Have you ever wanted to be a “babe in a bottle?” No? Me neither. The fragrance industry would love us to join in on the big scented party. Modern fragrances can be famously toxic and bad for our bodies, and yet people have been dosing themselves since the ancient woman figured out how to distill essence of lavender. Why? Because fragrance equals sex to our bodies. And the reason may go back to pheromones.

It’s science, fellow sniffers! You know that feeling when a member of your preferred gender nears who makes your stomach turn over and your knees buckle a bit? (Does Ryan Gosling help ring a bell?)  It’s all about chemistry and the scientific explanation behind it. Pheromones, strictly defined, are a chemical secretion that triggers a social response in a member of the same species. I know, when you put it that way, romance sounds about as appealing as ride in a Hummer with Karl Rove.

Further, there are all different kinds of pheromones, as some help us find food or deal with danger. It is the sex pheromones that are designed to let the world know when females and males want to get breeding. And pretty much every being on earth uses them, from microscopic organisms to insects to sea life to us.

And according to experts, pheromones are what really get things cooking on our ends. James V. Kohl is the author of The Mind’s Eyes: Human Pheromones, Neuroscience, and Male Sexual Preferences. As he told SeXis Magazine via Alternet, pheromones are enough to spark an interest in another person. According to Kohl, “Most actions are based on unconscious effects, animal behavior, where something causes a hormone to change without thought, when we start to think about it we have the option of behaving like an animal or thinking it through.” So as Kohl points out, they get us moving but don’t seal the deal. So we’re not all slaves to our chemical signals.

But that doesn’t mean pheromones aren’t powerful. Via Blisstree, the brain contains a special place to conduct pheromones called Nerve Zero. Since pheromones are not believed to smell in a traditional sense, it is Nerve Zero that is thought to process these chemicals and get things moving in our libido. Therefore, pheromones may help us choose mates and can affect fertility, puberty and more.

Some experts believe males release them through sweat glands or females during ovulation. But can you bottle them? There is a huge industry of pheromone sprays and perfume that claims you can, though experts remain divided on if they actually work. Botanical experts point to some natural substances that can help sex drive. Cinnamon might increase blood flood throughout the body (always a good thing) while pumpkin seeds, high in zinc, may increase sex drive.

But, in the end, do pheromones make us more attractive to our preferred gender? It’s very likely they do – just be sure, next time, to check in with your subconscious sex.

Image: pedrosimoes7

Do you sprint through department stores? I do, and it’s always through the makeup section. I have bad allergies and walking through rows and rows of fragrances is akin to demons waving perfumed-drenched pitchforks at me. Fragrance means an instant headache, sniffling nose, and a possible asthma attack. To me, perfume is utterly toxic. To everyone else? Yeah, actually it looks like it is toxic as well.

At the start of the movement for safe cosmetics, way back in 2002 when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, a report called “Not Too Pretty” discussed the dangers of perfume. A full page ad ran in the New York Times with the release of this report, featuring a pregnant woman sniffing what looked like the perfume brand, Poison. The ad ran, “For baby, it could really be poison.” The report found that 72% of tested beauty products contained phthalates, a chemical linked to birth defects and hormone disruption. And Poison contained the highest levels of the chemical.

This report launched the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which is responsible for much of the safer products on the market today. But a recent analysis by the Campaign shows that top-selling fragrances still contain at least 12 ingredients not listed on labels. What’s more, these “chemicals that can trigger allergic reactions or disrupt hormones. Hormone-disrupting chemicals are linked to a range of health effects including sperm damage, thyroid disruption and cancer.” Fragrance receives one of the highest hazard ratings from the Skin Deep database.

Second-hand fragrance is also a concern. Anne Steinemann is a professor of civil and environmental engineering and professor of public affairs at the University of Washington. According to Dr. Steinemann, “One person using a fragranced product can cause health problems for many others.” Some of the health hazards associated with second-hand fragrance are asthma, headaches, and even contact dermatitis.

So do we protest by throwing our perfumes into the sea like some kind of Boston Tea Party? (Heck no, because it is way too toxic for the fish!) We found at least one healthier option on the scented market. A Perfume Organic offers up fragrances with more certifications than a Star Trek neurosurgeon (aka TONS).  This brand is certified USDA Organic, Oregon Tilth, cruelty-free and vegan – it even gets Greenpeace’s approval.

The line was founded by Amanda Walker, a vegan, organic, local, and raw food advocate. After a career in the perfume industry, she decided to create a healthier option for those seeking scent. Her perfumes contain certified organic botanicals and are hand-poured locally in Manhattan in small batches to maintain purity.

A Perfume Organic offers four scents, each for $65: Green, Urban Organic, Perfumed Wine-Rose and White Magik. Green is rose with hint of chamomile; Urban Organic is lemon with ginger and grapefruit; White Magik has white flowers with spearmint; and Perfumed Wine-Rose is berry, crisp apple and peppers. I have to be honest – with my history of fragrance headaches, I approached these perfumes as one might approach a root canal. You know you gotta do it, but you just want it to be over with. Commence crushing headache, right?

