Frequently Asked Questions

What is an Intentional Scent?

Intentional Scents are made with purpose not chemicals. An intentional scent is a fragrance used mindfully to shift your emotional state, set a daily intention, or support personal rituals.

What does it mean to set an Intention with Scent?

Setting an intention means consciously choosing how you want to feel, focus, or show up before the day begins or before a meaningful moment unfolds. It’s a decision to lead from within, rather than react to what’s outside of you.

When paired with scent, that intention becomes more than a thought. It becomes embodied. 

Scent moves through your nervous system faster than words. It anchors you in the now. So when you apply an intentional fragrance like Philautia and affirm something like “I am grounded and radiant,” you’re not just saying it, you're feeling it.

It’s no longer just a mindset. It’s a felt experience rooted in your body, carried through your breath, and remembered with every inhale. Using scent with intention strengthens that connection.

It helps align your actions and mindset. That’s the power of using scent with purpose.

What makes Intentional Scents different from mainstream perfumes?

We don’t mask. We reveal. Every drop is a sensory experience that reconnects you to self-respect, grace, and quiet power. We use only natural, high-quality ingredients, blended in small batches for freshness and integrity. Unlike mainstream perfumes that rely on synthetic fixatives and overpowering formulas, our fragrances are designed to complement your body not cover it.

They’re subtle, personal, and evolve with your skin. Our fragrances are designed to align with your energy, not overpower it and a deeper connection to how you feel, not just how you smell.

Are our perfumes natural?

Yes. Our perfumes are made exclusively from natural ingredients and botanical extracts with the therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy. No added synthetics, no fillers, just high quality, plant-based materials blended with care. What you smell is nature in every bottle, not chemicals.

Can scent really affect my mood or energy?

Yes and almost instantly. Scent travels directly to the brain’s limbic system, the part responsible for emotion, memory, and mood regulation. Unlike words or visuals, scent bypasses logic and speaks straight to the body’s emotional core.

That’s why a single inhale can lift your energy, calm your nervous system, or help you feel more grounded and present.

Certain natural botanicals like bergamot for stress relief or Ylang Ylang for emotional balance, have been shown to influence heart rate, cortisol levels, and even brain wave activity. The right fragrance can instantly shift your energy, calm your mind, and enhance presence. It’s a small shift that creates meaningful change.

How do I get started with Intentional Scents?

Setting an intention is the act of choosing a focused, positive purpose for your day or moment. Start with how you want to feel. Each fragrance is described not just by smell, but by the mood it evokes and the energy it carries.

  1. Start with Philautia – The Self-Love Essence. Download the "Philautia mini ebook” (pdf) to explore how scent rituals can become a life-changing self-care practice.

  2. Simply, apply to your pulse points.

  3. Inhale mindfully. Affirm your purpose, for example: “I am grounded and radiant.”

    Feel into what you’re drawn to. Each scent is described by mood, energy, and emotional purpose. You’re not just choosing a perfume, you’re choosing a presence.

  4. Use it during journaling, meditation, or mirror work.

    Setting an intention means choosing how you want to feel and show up. When paired with scent, that choice becomes sensory, felt in your body, not just in your mind.

Why does perfume fade quickly on me but last longer on others?

Fragrance wear is deeply personal and natural perfumes behave differently than synthetics.

Your skin’s pH, hydration, and natural oils all affect how scent unfolds. Warmth, humidity, even the fabric you wear plays a role. On some people, natural ingredients are absorbed quickly like the skin drinking in aromatic molecules.

That doesn’t mean the scent has disappeared. It may have simply sunk into your body’s chemistry, where it’s working quietly rather than loudly. You might also notice that you stop smelling your perfume after a short time, even though others can still smell it. That’s not the perfume fading, it's your nose adapting. It’s called olfactory adaptation or scent saturation. Your brain filters out familiar smells to stay alert to new ones (like food… or danger). It’s a survival mechanism.

To extend longevity, try spraying perfume on hair, clothing, or a scarf, in places where scent clings longer than skin. Natural perfume is subtle by design; it speaks softly, stays close, and changes with you.

How do I make natural perfumes last longer?

Natural perfumes behave differently from synthetics and that’s part of their beauty.

Unlike lab-made molecules, natural ingredients are alive. They evolve on your skin, move with your body, and eventually fade as gently as they arrived. This isn’t a flaw, it's a feature of working with real botanical materials.

That said, you can help your natural perfume last longer by applying it to areas where scent holds best: hair, clothing, or fabric accessories like scarves. These surfaces don’t absorb oils the way skin does, so the fragrance lingers.

