The Science of Scents

At Blueland, we love a great smelling home as much as anyone else, but we also believe that personal and planet health come first. That’s why we take extra time and care to formulate scented products that smell incredible with the same gentle efficacy and eco-consciousness of their fragrance-free counterparts. Curious how we do it?

When it comes to scents, which is safter: natural or synthetic? The answer might surprise you.

What is Fragrance?

First things first, let’s define the terms of scent. Little known fact: the word fragrance (in relation to products) doesn’t simply refer to a specific scent. In fact, fragrance is every ingredient that goes into making a scent. Some are made up of synthetic ingredients, some are derived from organic ingredients like essential oils, and some use both. A single fragrance can be made from anywhere between 50 to 300 ingredients. That’s why, when you look at the label for a scented product, you typically only see the word “fragrance” listed.

Is Fragrance Always Bad?

Definitely not—it depends on how and from what it’s sourced. 

Many fragrances, synthetic or natural, may contain known allergens with potentially negative health impacts. Generally, you want to avoid fragrances that contain phthalates and styrene as they are known to cause headaches, migraines and respiratory issues. Other common fragrances can contain chemicals that cause skin and eye irritation. Reaction to fragrance also varies greatly from person to person, depending on skin sensitivities.

Finding safe scents is tough in the U.S., where products that contain fragrances aren’t required to disclose which ingredients are in the fragrance. As long as a product has the word “fragrance” on the label, it’s considered compliant with federal regulations.

How We Source Safe Scents

When sourcing our ingredients, we look for those that will be effective while still meeting our standards for the health of the people and the planet. We choose to only use ingredients on the EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List—and we never use any of the ingredients on the EWG Unacceptable List or the Prop 65 Banned Ingredients List. At Blueland, we also prioritize inclusivity and access—formulating our products from vegan, soy, nut-free, gluten-free, and non-GMO ingredients whenever possible.

We also understand that synthetic doesn’t always mean bad. When a natural ingredient includes known allergens, we will use naturally-derived synthetic fragrances instead—as long as they meet our standards for health and safety. For example, our Bathroom cleaner scent is Eucalyptus Mint, but since actual eucalyptus contains known allergens, we used other natural ingredients to recreate a safer, eucalyptus-inspired scent.

How Do We Know Our Scents are Better?

As a general rule, we avoid ingredients (natural or synthetic) that may carry allergens, and we patch test every product just in case—but we opt to take it one step further, putting our products to the test via rigorous evaluation and certification from expert third-party organizations. We are USDA BioPreferred, EPA Safer Choice, and Leaping Bunny certified.

Additionally, while most fragrance facilities do not disclose their specific ingredients list for proprietary reasons, Cradle to Cradle evaluated our fragrances’ ingredients, manufacturers, and formulations, and our fragrances received the Platinum Material Health Certificate—deeming them safe by the highest of quality standards.