This post will explain why you should care avoiding synthetic fragrance and point you to some naturally scented brands that are not trying to sneak things by you. I will also reveal one “clean” brand that works hard to convince consumers their products are naturally scented.
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Does Mrs. Meyer’s Use Natural Fragrance?
No, they do not, but they want you to think they are. Mrs. Meyer’s latest hand soaps showcase “made with essential oils,” which is marketing speak for “we mixed in a bit of essential oils with our synthetic fragrance.”
If a brand truly uses natural scents, the label will almost always say “made with 100% essential oils” or “no synthetic fragrances.” If you don’t see this, most of the time it means they’re also using artificial fragrance.
O.k. so why am I picking on Mrs. Meyer’s? It’s not the worst brand or even a bad brand, but it’s a brand that I consider to be sneaky. They try hard to appear natural and eco-friendly to the point that they intentionally mislead customers.
Recently, I was shopping for some fall scented hand soap on Amazon, because we had our first cool evening here in Tennessee (yay!) If I didn’t know the label tricks and that Mrs. Meyer’s products historically contain artificial fragrances, I would have purchased the soap thinking I was getting a naturally scented soap.
On top of the misleading label, the product did not have the ingredient list anywhere on the label. This is the case with many of their products. That’s next level sneaky IMHO.
Mrs, Meyer’s products are often sold on “clean” sites like Vitacost and Grove Collaborative. As I stated in the opening, Mrs. Meyer’s is working hard to appeal to the thoughtful consumer, but it doesn’t feel authentic.
What’s so Bad About Synthetic Fragrances?
According to Environmental Working Group (EWG) the term “fragrance” or “parfum” can include roughly 3,500 chemicals, so you literally have no idea what is in the product you are using on your body or around your home.
Synthetic fragrance can include benzene derivatives (a known carcinogen), toluene, aldehydes and other known toxins that are linked to allergies, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and even cancer.
Many of these ingredients are endocrine disruptors, which are compounds that affect hormonal health that can trigger weight gain and/or set you up for health issues later in life.
You may be thinking what’s a little hand soap going to hurt? Honestly, probably not much, BUT what about hand soap, shampoo, hair gel, hair spray, body lotion, perfume, laundry detergent, fabric softener, dish washing liquid, candles … you get the picture.
If we don’t pay attention, we are literally bathing in and breathing in artificial fragrances all. day. long. and then consider this goes on year after year, and it is absolutely reasonable to see how synthetic fragrances can alter our hormones.
Let’s get back to Mrs. Meyer’s products.
Are there Toxic Ingredients in Mrs. Meyer’s Products?
The Mrs. Meyer’s website states: “Our products never contain ammonia, chlorine, parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, artificial colorants, phosphates or petroleum distillates.”
While the company is avoiding some dangerous ingredients, many of their products fall a bit short. The only 3rd party certification they utilize is Leaping Bunny, which means their products are vegan and never tested on animals.
Most Mrs. Meyer’s hand soaps earn a 4-5 on the EWG’s Skin Deep database (this is average on a scale of 1-10). Their cleaning products like dish soap, laundry detergent, etc. range from B-D with even one F within EWG’s Guide to Healthy Cleaning database.
I did notice that many of the products available in the EWG database were quite a few years old. I’m curious how much formulas have changed in recent years. Let’s dive into a few of their recent popular products.
Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Multi-Surface Cleaner Concentrate and Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day Multi-surface spray both contain synthetic fragrance, PEG-5 cocoate and methylisothiazolinone. PEG 5 cocoate and methylisothiazolinone are both rated D by the EWG.
These ingredients aren’t alarming, but you can easily find cleaner products.
Which Brands Don’t Use Synthetic Fragrance?
Synthetic Fragrances are a big no for me, because they instantly give me a headache. Because of this, I have a running list of clean brands that I trust not to use artificial fragrance. Formulas change often though so always check your labels.
Here are a few clean, naturally scented brands broken down by category.
Which Hand Soaps Are Naturally Scented?
My go-to hand naturally scented hand soaps are.
While these are available online, my favorite places to snag these at a great price are TJ Maxx and Marshalls. Dr. Bronner’s has small sizes available, but the large sizes will save you some money.
Which Laundry Detergents are Naturally Scented?
In addition to being naturally scented, these have an A rating by the EWG. I’m a huge Molly’s Suds fan and have used it for years. I have not tried Attitude just yet, but the mountain fresh scent has me intrigued.
Which Dishwashing Liquids are Naturally Scented?
Which Dishwasher Powders/Pods are Naturally Scented?
Seventh Generation has a reputation for greenwashing, but their dishwasher detergent has carried an A rating for at least 7-8 years now, and it works much better than many brands I’ve tried. It’s also widely available at local grocery stores as many are not.
This particular one is free and clear, so, of course, it’s synthetic fragrance free.
Final Thoughts
I hope this post helps you identify some household products that are synthetic fragrance free if that is your goal. Giving up fragrance eliminated my occasional headaches that I thought were a normal part of life. If you get frequent headaches, I urge you to try eliminating artificial fragrance and see how you feel.
Sometimes the down the road benefits are harder to latch on to, but immediate headache relief is powerful! If you are a die-hard Mrs. Meyer’s fan, at least now you know the limitations of the brand and have some things to consider.
