Natural vs Synthetic Fragrance Oils

There's a lot of discussion around natural vs synthetic fragrance oils.  We have put a few words together on the subject.

Most of our synthetic fragrance oils contain a small amount of natural ingredients, including essential oils (usually around 1 to 3%) along with synthetic ingredients.  Fully natural essential oils are available but some of these oils can be harmful to people and pets.

Synthetic aroma compounds are categorised into natural analogues, modified components and full synthetic. 

• Natural analogues are an exact replica of a natural aroma but created in the laboratory.

• Modified components are chemically similar to the natural version but modified for fragrance strength, stability or character.

• Full synthetic are aromas that don’t exist in a natural form but have been developed to give a specific smell.  These are often inspired by nature but are completely synthetic.

Synthetic fragrances are often developed for sustainability and animal cruelty purposes.  Animals are not harmed or killed to obtain the fragrances and large amounts of crops are not needed to produce the fragrance.  This often means that the synthetic version of a fragrance is cheaper than its natural counterpart. The synthetic version of a fragrance can have better strength, stability and consistency when compared to the natural version.  Being natural doesn’t necessarily mean it is a better product or that it is safer with less hazards.