Our Standards

"Fragrance-free" describes the absence of a category — odor — not the absence of a hazard. The hazards in conventional perfume are specific compounds: phthalate plasticizers, synthetic musks that bioaccumulate, and undisclosed aromachemicals hidden behind the word parfum. We exclude those compounds individually and disclose every ingredient on the INCI. The result smells like the natural materials it is made from. "Fragrance-free" would only be accurate if we made an unscented product; we do not.

Both are issued by Ecocert under the COSMOS standard. Cosmos Natural certifies that 100% of the formulation is of natural origin and that the manufacturing process meets the standard's criteria for green chemistry, packaging, and traceability. Cosmos Organic adds a minimum threshold of certified-organic ingredients — typically 95% of plant materials must be organic. Our Cosmos Natural certification covers the full catalog. A subset of our products additionally qualify under Cosmos Organic and carry that mark separately. The standard itself is published by Cosmos-Standard AISBL; you can read the full text on their site.

IFRA is a trade association of fragrance manufacturers, not a third-party regulator. Its standards govern allowed concentrations of specific aromachemicals and are mandatory inputs for any responsible perfumer — we follow them. But IFRA itself does not issue a consumer-facing certification, and self-declaring "IFRA-compliant" carries no audit. Our regulatory compliance is verified through Cosmos (Ecocert), Vegan Society, and EU Cosmetic Regulation 1223/2009 — bodies that perform site audits and document review.

The EU prohibits or restricts roughly 1,400 cosmetic ingredients under Regulation 1223/2009. Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist restricts roughly 600. The US FDA bans approximately 11. We formulate to the EU standard because it is the most restrictive of the three and it is the framework our regulators in France enforce. Every Aimée product sold in Canada and the US is identical to what we ship in France — same INCI, same standard.

Correct. Natural origin is necessary but not sufficient. Concentrated essential oils contain potent compounds — pulegone in pennyroyal, thujone in sage, methyl salicylate in wintergreen — that are genuinely dangerous in the wrong context. This is why our life-stage classifications exist: a fragrance can be 100% natural origin and still be inappropriate for the first trimester or while nursing. Each formulation is reviewed against the aromatherapy literature on contraindicated oils for that specific season before it qualifies.

This standard is reviewed every six months and whenever ECHA, Health Canada, or the EU updates a regulation we cite. The date stamp at the top of the page reflects the most recent review. Material changes — a newly added watch-list compound, a reclassified product, a renewed certification — are logged in our journal under the "standards" tag.

Yes. We maintain current Ecocert audit reports, Vegan Society registration certificates, batch-level safety dossiers (Product Information Files under EU 1223/2009), and SDS sheets for every formulation. Email [email protected] with your request and the products in scope. Routine requests are answered within five business days.