By Kershen Teo, founder and natural perfumer of Prosody London
I have spent over a decade formulating exclusively from botanical ingredients. In that time I have been asked one question more than any other: what is natural perfume, exactly? Not the marketing answer — the real one. What makes it different, how it is made, why it behaves differently on skin, and whether it is genuinely worth choosing over a conventional fragrance.
This is my honest answer.
How Natural Perfume Is Made
The making of a natural perfume begins long before the formulation bench — it begins with sourcing.
The quality of a botanical fragrance is determined almost entirely by the quality of its raw materials, and raw material quality varies enormously. Steam-distilled rose absolute from Bulgaria smells different from Turkish rose. Indonesian vetiver has a different character from Haitian vetiver. CO2-extracted jasmine captures facets of the living flower that hexane-extracted jasmine absolute destroys in the extraction process.
I source from both large certified suppliers and small independent producers — family-run distilleries, traditional harvesters, growers with multi-generational knowledge of a single plant. Many of the finest producers in the world do not hold organic certification simply because the cost and administrative burden of certification is beyond the means of a small family operation. This does not make their materials less pure. In my experience, some of the most adulterated materials I have encountered have carried certification marks. Knowing your producers directly — and being able to verify purity through nose and laboratory analysis — matters more than any label.
Once materials are sourced, formulation involves layering aromatic ingredients across a top, heart, and base structure — building a composition that evolves coherently from first spray through dry-down, with fixatives anchoring the formula to skin without the synthetic phthalates and musks that mainstream perfumery depends on. For a deeper explanation of how this works in the context of organic standards, see our organic perfume guide.
How Natural Perfume Is Made: The Extraction Methods
The raw materials of natural perfumery are as important as the formulation. How a botanical ingredient is extracted from its source determines the quality, complexity and integrity of what ends up in the bottle.
A 2021 review published in PMC examining essential oils as natural fragrance sources identified extraction method as a primary determinant of aromatic quality — with CO2 extraction consistently producing materials that more faithfully represent the living plant than conventional steam distillation.
Steam distillation is the oldest and most widely used extraction method. Plant material is exposed to steam, which volatilises aromatic compounds that are then condensed and collected. It is effective for robust materials — lavender, vetiver, cedarwood — but destroys heat-sensitive molecules, meaning the resulting oil is never quite identical to the living plant.
Cold pressing is used for citrus materials — bergamot, neroli, lemon, grapefruit. The rind is mechanically pressed to release the aromatic compounds. The result is a fresh, vivid material that captures the brightness of the fruit with no heat degradation.
Solvent extraction produces absolutes — the concentrated aromatic materials used for delicate flowers such as jasmine, rose and tuberose that would be destroyed by steam. The solvent is subsequently removed, leaving behind a rich, intensely aromatic wax that is then processed into an absolute. At Prosody London we avoid hexane as a solvent wherever CO2 alternatives exist, as hexane introduces petrochemical residues incompatible with our formulation standards.
CO2 extraction uses pressurised carbon dioxide to extract aromatic compounds at low temperatures, preserving the full molecular complexity of the source material. The resulting extract is the closest thing available to the scent of the living plant — more faithful, more complex, and more stable on skin than steam-distilled equivalents. Our jasmine CO2 smells closer to the living flower than any jasmine absolute I have worked with. CO2 vetiver has a freshness and green clarity that steam distillation rarely achieves. These materials cost significantly more — but the olfactory result is worth it.
Enfleurage is the oldest extraction technique, in which fresh flowers are laid on fat that absorbs their aromatic compounds over time. It is rarely used commercially today due to the cost and time involved, but remains the reference method for understanding how botanical materials release their scent.
Why Natural Perfume Smells Different on Everyone
This is the quality of natural perfume that I find most genuinely interesting — and most poorly explained in most fragrance writing.
Perfume performance has traditionally been explained through skin chemistry — pH, sebum, moisture, and temperature. But these traits are heavily influenced by the skin microbiome: the community of bacteria, fungi, and other microbes living on the skin, which shape pH, lipid content, and hydration, and produce enzymes and acids that affect how fragrance molecules behave. Science Chronicle
Research shows that skin bacteria actively metabolise the volatile organic compounds in perfume, transforming them into entirely new molecules — meaning the fragrance you apply is not precisely the fragrance others smell. Instead, it is a new scent profile shaped by your personal microbial activity. Maple Prime
This matters more for natural perfume than for synthetic fragrance. Botanical materials are chemically complex — a single jasmine absolute contains hundreds of individual aromatic molecules, each interacting differently with skin temperature, sebum levels, and microbial activity. A synthetic fragrance built on a handful of aroma chemicals is engineered for consistency and predictability. A natural perfume built from botanical complexity is not — and that is its strength, not its limitation.
