Each perfume has dozens of components and some of them are of animal origin. We explain how to find vegan perfumes.
The sense of smell remains an undeciphered mystery, although we often do not place the same value on it as other senses such as sight or touch. Especially in terms of perceiving someone or something more or less pleasant and attractive. Most puzzling is the fact that people's preferences for certain smells are totally variable. What someone loves another causes his rejection. That is why the perfume industry is so wide and varied and that is also why it is sometimes difficult and risky to give a fragrance to a person without knowing them well.
However, studies have been carried out that have concluded that there are some essences that are pleasant for most people because it seems that our preference for certain fragrances is biologically determined. Knowing this, it has been established that the scents preferred by humans are orange, grapefruit, lime, mint, and peach, although this is very generic since each one has its predilections, often linked to past emotional experiences.
The perfumes are prepared with flowers that are macerated with some type of chemical solvent such as ethanol or methanol, which serves to dilute the waxes of the plant. When the solvent evaporates, a pasty substance remains that is distilled into alcohol and thus the pure essence of the flower is obtained. Once the essences are obtained, the most difficult and creative work begins: mixing. Each perfume has dozens of components. In addition to the essences that provide its top, body, and base notes, they contain other substances such as solvents, alcohol, and what are called fixatives, which are responsible for making the smell last. Some of the most common are of animal origin.
The castoreum is obtained from the perineal glands of beavers. Civet is also a glandular secretion, in this case from civets, a mammal native to Asia that is especially abused, since it is also exploited for the production of the world's most expensive coffee. Another common fixative is musk (or musk) that is obtained from the glands of the musk deer or muskrat. Or ambergris, which is a bile secretion produced by sperm whales and whales. Except for the latter, which is naturally expelled into the sea, the rest are obtained by removing the entire gland, which implies the death of the animal.
Fortunately, fixatives of animal origin are being replaced by resinous ones, essential oils, or synthetic ones, including a kind of artificial musk. The problem with the latter, which are also the most widely used, is that some are potentially toxic chemicals such as phthalates or benzoates. Some of the essences are also artificially manufactured. Faced with the rejection of these ingredients, perfume, and cosmetic houses are creating fragrances with more natural formulas and cruelty-free components.. There are also products that are committed to being ecological and are made with ingredients grown without pesticides or toxic fertilizers. Natural perfumes and colognes are made with essential oils from flowers, in many cases using the rest of the plant, such as seeds, leaves, fruits, wood, or seeds.
Another interesting proposal is the unisex colognes, although there are not many brands that bet on this idea. The market is divided into perfumes for women and perfumes for them, which has created a curious gender stereotype brought to the world of perfumes. For some arbitrary reason, it has been decided that certain aromas are feminine and others are masculine, even though we all perceive odors in the same way.
Various lists circulate on the internet where they reveal to us which houses test on animals and which ones do not
There remains the question of experimentation, something that we must check brand by brand if the product does not specify it clearly. Various lists circulate on the internet where they reveal which houses test on animals and which ones do not. In any case, we can also contact the brand to resolve our doubts.
The public is renewed, as well as their tastes and interests. Perfume houses go after that, trying to conquer the most demanding noses, seeking to surprise them. The new trends aim to create alternative fragrances that lead us to recreate moments, others to design specific perfumes for certain parts of the body, and there are also those that test new ingredients.
Vegan fragrances? In some formulas, essences of animal origin and their derivatives such as milk, honey, leather, and beeswax are usually included, for example, even animal secretions that are used as fragrance fixers (thus they are long-lasting). To obtain it, some bloody procedures are required, such as the captivity of certain species. However, in recent years consumers have become more aware of this situation and have managed to modify, and even eliminate, certain techniques in favor of animals, using synthetic flavorings instead.
Currently, the market is filled with cruelty-free products (free of animal cruelty in its production), others, in addition, began to be made from organic crops, giving rise to "vegan" perfumes.
Betty Monzón, brand manager of the firm Greta SA, affirms that: "They have softer and special aromas, formulated for people who not only have sensitive skin but also take care of the environment."
No comments:
Post a Comment