The Womanly ‘Fragrance’ Mistake You Need to Know About

Women’s health is not a new topic yet it remains a controversial issue today. One of the most serious concerns about women’s health that is somehow overlooked by many people is the use of fragrances and perfumes. These fragrances seem harmless to most, yet they do grave damage to the system of women and the health of anyone for that matter.

PLANNING THE WOMEN AND HEALTH SERIES

Since this is our first campaign ever, with the focus on Women and Health, I was looking forward to attending. Armed with my photographer, I met and interviewed four brands at the Lone Design Club, namely Perfino U.K., ST Essentials, Filth Florist, and Kanava Clothing.

One thing I found very impressive with all these brands is how they have sustainability as their goal.

The interview started with Perfino. The interview lasted roughly 10-20 minutes long on average. Now, Perfino evolved from a deep respect for the planet, a passion for natural scents, and a trip to the fragrance markets of Cochin. I asked how they came to their business idea? Why do they think it is needed? What the health benefit is? Their production process and their focus on sustainability?

Now, you may want to watch the full interview on my Youtube channel to get a detailed discussion. But their responses blew me away. It is a no-brainer that we all want to smell great, but in a way that does right by the planet, helps sustain local artisans and farmers, and is clean and safe for us to use.

Knowing that a third of people are proven to be intolerant of fragrance, this population still continue to put a concoction of synthetic chemicals on our skin to smell good when we know that up to 60% of these can be absorbed into our bloodstream and we have no idea what harm it can do.

So Perfino skilled artisan jewelry designers came up with a design for a natural scent pendant made from 100% solid recycled silver. Inside the pendant sits a lava stone which comes from….lava! These stones are straight from mother earth and are designed, by her, to last forever!

 

What wowed me the most is how they have expertly, and exquisitely, blended pure essential oils to drop onto the stone so you can enjoy the scent all day long – creating your own personal wellbeing bubble. And the amazing thing is all their oils are ethically and sustainably sourced from farms, fields, and forests, by farmers that we know and want to support.

What I found most endearing to Perfino was;

• Quality – They support real craftspeople and believe that the expertise and love they bring to their craft produces exquisite pieces which are of the best quality, well made, and designed to last. Their jewelry is of the highest quality in design and production, using only recycled silver and gold vermeil. All their natural essential oils and blends are top grade with full traceability, and are farmed and produced by real people who we know are treated fairly.

• Transparency – They aim for full transparency and the disclosure of all ingredients in their essential oil blends, as well as the journey/provenance of all component parts of the Perfino set.
• Sustainability – They are a purpose-driven brand aiming to make a positive difference in the world in the product we sell and how we run our business. Their goal is that all packaging is fully compostable and/or recyclable. They are almost there but this remains under constant review as technologies evolve and provide even better alternatives to traditional recycling methods. But their fully compostable mini scent cards are pioneering in this respect.

Overall, Perfino is a great budding company with a product that is unmatched.

Going forward, I also took some photos and videos of Organic Cup ( the owner of this brand was not at the venue at the time I interviewed,  but I was drawn to their product and its health benefits for women. It’s researched that the products we use during our cycles eg pads, tampons have significant health repercussions. Therefore, moving away from these methods to using cups could help and enhance our health.

I am still interested in partnering with them at a later stage. However, I planned to interview a lady who set up Noira Wellness which is a business helping to educate and raise awareness of the issues African and Caribbean women suffer from with fibroids/ endometriosis. I want to use my platform to advocate for the local GPs, local authorities, and central government to do more for women in this area. I suffered from this health issue recently and had to undergo major surgery in May, of which, I am still recovering. So, it’s personal as well for me. Hence, I’m keen on Organic Cup, as pads and tampons have been said to contribute to these health issues and others causing infertility and in worst cases death to women.

With all the plans we have for the Women and Health Series, I urge you to join in on the discussion below with questions and comments – also, keep a date with us as we talk more about the other brand that was present and the purpose.

Until then…

xoxo

Carina.