Cue the ringing of church bells and throwing of confetti! Nary a headache did I have with these scents. They smelled fresh and botanical. If you want to smell like fruit, you smell like fruit. If you want a hint of floral, it’s there. My favorite was White Magik for its sage and spearmint “aftersmell.”

And just what are they made of? Amanda supplied me with a detailed list of what goes into her perfumes. Her scents contain pure ingredients like lavender, bitter organic, spearmint, white pepper, lemon, and more. As she told me, “I never use any solvent extracted ingredients. This is very important as solvent extraction use petrochemicals and phthalates (such as absolutes and concretes). Also, I’m very careful to never use any endangered ingredients – my sandalwood is from Australia.”

Best of all? You can actually wear her scents without smelling like a broken perfume factory just rampaged by 1000 cats. You can find them at Futurenatural.

FTC Compliance

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons

Sometimes my daughter Syd’s drawers smell a bit gamey, like her soccer uniform after a match of  living up to her title as “the finisher”. She’s a darling girl, don’t get me wrong. But she has a frightful habit of  tossing items into her drawers to avoid that exhausting chore of putting them in the hamper. Enter drawer sachets. They give off that happy floral odor that can even compete with dirty socks.

Here are a few nicely packed bundles gathered from from the natural garden.

Show at top, and pretty enough to give as a hostess gift, this lime green natural linen drawer pillow was crafted by graphic designer Lotta Hellberg using safe dyes and aromatic potpourri. $22 for a set of two at Eco Artware.

Lavender is always a draw. Just ask the bees. These Sonoma Lavender sachets from Body and Home are $18 and are wonderful for lingerie drawers.

These Eco Seashell bags from Little Things Favors are not just for the bridal party. They’re Florida Coast fresh and add a delicate scent to the closet. $350 each. And for bringing in the great outdoors (and deterring the moths at the same time) the Natural Wild Herbal sachets at Eco Day Spa are $7.99 and tres outdoorsy.

Who would have ever imagined the day when Clorox, makers of the ubiquitous chlorine bleach, would come out with a line of eco-friendly cleansers? 

But here they are, 7 Green Works natural products such as bathroom cleanser, dishwashing liquid, and glass  & surface cleaner. Fragrance comes from essential oils, there is no phosphorus or bleach, and cleaning agents are coconut based.
Green Works has been endorsed by both the The Sierra Club and the Design for the Environment Program. It will be very interesting to see over time if Clorox is merely testing the marketing waters or committed to cleaning them.

For richer or poorer, we make promises on the fragrant vow of a bohemian wedding. A spritz of bliss, a splash of devotion as you wade through the musky fog of a purple haze. Spring back flower child, as you transform chameleon-like to a foxy lady. Or perhaps play a little hoochie coochie during this summer of love. Experience one of these many personas presented by Rich Hippie wildcrafted perfumes.

Aptly named, Rich Hippie creator Nannette Pallrand stays true to the lifestyle of her California home base. Made using traditional methods employed by perfumers before World War II and the advent of the petro-chemical industry (read 100% natural), she answers the call of the Left Coasters who demand a pure alternative to laboratory-concocted scents. By combining extracts from organically-farmed flowers and plants with organic alcohol made from grapes grown in the great wine regions of California, these fragrances are truly natural and create a dynamic reaction on the skin to uplift the senses.

Rich Hippie’s dedication to purity has made it popular with all kinds of women all over the world (not just our granola sisters). The perfumes have been featured in Elle, British Vogue, Organic Style, Body & Soul, and many other publications. Nanette has crafted a uniquely in-demand product and there’s nothing quite like the sweet (or earthy Sumatran patchouli) smell of success.

Even though they are invisible, scents have a powerful impact on your mood, and, sometimes, candles just aren’t potent enough on their own. Any green shopper knows that most air fresheners are harmful to your health and the environment. And, while boiling cinnamon or cloves gives off a pleasant fragrance, who has time for that every day?

Get in touch with your former hippie self instead. With the Lotus incense burner, hand-carved by artisans in Vietnam, the solution is as simple as lighting a match. Featured at Ten Thousand Villages, recently voted one of the most ethical companies by The Ethisphere Institute and Forbes Magazine, you can support fair trade compensation practices by choosing this decorative and functional piece. Just pick a scent and bask in the serene glory of aromatherapy. (Available at Ten Thousand Villages for $20.)

When it comes to treating myself well, let’s just say it’s taken time, but I now consider myself an expert in the art of self-care. My focus covers the insides and outsides; spirit and body; brain and brawn. I take time to read, practice yoga, run, laugh, love, take naps, get manicures, share with friends, go to therapy. All in the spirit of living life now rather than waiting for”¦something to justify being nice to myself.

