Attention Perfume Lovers: Here's The Lowdown On Alcohol-Free Scents
Alcohol-free perfumes are the new frontier for those who want to know exactly what goes into their beauty products. Here's our round up of five perfumes to get you started
By Kayce Teo,
People have strong opinions about alcohol in certain aspects of their lives. Tipplers perk up their ears and go, “Fantastic!”. Skincare lovers avoid it like the plague. With heightened awareness of ingredients that go into beauty products because of certain lifestyle choices and the clean beauty movement, alcohol is becoming increasingly spotlighted in perfumery.
So, what is the purpose of using alcohol in perfumes?
Alcohol is mainly used in perfume for two purposes. One, as a solvent to extract essential oils from raw ingredients such as flower petals, after which they are evaporated off. And two, to dilute the perfume to an appropriate concentration and strength. This means that lighter eau de toilettes (EDT) will likely have a higher alcohol content than eau de parfums (EDP) or colognes.
To a certain extent, alcohol also acts as a preservative, and carrier, to help disperse the scent evenly across the surface of your skin.
Who is alcohol-free perfume best for?
If you are into the clean beauty movement, and are particular about getting alcohol on your skin, these serve up as a great option.
And for people with certain lifestyle or religious restrictions, who have opted out of wearing perfumes because of its alcohol content, alcohol-free perfumes from niche perfume houses are a good alternative. They are likely able to give you a more complicated scent and is a safer option than what you can get mixing essential oils on your own.
Here are five alcohol-free perfume variants to try: