Difference Between Natural and Synthetic Perfumes (Beauty Blog Post)

Ever since humans discovered the joy of creating pleasant aromas, perfumers have been exploring new ways to create compelling perfumes. The tools used to create perfumes evolved alongside technological advancements. Around the 1940s, chemistry had become a common science and gave rise to synthetic aromas. These synthetics are precisely manufactured in a laboratory; some are intended to replicate natural scents while others create entirely new aromas. By understanding the difference between natural and synthetic perfumes, you can help find the best perfume for you.

Consistency of Natural and Synthetic Perfumes

The consistency of a perfume formula measures its ability to continually produce the same scent. A perfume formula with irregular consistency is difficult to mass-produce, as each batch becomes unique. This makes it difficult for consumers to become regular customers, as the scent they purchased in the last bottle may be different in the next. As such, perfume manufacturers place great care in creating consistent formulas.

·       Naturals - Natural perfumes have a high degree of variance, creating a less consistent aroma. The variance comes from the seasons and locations that materials are harvested. The method of fragrance extraction can also dramatically alter the aroma produced by the same raw material. When the fragrance extract is off balance, the perfumer has to manually add other supplemental fragrances to create a quality product.

·       Synthetics -Synthetic aromas are dramatically more consistent. Since they are created in a lab, it is fairly easy to continue to replicate the same aroma continually. However, many synthetically created organic compounds can vary in the concentration of impurities. If the impurities contain a low detection threshold, the overall scent of the synthetic perfume will vary quite dramatically.

What this means for the perfume consumer is that synthetic perfumes will be more able to produce the same scent over and over again. Natural perfumes have an inherent variance that perfumers have become skilled at tweaking to create consistent perfumes. 

Do They Smell Different?

Will a synthetic perfume produce a dramatically different scent when compared to a natural perfume? Natural perfumes contain deep and complex fragrance notes that are complemented by subtle nuances. This complexity inherently occurs due to the immense amount of chemical compounds that are extracted from raw materials. However, this process results in a major drawback of natural perfumes: there is a high probability of them causing an allergic reaction. It is advised to apply smaller amounts of new perfumes to test for an allergic reaction before applying the usual amounts.

Synthetic perfumes are able to replicate natural scents.  Many times a synthetic perfume will be perceived as similar to a natural perfume. However, due to their manufactured nature, they create pure fragrance notes that are rigidly defined. There is far less room for natural undertones as some synthetic perfumes contain only a few different aromas. A prime benefit of synthetic aromas is their unique ability to create scents that are not found in nature. This opens up endless possibilities that were never available to past perfumers. 

What About Costs?

Generally speaking, natural perfumes will cost much more than synthetic perfumes. Natural perfumes consume a large amount of materials and are more labor intensive to create. The raw materials must be harvested and the aromas must be extracted. By purchasing perfumes from an importadora de perfumes, or a perfume importer, you may be able to receive a lower price on both types of perfumes.

Synthetic and natural perfumes have many distinct differences, such as a variance in consistency, scent complexity and price. By learning to pick up on these differences, you can decide if you prefer synthetic or natural perfumes.