Wit + West (botanical natural scents from Colorado)
Wit & West is an example of a truly trustworthy scent company, that does not use any synthetic parfum. Most perfumes sold use parfum, and this proves that it’s unnecessary. Based out of Denver (Colorado), this is a husband-and-wife owned brand that specialises in small-batch botanical fragrances.
Never spray scent near babies or pets (air rooms before letting them back in rooms). Avoid scent at night, if pets sleep on your bed. Same for incense, cocoa solid scents (in case they lick your skin – same with beauty creams and sun creams/cosmetics/deodorants with zinc oxide).
The Cologne Collection features citrus and crisp florals like Streetcar Magnolia (southern florals and crisp greenery), Yuzu Pop (jasmine, orange and clove), and Fleur du Riad (floral citrus scent inspired by Moroccan gardens).
The Signature Collection features Rosa de Bolero (bold saffron and pink pepper), Brumaire Woods (a deep mossy woody scent), Gavitella (a coastal scent), Summite Rose (rose scent inspired by Colorado’s mountain peaks) and Jasmine (deep and earthy).
Why choose sustainable vegan scents?
Most of the big brand scents are made with fake fragrance and sometimes animal or endangered ingredients. And massively over-priced to pay for over-packaging and celebrity endorsements.
Ingredients to avoid in perfume & cologne
Parfum (this masks all kinds of nasties)
- Civet is from the glands of an Asian wild cat
- Castoreum (also used in ‘fake vanilla’) is from beavers
- Castoreum is from beavers
- Musk is from a tiny Siberian deer
- Hyraceum is from an African guinea pig
- Ambergris is from ‘whale poop’
- Rosewood oil (from a critically endangered tree)
- Ensure sandalwood and frankincense are sustainably-harvested
- Ensure eucalyptus avoids chainsaw harvesting to protect koalas ((monocultures can cause wildfires for these flammable trees).
How to safely dispose of old scents
Don’t pour old perfumes down drains, as alcohol/oils can harm wildlife. Use them up and recycle empty bottles (take full/half-full bottles to household recycling, as hazardous waste).
