Why we use home fragrances

Have you noticed how every home and space has its own unique scent? We all experience this, especially when visiting someone’s home. People’s homes have a scent that is a combination of their lifestyle, the home cleaning and maintenance products they use, even the foods that get cooked and of course the home fragrances they may use if any.

Fragrances and smells have a unique ability to uplift or calm our mood and even invoke memories and nostalgia. Urban living is often stressful, and we all seek a calm and healthy home environment. We use home fragrances in the form of air freshener sprays, sachets, diffusers, scented candles, incense sticks, resins, etc.

A brief breakdown of what goes into synthetic home fragrances

Since ancient times people across cultures have been using some form of home fragrance be it in the form of fresh or dried flowers, herbs and spices, incense, resins and essential oils, many of which purify the air, repel insects as well as calm our mood.

In today’s age, many of these natural forms of home fragrances have been replaced by synthetic fragrances delivered through aerosol sprays, scented sachets, beads, scented candles and diffusers. The reasons for these are manyfold, including price, mass availability, convenience as well as a longer-lasting fragrance to name a few.

However, almost all synthetic fragrance products are made from petroleum-based products. Products like benzene derivatives, phthalates, parabens, toluene and other synthetic volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to name a few are part of the chemical cocktail. In addition to being derived from non-renewable resources, many of these chemicals are harmful to health being carcinogens, allergens, respiratory irritants and endocrine disruptors. Not only are they harmful to our health but are also harmful to other animals and our environment. Additionally, manufacturers largely also do not share the complete list of the ingredients that go into their products, often citing vague and ambiguous descriptions.

Opting for natural home fragrances

In our opinion, opting for natural home fragrances is safer and healthier for not only people but also for our biological habitat and ecosystem.

Today natural home fragrances are available in the form of potpourri, essential oil diffusers, incense sticks, wax melts and candles made from beeswax or plant-based waxes and scented wax tablets like those made by Urban Creative. Sachets made from dried herbs, spices and flowers can be used in small spaces and wardrobes. Simmer pots with orange slices, cloves and other spices are another great way to fragrance your home for a festive occasion.

In addition to their natural fragrance, many essential oil, spices and herbs have therapeutic properties and are also anti-microbial and insect-repellent in nature.

While essential oils are also made up of naturally volatile organic compounds, they are largely safe for humans. However, like any natural product, there may be ingredients that can be allergic to some people and some can also be harmful to pets, so it is always cautious to test out products before use and know about ingredients.  

In the interest of safety and transparency at Urban Creative, we always mention our full list of ingredients in all our products, including all the essential oils we use in our scented wax tablets.

Natural Scented Wax Tablets

Scented wax tablets are an easy way to fragrance small spaces like wardrobes, closets and drawers. Natural scented wax tablets are also a great option for keeping pests away from the long-term storage of seasonal clothes like woolen. At Urban Creative we make our natural scented wax tablets with beeswax that has been locally and ethically extracted and a blend of pure locally sourced pure essential oils. As far as possible we use essential oils that are certified organic. We do not use any synthetic or semi-synthetic fragrance oils.

A note of caution on greenwashing

In the name of sustainability and environmental friendliness, the market today is flooded with products touting their natural properties and eco-friendliness. For example, a soy wax candle can be fragranced with synthetic fragrance oils and sold as all-natural. The mass-scale use of soy wax is also of concern as commercial soybean production is a major cause of deforestation in South America. Even in the case of essential oils, the source and origin of oils should be verified for their sustainability.

As consumers, we encourage you to make informed choices about products that impact not only your health but also the health of our environment. Always demand transparency in product ingredients.