Fragrances vs Essential Oils

Fragrances vs. Natural Oils

The key word here is: healthy. There's a preconceived notion that anything natural is safe. This isn't always the case, especially when it comes to candles. Not all natural oils are non-toxic. Keep in mind that even natural oils can cause irritation or various reactions. The best products are intentionally designed to be safe and non-toxic, which is much more important than simply being a natural product.

Many synthetic ingredients are healthy and can be more effective than natural versions, especially when burning a candle. For example, a synthetic fragrance molecule was intentionally designed to burn in a candle at a specific melting point, where some natural oils react with a potentially harmful chemical change. Additionally, burning a compound, whether natural or synthetic, necessarily creates emissions and gases.

Allergies

If you're looking for something hypoallergenic, no fragrances, including synthetic and natural, should be contained in the formula.

Ingredients to avoid

Some ingredients in fragrance oils are toxic and have carcinogenic, toxic, neurotoxic and allergenic potential. Here are some examples: • Phthalates help perfumes last longer, but are endocrine disruptors and can cause birth defects. • Octoxynols and nonoxynols are known to be persistent hormone disruptors . • Derivatives of benzene, formaldehyde and toluene, these are known carcinogens. These are just some of the most commonly used ingredients in fragrance oils.

Essential oil

The reason they are called "essential" oils is because they are the essence of a particular plant, root, or flower. They are extracted through steam distillation or solvent extraction and have many natural medicinal and aromatherapy benefits. However, an essential oil can also be known to be allergenic, irritant, and prone to contact dermatitis. Many essential oils still contain acids that can burn the skin (e.g., sweet orange). They are also extremely concentrated and tend to be harmful to aquatic life, so just because they are natural, never pour large quantities down the drain. Finally, before making a choice, keep in mind that to make small quantities of essential oil, you need astronomical quantities of plants, and therefore agriculture and all the impact that this can cause.  

Natural fragrance oils

Natural fragrance oils are created in a lab and take all the molecules from nature. They are created by isolating the natural aromatic components of the essential oil. This is a perfect example of how an essential oil can be made healthier in a lab by synthesizing the aromatic molecule and eliminating the other harmful components found in nature's version of essential oil, such as the acid found in oranges, lemons, and grapefruit, which tend to burn your skin.  

Fragrance

Fragrances are also created in laboratories. They are made by blending highly concentrated synthetic and/or natural aromatic compounds. When designed properly, they can be cleaner , safer, and less toxic than essential oils sourced from nature. 

Shops

The problem with the perfume industry is that companies are under no legal obligation to disclose the composition of their fragrance. The best type of oil for perfumes and candles is the one that validates all the items on the "No Dirty" list. They must be paraben-free, phthalate-free, formaldehyde-free, sulfate-free, etc. The best option is to confirm that the fragrance is free of carcinogens, toxins, and other potentially harmful chemicals often found in perfumes. It's up to you to decide what you deem safe for you and/or your body, but remember to look at what is safe.

Our fragrances

Maison Stoï uses innovative fragrances that burn cleanly. Their fragrances are paraben-free, non-toxic, GMO-free, and never tested on animals. 

Are you ready to relax and indulge in some olfactory pleasure? Discover our products!