Why We Don't Use Synthetic Fragrance (And What We Use Instead)

Walk down the cleaning aisle of any supermarket and you'll notice something: everything smells like a decision someone else made for you. Lavender fields. Ocean breeze. "Fresh linen." These scents are almost always synthetic — manufactured fragrance compounds designed to signal cleanliness rather than deliver it.

At Sage & Spritz, we don't use synthetic fragrance. Not because it's a marketing angle, but because we couldn't justify it once we understood what it actually means.

What "fragrance" actually means on a label

In Australia, the word "fragrance" or "parfum" on a product label is a legal catch-all. It can represent a single compound or a blend of hundreds. Manufacturers are not required to disclose the individual components of a fragrance mixture, because these formulas are considered proprietary.

The problem is that some of those undisclosed compounds are known sensitisers, allergens, or endocrine disruptors. The International Fragrance Association (IFRA) maintains a list of restricted and prohibited ingredients, but compliance is largely self-regulated within the industry.

For a product you're spraying on your kitchen bench, your child's highchair, or your linen — that's a level of opacity we weren't comfortable with.

What we use instead

Our Multi-Surface Cleaner is scented with a blend of sage essential oil and cold-pressed citrus. Our Glass & Mirror Cleaner uses cedarwood and white tea extract. Our Fabric & Linen Mist uses eucalyptus and peppermint.

Every ingredient is listed on the label and on this website. If you want to know what's in the bottle, you can find out in about 30 seconds.

Essential oils are not without nuance — some people are sensitive to specific botanicals, and we note this in our product descriptions. But the difference is that you can see exactly what's there and make an informed decision. That's the standard we hold ourselves to.

The broader point

We're not trying to tell you that every product using synthetic fragrance is dangerous. Most aren't. But in a category where transparency is the exception rather than the rule, we think the default should be: show your work.

That's what we're doing. Every bottle, every ingredient, every time.