Non-Toxic and Pregnancy-Safe Perfumes

How to Find a Non-Toxic Perfume

When looking for a non-toxic, phthalate free perfume, you want to look at the ingredients! make sure that “parfum” or “fragrance” is NOT one of the listed ingredients. Many non-toxic perfumes are going to have very simple ingredients, like alcohol, water, and a few essential oils. If you’re interested in something a bit more complicated, keep reading.

If you’re nervous about reading ingredients, here’s one way to find non-toxic cosmetics like perfume:

Go to the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database.  This is a terrific resource that ranks most cosmetics by level of toxicity.  I try to buy EWG Verified products.  If those don’t exist, then I chose a product with no higher than a level 1 or 2.   Many times these products are just as non-toxic as the EWG verified products, they just haven’t gone through the individual rigorous screening process.

On Skin Deep, use the drop-down menus to go to the category you want, say “Fragrance for Men,” or “Fragrance for Women.”   Then, start shopping!

Greenwashing in Perfume

There are many perfume brands out there claiming to be “sustainable” or “natural,” but then failing to fully disclose their ingredient list. When a brand doesn’t list their full ingredients, it isn’t to protect some special secret. It’s because they don’t want us to see what is in their ingredients. EVERY.SINGLE.TIME. They are treating us like children who wouldn’t understand if we saw the full list.

We are adults. Don’t sugarcoat your product by saying its “clean” or “sustainable” and then not back it up with the proof.

Best Non-Toxic Perfumes

Many of these perfumes are simple, essential oil based perfumes. They are non-toxic and phthalate free. I do NOT recommend any perfumes that do not list the full ingredients- for me transparency is key. So if there is a “non-toxic” or “phthalate-free” perfume but they just say something like, “proprietary scent blend” that doesn’t cut it for me. Treat us like grown-ups and list your ingredients so we know you’re safe. Please and thank you.

Perfume brands claiming to be clean, and that might be okay, but that don’t make my cut-off because they aren’t fully disclosing ingredients: Henry Rose, DIME, Rosie Jane, Sana-Jardin, An-Other, andThe Nue.

Please double check that all essential oils are safe for trying to conceive or pregnant, by using my guide below.

Truly Non-Toxic Perfume Brands

As always, please double check ingredients before you order, as some brands change their ingredients frequently. These are all safe as of October 2023.

• Beautycounter’s Clean Eau De Parfum are high-quality EWG Verified non-toxic, and pregnancy safe perfumes. There are five scents with high, middle, and low notes, and they have a great quiz to help you figure out which scent you might like. They also have a small discovery set to try each scent. They have unmatched safety reviews for ingredients.
• Henry Rose– EWG Verified with Full Transparency, but no promise that ingredients have been screened for pregnancy. Unfortunately, Beautycounter isn’t available to purchase right now, but hopefully, they will be back in Fall 2024. In the meantime, I recommend Crunchi for squeaky clean and pregnancy-safe makeup and skincare. Enjoy reading all my non-toxic beauty posts while you’re on my website!
• Qet Botanicals Nectar is EWG verified and made with simple essential oils. It comes in Jasmine, Lavender, or Rosewood.  Avoid the Jasmine if pregnant.
• Ecco Bella has fragrances made with simple essential oils. in Bourbon Vanilla, Ambrosia, Lavender, and Lemon Verbena. Eco Bella also has lovely non-toxic make-up and skincare.
• Sarabecca Perfumes come in Vanilla Spice, Amber Blossom, Floral Citrus, Rose, Neroli and Patchouli (for you hippies :-). Double check that the essential oils are safe in pregnancy.
• Rosy & Earnest
• Just the Goods

Perfumes Claiming to be Non-Toxic That *Might* Be Okay

• DIME Perfumes– Although 1 perfume is EWG verified, the others are rated up to a 4. There is no promise of safety in pregnancy, so be sure to review each ingredient list!
• Abel Perfumes – although they aren’t using conventional naming on their ingredients
• Heretic Parfum– Except you really have to work hard to find the ingredient list on their website!

