How to Switch to Natural Perfumes
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By Jessica Kiely, Founder Sensoriam
Perfume has always felt personal to me. It’s not just a finishing touch—it’s memory, identity, and emotion, all bottled up. The scent we wear becomes our invisible signature, the thing people associate with us. And that’s why the thought of switching perfumes can feel so intimidating. How do you give up something that feels so entwined with who you are?
I want to tell you something: you don’t actually give anything up. You simply get to discover something new. There is a whole world of 100% natural perfumes out there, and they are every bit as beautiful, complex, and luxurious as the mainstream ones you might be used to. Crafted from botanicals, resins, flowers, and woods, they carry a richness that feels alive—and aligned.
Why I Switched (and Why You Might Too)
For me, it came down to health and the planet. Conventional perfumes are often full of synthetic chemicals—hidden under that little word “fragrance”—that research has linked to things like hormone disruption, allergies, and even long-term health risks. And when we spray them, they don’t just sit on our skin. They float into the air, contributing to indoor and outdoor pollution, and wash down into our waterways affecting aquatic life.
Natural perfumes are different. They’re transparent—you know what’s in them. No hidden cocktails, no waiting twenty years to find out whether something is toxic. Just plants, distilled into beauty.
How to Start Your Own Journey
Switching isn’t something you need to do overnight. Think of it as a gentle, curious journey—one that can actually be really fun. Here’s what worked for me (and might work for you too):
1. Notice what you love.
Look at the perfumes you already wear. Do you always gravitate towards vanilla? Citrus? Woods? Those are your anchors. You’ll find natural scents with the same notes that feel familiar but more alive.
2. Explore with guidance.
I always suggest doing a scent quiz (like the one on our website) to narrow down options. It’s such an easy way to discover scents that match your vibe.
3. Play with minis.
Start small. Try discovery sets or 2ml samples. Wear them on your skin at different times of day, even throughout your cycle. Naturals evolve with you—they breathe, they change, they reveal themselves slowly.
4. Relearn longevity.
Here’s the thing: natural perfumes don’t stick for 12+ hours the way synthetics do. Most last 4–6 hours—and that’s a good thing. It means no chemical fixatives. I carry a mini roll-on or spray in my bag for reapplication, and honestly, I’ve come to love that little ritual.
5. Take someone along.
This journey is even more fun with a friend or partner. Smell together, compare impressions, share memories—it becomes a story you both get to tell.
6. Notice the shift.
As you move away from synthetics, your nose will change. Those artificial scents bombard us constantly and dull our senses. Without them, you’ll start to notice the nuance—the subtler, layered beauty of natural perfumes. And that’s when the magic really happens.
More Than Just Perfume
What I love most is that natural perfumes are more than scent. They’re stories. They’re rituals. They’re like aromatherapy in a bottle—able to calm, energise, seduce, or ground you, depending on the botanicals inside.
And here’s my little warning: don’t be fooled by the “clean” perfume marketing out there. Many of them still use synthetics. If it isn’t 100% natural, then you’re still in the experiment. That’s why I created Sensoriam—a place where you can trust that everything is truly, fully natural.
So if you’re ready to explore, know this: you don’t lose yourself when you switch. You simply discover another version of yourself—more natural, more alive, more you.
With Love, From Nature.