What this means in practice is that the same natural perfume can smell rounder and more sensual on warm, oily skin; lighter and more ethereal on dry skin; greener and more transparent in cool weather; warmer and more resinous in heat. The fragrance does not change — but your skin, temperature, and microbiome co-author the experience.
This is why I always recommend sampling before committing. Our natural perfume sample set exists precisely for this reason — to let you wear a fragrance through a full day on your own skin before deciding.
Natural Perfume vs Synthetic Perfume
The honest comparison is more nuanced than most natural perfumery brands will admit.
Synthetic perfumery achieves things botanical ingredients cannot — the crystalline transparency of certain aldehydics, the enormous skin-close projection of polycyclic musks, the year-on-year consistency that allows a mass-market fragrance to smell identical in every bottle. These are genuine technical achievements.
The trade-offs are ingredient transparency and health considerations. The synthetic fixatives that give mainstream fragrances their longevity — phthalates, synthetic musks such as galaxolide — have raised documented concerns in peer-reviewed research about endocrine disruption and environmental persistence. For a full account of the science, see our endocrine disruptors in perfume guide.
Natural perfume achieves longevity differently — through molecular weight and genuine skin affinity in resinous base materials rather than synthetic fixation. It projects more quietly and evolves more interestingly. It does not perform identically on every wearer. For some people, that is a limitation. For others, it is exactly the point.
For a full side-by-side comparison, see our natural perfume vs synthetic perfume guide.
Is Natural Perfume Better for Sensitive Skin?
Generally yes — though with important caveats.
The synthetic compounds most commonly associated with allergic contact dermatitis and skin sensitivity are absent from genuine natural perfume. Phthalates, synthetic musks, and certain petrochemical-derived aroma chemicals that appear in conventional fragrance are not present in a properly formulated botanical perfume.
However, natural ingredients are not universally hypoallergenic. Certain citrus oils — bergamot, lemon, lime — can cause photosensitivity if applied to skin before sun exposure. Some floral absolutes contain naturally occurring allergens that IFRA monitors and restricts. Oakmoss and treemoss, among the most beautiful natural base materials in perfumery, are restricted under current IFRA guidelines because of their sensitisation potential in a small proportion of wearers.
At Prosody London, where oakmoss appears — in Neroli Nuance, for instance — we label it explicitly. Transparency about naturally occurring allergens is part of honest natural perfumery.
For people with fragrance sensitivity specifically, our natural perfume for sensitive skin guide covers what to look for and what to patch test before wearing.
Does Natural Perfume Last as Long as Synthetic?
This is the question I am asked most often at events, and I want to answer it honestly rather than defensively.
A mainstream synthetic fragrance built on polycyclic musks and phthalate fixatives will typically project more aggressively and last longer on fabric than a natural perfume. That is a straightforward consequence of the chemistry involved — synthetic musks are designed specifically for persistence and projection in ways that natural materials are not.
What natural perfume does differently is evolve. A botanical formula built on resinous base materials — agarwood, labdanum, benzoin, myrrh — develops on skin over hours in ways that a synthetic fragrance, engineered for linear projection, does not. The opening, heart, and dry-down are genuinely distinct phases that reward attention.
In terms of hours on skin, our formulas at Prosody London typically achieve 7 to 10 hours of wear depending on the fragrance and skin type. Applying to moisturised skin extends longevity significantly. For more on this, see our long-lasting natural perfume guide.
What to Look for When Choosing Natural Perfume
Check the ingredient list for water or “aqua” — water in a perfume formula requires preservation, which typically means parabens or synthetic alternatives. A genuinely natural perfume built on high-concentration organic alcohol does not require preservatives. Our paraben-free perfume guide explains this in detail.
Ask about extraction methods — CO2 extraction and steam distillation are the cleanest routes. Hexane extraction introduces petrochemical residue into the final material and is incompatible with genuine organic standards.
