There is a lot of conversation around fragrance these days. Natural versus synthetic. Essential oils versus fragrance oils. “Clean.” “Non-toxic.” The list goes on.
At Flora + Moon, my approach has always been a little more nuanced.
I believe fragrance should be beautiful, thoughtfully sourced, and responsibly formulated. For me, that means understanding the materials I work with, choosing them intentionally, and creating products I feel good about bringing into my own home and yours.
Natural vs. Synthetic
One of the biggest misconceptions surrounding fragrance is that natural automatically means safer, while synthetic means harmful.
The reality is much more complicated.
Essential oils are beautiful, concentrated botanical materials, but because they contain naturally occurring chemical compounds, they can also cause irritation or sensitization and may have restrictions on how much can safely be used in certain products.
Synthetic aroma molecules aren't inherently harmful either. In fact, they allow perfumers to create scents that may be difficult, unsustainable, or even impossible to obtain directly from nature.
For me, it isn't about choosing one side or the other. It's about choosing thoughtfully.
What I Use at Flora + Moon
The fragrances I work with may contain a combination of naturally derived materials, including essential oils, extracts, and botanical components, alongside carefully selected synthetic aroma molecules.
Together, these materials create the fragrance palette that allows me to capture some of the things I love most about scent: drying leaves, damp earth, herbs and incense, amber, leather, rain, smoke, moss, citrus, and wildflowers.
But creating a beautiful fragrance is only part of the process. What goes into it matters to me, too.
My Fragrance Standards
I carefully source professional grade, phthalate free fragrance oils and review the available safety documentation behind the materials I use.
I look at the fragrance as a whole as well as the disclosed ingredients within it, with particular attention to materials classified as known or suspected carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxicants. I use this information as part of my own sourcing standards and continue to reevaluate fragrances as updated information becomes available.
Every fragrance is also formulated within the applicable IFRA usage standards for its intended product. A candle, perfume, and room spray aren't the same application, so the appropriate usage level can be different for each.
This is something I take seriously, not because I believe fragrance should be feared, but because I believe it should be understood.
What “Clean Fragrance” Means to Me
You'll often hear the phrase clean fragrance, but there isn't one universal definition of what “clean” means across the fragrance industry.
That's why I don't want to rely solely on a symbol, checkmark, or marketing term to decide what belongs in a Flora + Moon product.
For me, clean fragrance is about thoughtful sourcing and responsible formulation. It means choosing phthalate free fragrances, reviewing the safety information available to me, screening materials according to my own sourcing standards, and following applicable IFRA guidelines when I formulate.
And as science, regulations, and supplier documentation continue to evolve, I'm willing to evolve with them.
Fragrance Without Fear
Scent is incredibly powerful. It can remind us of a person, a place, a season, or a moment we thought we'd forgotten. It can change the feeling of a room and become part of the small rituals that make a home feel like ours.
I don't want something that beautiful to become rooted in fear.
But I also don't believe we need to rely on vague words like natural, clean, or non-toxic without asking what they actually mean.
I'd rather understand the materials I work with, respect their appropriate usage levels, source intentionally, and continue learning as new information becomes available.
Some of the materials I use come from nature. Others come from the incredible science of modern fragrance. Often, the most beautiful scents are created with a little of both.
Because to me, clean fragrance isn't about fear. It's about intention.
Rooted in nature. Guided by ritual.