Also keep in mind: just because you stop noticing the scent doesn’t mean it’s gone. Your nose naturally adapts to familiar smells, a process called olfactory adaptation. Others around you may still be enjoying it long after you think it’s faded. For best results, use a cream or oil with the same scent as your perfume or at least a neutral, unscented base. This creates a smoother foundation and prevents clashing notes. Layering with the matching scent deepens the experience and helps it last longer without overpowering.

The truth is, no one fully understands why some natural perfumes linger and others don’t. Even the most experienced perfumers will admit it’s more art than formula.

And that’s the magic of it.

Is natural fragrance safe for sensitive skin?

Intentional Scents is formulated without synthetic additives or known irritants. The founder herself was previously allergic to commercial perfumes and created these products for sensitive users.

Natural fragrances are generally well-tolerated, especially when made with clean, plant-based ingredients. However, if you have sensitive skin, it’s important to remember that natural doesn’t always mean non-irritating.

Some essential oils, especially certain citrus oils, can cause irritation or photosensitivity, particularly when applied to sun-exposed skin. In rare cases, they may lead to brown discolouration or pigmentation over time if not properly diluted.

Natural oils to be cautious with if you have sensitive skin:

  • Bergamot (especially non–FCF versions)

  • Lemon

  • Lime

  • Grapefruit

  • Citronella

  • Tree Moss (Oakmoss)

  • Balsam of Peru

  • Pine

  • Clove

  • Cinnamon Bark

  • Cassia

  • Ylang Ylang (when undiluted)

  • Peppermint (can feel cooling but may irritate reactive skin)

If you have a history of sensitivity, we recommend patch testing first and avoiding direct sun exposure after applying perfumes with citrus oils. All Intentional Scents products are carefully diluted and formulated with skin safety in mind, but your personal skin type

Can perfume damage your skin?

Some can. Many mainstream perfumes contain synthetic chemicals that may not show immediate effects, but can impact your skin over time.

These compounds often used to boost longevity or scent throw can strip the skin’s natural protective barrier. Over time, this can make your skin more sensitive to sunlight, increase the risk of pigmentation, and accelerate signs of aging.

Synthetic perfumes may also interfere with how your skin breathes and repairs itself, especially with repeated use.

Do fragrances affect hormones?

Yes, some do. Many mainstream perfumes contain phthalates, a group of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) known to interfere with hormone function. Over time, repeated exposure may affect overall health.

Phthalates have been linked to:

  • Reproductive health issues (Phthalates & toxic chemicals)
     In men, phthalates may damage sperm DNA or fertility; in women, they may increase miscarriage risk and affect foetal development

  • Hormonal imbalances
    Studies link phthalates to thyroid disorders and early puberty.

A 2025 review called attention to the widespread presence of EDCs (including phthalates) in everyday products—and their role in impaired fertility and metabolic dysfunction (Read more: Phthalates). Another article from Health magazine warns that these chemicals, found in many fragrances, can impact reproductive, heart, and developmental health—especially in children and pregnant women.

These risks have been confirmed in recent reviews and are widely acknowledged by health experts and environmental safety organisations.

What is a natural perfume?

A natural perfume is crafted entirely from ingredients found in nature, free from synthetic chemicals, artificial fixatives, or lab-made fragrance compounds.

These perfumes are made using aromatic extracts such as essential oils, absolutes, tinctures, resins, concretes, and botanical infusions. Each of these materials is derived directly from plants, flowers, woods, spices, and sometimes animal-derived substances.

Natural perfumes typically fall into two categories:

  • Botanical perfumes – made exclusively from plant-based ingredients

  • Animal-derived natural perfumes – which may include traditional materials like civet, castoreum, or ambergris

While animal ingredients were historically used to enhance longevity and depth, their use today is controversial and largely unsustainable. As a result, many natural perfumers now focus on ethically sourced plant materials that honour both the skin and the planet.

It's important to note that natural perfumes may wear differently than commercial synthetics they evolve on the skin, soften over time, and offer a more personal, intimate scent experience. Their composition reflects the rhythms of nature, not the repetition of chemistry.

What are natural ingredients in perfume?

Natural ingredients in perfumery are aromatic substances. They have been used for thousands of years directly sourced from the earth, long before synthetic materials existed. The earliest recorded perfumers were the ancient Egyptians, who used resins, oils, and botanicals in rituals, medicine, and daily life.