Always double check all ingredients to be sure they are safe for trying to conceive and pregnancy!

Good luck, and may you be synthetic fragrance-free and low in phthalates!

Best Pregnancy Safe Perfume

Looking for a more complicated scent that is phthalate free and pregnancy safe? I have GREAT news for you! Beautycounter has just launched their first non-toxic perfumes, that are EWG Verified and safe for pregnancy! Beautycounter specifically formulates all of their products to be pregnancy-safe, so you don’t have to worry about phthalates, toxic ingredients, or essential oils that are contraindicated in pregnancy. Unfortunately, Beautycounter isn’t available to purchase right now, but hopefully, they will be back in Fall 2024. In the meantime, I recommend Crunchi for squeaky clean and pregnancy-safe makeup and skincare. Enjoy reading all my non-toxic beauty posts while you’re on my website!

These pregnancy-safe perfumes are NOT simple essential oil blends. These are mature, complicated scents, and I LOVE them.

The fragrances are called Clean Eau De Parfum.

All pregnancy-safe perfumes are:

• EWG verified.®
• Sensitive skin tested.
• Full ingredient transparency.
• Leaping BunnyTM Certified
• Every ingredient reviewed against 23 safety endpoints to meet Beautycounter’s rigorous safety standards.
• Crafted in partnership with a fine fragrance house to deliver a unique and complex fragrance profile.
• Complex scent profile and layering inclusive of top, middle, and base notes.
• Mindful ingredient sourcing, e.g., when botanicals that are on the brink of extinction, such as Sandalwood, are need, safe synthetics are used instead.
• Advocacy Work for Safer Fragrance
• Recyclable glass packaging

Their five scents are:

​Second Skin: Layers of sweet citrus peek through a gauzy and elegant blend of white jasmine, silky vanilla crème, and dewy, dainty muguet infused with comforting notes of buttery-soft sandalwood.

​Hyper Rose: Juicy apple blossom, sweet gardenia, and tangy cassis cut through a blooming, full-bodied bouquet of Turkish rose, wrapped in cashmere wood for a warm and sultry softness.

​Sun Spill: Bright, uplifting notes of grapefruit and sweet neroli shine through a lush blend of rich jasmine, velvety rose, and spicy coriander, paired with grassy vetiver for a freshly cut finish.

​Miles Away: Zesty notes of lemon and Italian bergamot bring balance to a warm and woody blend of sandalwood, cedarwood, and juniper berry, infused with fresh jasmine and calming chamomile.

​Pacific Dreams: A sparkling blend of lemon and bergamot brings a warm and sunny sweetness to the salty aroma of marine accords elevated by fresh Egyptian jasmine, crisp musk, and grounding cedarwood.

Take the Fragrance Quiz to find what scent(s) is best for you! The quiz was spot on for me, with Second Skin as my favorite, followed by Hyper Rose. The scents Pacific Dreams and Miles Away have more gender-neutral notes. Pacific Dreams is also a favorite for the teenaged group.

I highly recommend the Discovery Set if you are unsure about buying before trying. I find the scents really change ON people, so you’ll want to test them out. The Discovery set includes a 1.8 ml spray tester of all 5 scents.

Unfortunately, Beautycounter isn’t available to purchase right now, but hopefully, they will be back in Fall 2024. In the meantime, I recommend Crunchi for squeaky clean and pregnancy-safe makeup and skincare. Enjoy reading all my non-toxic beauty posts while you’re on my website!

Are Essential Oils in Perfume Pregnancy-Safe?

Now, there are non-toxic fragrance alternatives, most of which include essential oils.  Please be very, very responsible when selecting a non-toxic fragrance.  Essential oils are strong medicine, and you don’t want them interfering with your natural hormones and cycle.