12/17/08 – Green. Sustainable. Recyclable. Organic.
Are the words eco-friendly and fragrance mutually exclusive?

New York N.Y. October 2008...Absolutely not,according to The Fragrance Foundation. For all fragrance lovers who want to continue enjoying their favorite perfumes, but also do their bit for the planet, they can take great comfort knowing that the people who make some of the loveliest perfumes in the world are committed to finding innovative ways to conserve the planets resources without compromising or losing the very essence that is the romance, magic and mystery of the perfumer’s art.

Evolving from the “crunchy, folksy” green movement of the 70’s, the environmental challenges of today are seen as far more serious, and with critical implications. The perfume industry is responding pro-actively to the challenges of today’s greener-thinking consumer in creative, committed, informed and imaginative ways.

There is so much magic and mystery that goes into making perfume, that it would be sad indeed to put an exquisite bottle into a plain old cardboard box. It’s the packaging that gives a fragrance its first opportunity to catch your eye and tell you a bit about itself. Happily, gorgeous, glamorous packaging can now be found using bio-degradable materials, while less printing on the box contributes to the “green” effort and lighter-weight plastics to a smaller carbon footprint.  

You might also be surprised to learn that some of the more exotic ingredients in your fragrance of choice come from fair-trade agreements with village communities in such far-away places as The Amazon jungle.  These agreements provide mutual long-term economic benefits and the opportunity to discover raw, natural resources.  Look out too for fragrances that are offered in recyclable or refillable bottles.  More and more perfume companies are designing their bottles to satisfy not only the visual pleasure but also the planet’s pleasure.

If alternative is your thing, don’t despair, the fragrances that you love most can be found nowadays in every conceivable form such as shower gels, body creams and shampoos and in the home with fragranced candles, scented drawer liners, room diffusers and incense sticks.  

So don’t deny yourself the pleasures of fragrance in all its forms. Today, you can smell good and do good – it’s a natural fit.

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