Tapputi, a Mesopotamian woman from the 2nd millennium BCE, is considered the world’s first recorded perfumer. She distilled flowers, herbs, and resins using early alchemical techniques, blending scent with intention, long before modern chemistry arrived or lab-made compounds.

These ancient practices laid the foundation for what we now call natural perfumery: the art of working with pure, aromatic substances directly from the earth, timeless, intentional, and alive. Today, in botanical perfumes, these ingredients are carefully extracted from raw plant materials like flowers, leaves, seeds, woods, roots, resins, and citrus peels. They take the form of essential oils, absolutes, tinctures, concretes, infusions, and natural resins, each chosen for its unique scent profile and skin compatibility. 

Historically, some natural perfumes also included animal-derived materials such as ambergris, castoreum, or civet. These were prized for their depth and longevity but are considered non-vegan and are rarely used in modern natural perfumery due to ethical and sustainability concerns.

Is it bad to wear perfume every day?

Not if you're choosing the right kind.

Wearing perfume daily is safe when the fragrance is made from clean, natural ingredients that are gentle on your skin and free from harmful synthetics like phthalates, parabens, and artificial musks.

In fact, many botanical ingredients used in natural perfumery like bergamot, rose, and sandalwood, offer subtle aromatherapeutic benefits that support emotional balance, clarity, and calm.

That said, a few things are worth considering before making any scent part of your daily routine:

  • Choose perfumes made from natural, non-toxic ingredients

  • Avoid known allergens or sensitisers (e.g., oakmoss, non-FCF bergamot) if your skin is reactive

  • Always patch test before regular use, especially on sensitive areas

  • Check for photo-toxic oils like lemon or lime, which can cause sun sensitivity if applied to exposed skin

When thoughtfully formulated and used with care, natural perfumes can become part of a daily wellness ritual, something you wear not just for how it smells, but for how it makes you feel.

Do perfumes contain harmful chemicals?

Many mainstream perfumes do.

Commercial fragrances often contain synthetic chemicals like phthalates, acetaldehyde, styrene, synthetic musks, and pulegone compounds that have been linked to health concerns ranging from hormone disruption and allergic reactions to respiratory issues and environmental toxicity.

These ingredients don’t just affect your body, they can also impact animals and ecosystems when released into the air or water.

Because fragrance formulas are often protected as “trade secrets,” companies aren’t required to disclose all ingredients. That’s why it’s important to choose perfumes that are transparent, natural, and free from harmful substances.

Why are natural perfumes more expensive?

Natural perfumes cost more because they use real, high-quality ingredients, not cheap synthetics.

Extracting pure essential oils, absolutes, and resins from plants is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and yield-limited. For example:

  • It takes over 400–500 kg of fresh rose petals to produce just 180 ml of rose essential oil, harvested by hand at dawn to preserve their potency.

  • Agarwood oil (oud) is one of the rarest and most expensive raw materials in the world, often priced higher than gold by weight.

  • Even common natural oils like jasmine, sandalwood, and neroli can cost 10 to 100 times more than synthetic alternatives used in mass-market perfumes.

Beyond ingredients, natural perfumery is slow craft. Each batch is blended in small quantities, often aged to develop depth, and made without cheap stabilisers or fixatives.

When you choose a natural perfume, you’re investing in purity, integrity, and skin-safe formulations, not mass production or marketing hype. You're paying for real botanicals, real benefits, and the quiet luxury of something made with care.

What are the side effects of perfumes?

Many mainstream perfumes contain synthetic fragrance chemicals that can trigger a range of side effects especially in people with sensitivities or respiratory conditions.

Common reactions may include:

  • Headaches or migraines

  • Nausea or dizziness

  • Skin irritation, rashes, or hives

  • Breathing difficulties or asthma flare-ups

  • Eye, nose, or throat irritation

  • Sinus congestion

  • Brain fog or loss of coordination

These symptoms are often linked to ingredients like phthalates, synthetic musks, and formaldehyde-releasing compounds, all commonly found in commercial fragrances. Natural perfumes, when properly formulated and diluted are generally much gentler on the body. Still, everyone’s sensitivity is different, which is why patch testing is always recommended.  

Can natural perfumes cause allergies?

Nature can be potent. While our ingredients are pure, it’s wise to test a small area of skin before full application. Our formulations are pure and gentle, but nature can be potent. If you have sensitivities, we recommend doing a small patch test before full application.

Do you test on animals?

Never. We are proudly cruelty-free. Our products are formulated with care, respect, and responsibility always without animal testing.