Be sceptical of the word “natural” without further qualification — it has no legal definition in cosmetics in either the UK or the EU. Ask whether the brand uses the synthetic allowance — under most voluntary natural fragrance standards, a perfume can contain a percentage of synthetic ingredients and still be marketed as natural. Ask directly whether any synthetics are present and why.
Sample on skin before committing — no natural fragrance tells you anything meaningful on a strip or in a bottle. The interaction with your specific skin chemistry, temperature, and microbiome is the fragrance.
Discover Natural Perfume
Every Prosody London fragrance is 100% botanical — built on certified organic grain alcohol, formulated without water, free from parabens, phthalates, synthetic musks, and synthetic fixatives of any kind.
Our natural eau de parfums:
Oud Octavo — Deep resinous oud with cedarwood and smoky amber. Rich, grounding, and long-lasting.
Rose Rondeaux — Full-bodied organic rose with raspberry, patchouli, and musky sandalwood. Romantic and complex.
Jacinth Jonquil — Luminous spring floral built around jonquil absolute with hyacinth and jasmine.
Our natural cologne naturels:
Ocean Commotion — Fresh aquatic cologne with citrus and sea salt. Clean and skin-close.
A Capella Ray — Warm woody unisex cologne with bergamot and smooth amber base.
Bebop Allure — Fruity floral with Cox apple, Bulgarian rose, and a botanical vetiver and myrrh base.
Not sure where to start? Our natural perfume sample set lets you try any six fragrances as 2ml samples — enough to wear each one through a full day before you decide.
FAQ
Q: What is natural perfume?
A: Natural perfume is fragrance made entirely from plant-derived ingredients — essential oils, absolutes, resins, tinctures, and botanical extracts. It contains no synthetic aromatic molecules, no petrochemical-derived fixatives, and no laboratory-created aroma chemicals. Because it is composed of botanically complex materials, it evolves uniquely on each wearer’s skin.
Q: What is the difference between natural and synthetic perfume?
A: Natural perfume uses only ingredients derived from botanical sources. Synthetic perfume uses laboratory-created aroma molecules, often to replicate natural scents at lower cost or to achieve effects natural materials cannot. Synthetic fragrances are engineered for consistency and projection; natural fragrances evolve more interestingly and interact more intimately with individual skin chemistry. For a full comparison see our natural perfume vs synthetic guide.
Q: Does natural perfume smell different on everyone?
A: Yes — more so than synthetic fragrance. Botanical materials are chemically complex and interact dynamically with skin pH, sebum levels, body temperature, and the skin microbiome. Research confirms that skin bacteria actively metabolise fragrance molecules, meaning the scent that develops on your skin is genuinely co-authored by your biology.
Q: Is natural perfume better for sensitive skin?
A: Generally yes. The synthetic compounds most associated with allergic contact dermatitis are absent from genuine natural perfume. Some natural ingredients — certain citrus oils, oakmoss — can cause reactions in a small number of people, so patch testing is still advisable. See our natural perfume for sensitive skin guide.
Q: Does natural perfume last as long as synthetic perfume?
A: Quality natural perfume built on resinous base materials achieves 7 to 10 hours of wear on skin. It projects more quietly than synthetic fragrance and evolves more interestingly. Applying to moisturised skin significantly extends longevity.
Q: How do I know if a perfume is genuinely natural?
A: Check for water or “aqua” on the label — water requires preservatives and is not present in a genuine natural perfume. Ask about extraction methods — CO2 and steam distillation are clean; hexane is not. Be sceptical of “natural” without certification. Look for COSMOS Organic certification or ask the brand directly to explain why their formula contains no synthetic ingredients.
Q: Can natural perfume contain parabens or phthalates?
A: A properly formulated natural perfume built on organic alcohol without water does not require parabens and should not contain phthalates. However, the word “natural” alone is not a guarantee — always ask the brand directly or look for third-party certification. See our paraben-free perfume guide and phthalate-free perfume guide for what to check.
Q: Is Prosody London natural perfume genuinely natural?
A: Yes — completely. Every fragrance is 100% botanical, built on certified organic grain alcohol, formulated without water, and free from synthetic aromatic molecules, fixatives, preservatives, and musks of any kind. This is a structural property of how we formulate, not a label claim.