One of my self-care tactics is using sweet-smelling, good-feeling lotions, oils and perfumes. But the greening of my habits and lifestyle has brought with it an adjustment or two in this department. Most of my products, no matter how "good" or "expensive", had to be banished from my bathroom. Chemicals, preservatives, petroleum”¦I could go on.

So I’ve been playing the field, waiting for the skin care line that has what it takes to steal my eco- and product-loving heart. Voila! The French have done it again. Patyka products are certified organic – the company grows and extracts its own organic materials using only sources committed to Fair Trade practices.

Patyka represents what we at Ecosalon truly believe – luxury, style, eco-friendliness and social responsibility are not exclusives. All of Patyka’s face care products are free of harsh chemicals and synthetic ingredients. They offer a "Classic" line for the younger crowd and the "Biokaliftin┞¢" line that targets the signs of aging that some of us know and wish we didn’t.

Patyka’s body care line is my favorite, especially the Body Oil ($37). I love the simple glass bottles – perfect in the bathroom on a little tray mirror. So very French, so very chic. Only the "cleanest, rarest, most sophisticated organic plant extracts" are used. Ingredients are listed in full with detailed descriptions of each product and its purpose. See the Patyka website for products and prices. Free shipping on orders over $100.

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We all know Method as one of the originators of eco-friendly cool. The masterminds behind this company turned the consumer packaged goods industry on its head when they came up with the idea to develop a line of cleaning products that were both green and stylish enough to openly display in the home. I’m guessing most of us have at least one Method cleaning product we swear by, but I’m not sure how many of us are aware of their body line. I’ve been using the lotion and shaving cream for a while now, so I was excited when I read that the team was giving their body line a little makeover.

The current collection offers moisturizing body wash, a body bar, and hand wash and introduces updated packaging (made from recyclable #2 HDPE plastic) featuring a sophisticated, quilted pattern. Fresh new scents include olive leaf, almond flower, and white tea.  Like other Method products, this line is made almost entirely of natural ingredients. Their body care contains no parabens, triclosan, or other dangerous additives and are never tested on animals. After giving the collection a test drive, we found that the body wash is particularly notable – rich and luxurious with a wonderful lather, leaving the skin nice and moisturized. Go on, lather up!

The line is available nationwide at Target stores.

Sara’s shameless plug: Hi, it’s your editor. De-lurk, dear reader, and leave this fabulous writer a comment. (We love chatting.) You can also share this post with friends – just click your favorite social bookmark listed below. New reader? Be sure to sign up for the weekly newsletter to win free eco goodies! You can also subscribe to any RSS feed your heart desires.

I’ve never been the kind of woman who commits to one scent. When faced with the endless rows of fragrances in my local beauty store, I find myself waffling between musky and floral, flirty and feminine. My scent has to match my mood, so my perfume collection reflects the range of emotions that encompass my personality each day. I’m always looking for brave new brands that challenge the status quo, which is why I was so excited when I found Tsi-La Natural Perfumes.

Tsi-La was started by model Annie Morton and her friend, Natalie Szapowalo, as a luxurious line of organically fresh and naturally decadent products. All Tsi-La products are made in artisan-sized batches from the world’s finest distilled essential oils and plant botanicals. Tsi-La uses certified organic alcohol and 100% pure plant essences. These perfumes come in six scents, perfect for matching any mood (fiori d’ arancio, ilang ilang, saqui, kesu, fleur sauvage, and kizes). $85 on Green with Glamour.

I revealed to you my unusual love of laundry in Stay on the Line, and my musings on our general obsession with whitening. Would you believe I’m back to talk more about laundry?

I’ll get right to the point, lest I start waxing poetic about things like organic towels and green machines.

We’ve all been there – the usual morning rituals completed with ease and efficiency, teeth flossed and lips lined – when we lift the comb to our locks for one last brush-through. Oh, the horrible sound of it! Of hair “clicking” and desperately sticking to the comb. It’s the sound of static cling! Thank you, laundered shirt, for giving me a bad hair day to look forward to.

Static cling drives most of us to dryer sheets, which are rarely eco-friendly (or even good for you). So I was quite inspired when I saw these homemade natural dryer sheets on Etsy. Made with fresh dried lavender and flax, one sachet can be used for up to six months of laundry. Etsy has been sold out for months, and although I am by no means a seamstress, they look fairly easy to make.

If I can do this, anyone can. So find the bag of old clothes you’ve been planning to drop at the Salvation Army for weeks, choose something cotton and durable and cut it into 8″ squares. The end product will be approximately 6″ x 6″ once you’ve sewn three sides, stuffed them with herbs and flax, sewn it shut and trimmed.

After six months of use, put the sachet in your lingerie drawer or mix and match a few in a small basket on a shelf in your bathroom. They will continue to leave a sweet smelling scent – and look pretty as well – for months to come.