increasing trendin customer awareness about ingredients, ethics and sustainability. This trend has affected the perfume industry. As a result of this demand for more conscious products, some companies have created alternatives to conventional perfumes (usually formulated almost exclusively with synthetic ingredients), therefore creating fragrances with natural ingredients.

But what is the difference between natural and botanical perfume?

The fundamental difference is certainly in the ingredients and the approach to production.

From this definition of natural perfumes, we understand that they contain animal as well as botanical ingredients. However, it is important to know more about animal compounds and their harvesting. Except for ambergris and hyraceum, almost every animal component requires the death of an animal. Some of these animals are now on the list of protected animals because their overhunting has greatly reduced their population. Since these ingredients are sold at a very high price, it is difficult to regulate the black market. Animal rights groups, such as World Animal Protection, are concerned that the collection of secretions is cruel to animals. Since the discovery of synthetic musk, this practice has been greatly reduced, but with the recent resurgence of natural perfumery, I fear that the demand for these products will rise again.

 Here are some of the ingredients of animal origin:

• Civet: anal secretion of a feline animal native to Asia and Africa
• Ambergris: the secretions of the sperm whale Ambergris is a solid waxy material produced by the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) and the pygmy sperm whale (Kogia breviceps). However, it is only found in 1-5% of these whales, so it is not a common substance. It is thought that it is formed in the whale's intestine to cover the indigestible matter from the animals it feeds on. Large chunks of ambergris accumulate in the gut during the whale's lifetime and are usually released when the whale dies. It initially floats on the surface of the ocean and is black and sticky. Exposure to the sun, air and salt water oxidizes it and it ultimately becomes gray and waxy.
• Musk: animal secretion from the musk gland, found only in adult deers. It lies in the pouch between the genitals and the navel and its secretions are most likely used to attract female mates during rut.
• Castoreum: anal secretion of a beaver.
• Hyraceum:petrified excrement composed of urine and feces excreted by the Cape hyrax (Procavia capensis, also referred to as hyrax or dassie).

Botanical perfume does not use any animal extracts out of ethical principles.

I'm sure you've already understood that botanical perfumes are natural perfumes using only plant materials and no animal products. They can contain essential oils, absolutes, resins and natural isolates. They are diluted with alcohol, oil or water. Therefore, botanical fragrances are suitable for vegans. Botanical perfumery is thus sure to ease the suffering of animals.

Botanical perfume ingredients may include : 

1. Botanical raw materials such as flowers, bark, seeds, leaves, twigs, roots, bark, etc.
2. Materials secreted from plants such as oil resins, balsams and gums
3. Soil products such as amber
4. Essential oils obtained from natural raw materials by dry, steam or water distillation or by mechanical processes such as pressing or cold pressing. Included are also other forms of essential oils, such as rectified oils, fractional distillations, molecular distillations, terpeneless oils and compounded oils
5. Natural isolates, molecules isolated from natural fragrant material
6. Other distillation products such as hydrolats (hydrosols, floral waters)
7. Tinctures obtained by maceration of a natural raw material in ethanol, such as the tincture of vanilla
8. Infusions obtained by maceration of natural raw material in wax, such asjojoba oil or fixed oil such as almond oil
9. Absolutes and resinoids, all extracted from natural raw materials using a solvent other than water, followed by removal of the solvent by natural methods such as distillation/evaporation.