Byredo Perfumes | Parabens? Phthalates? PFAS?

Byredo Parabens, PFAS
Do Byredo perfumes contain parabens? phthalates? PFAS? We take an in-depth look.

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Background on Byredo Perfumes

Byredo is a Swedish luxury fragrance brand founded in 2006 by Ben Gorham. The brand’s name “Byredo” is inspired by the old English word “redolence”, which means a pleasant scent. Gorham, who was born to an Indian mother and Canadian father, initially pursued a career in fine arts before transitioning to fragrance.The story behind Byredo’s inception is deeply personal. Gorham was inspired to create the brand after the loss of his father, which led him on a quest to explore the power of scent in evoking emotions and memories. Drawing on his multicultural background and his passion for design, Gorham embarked on a journey to create fragrances that were innovative, artistic, and thought-provoking.

Byredo’s products include perfumes, candles, skincare, and home fragrances.

Byredo gained recognition for its unconventional fragrance compositions and minimalist aesthetic. The brand’s fragrances often feature unexpected combinations of notes, evoking diverse sensory experiences.

Byredo is not sold in Sephora, but can be found at many high-end retailers like Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Saks 5th Avenue. 

Most Byredo perfume comes in the same signature bottle and design, and cost over $200.

In terms of ownership, Byredo has experienced a change of ownership since its founding. In 2013, luxury goods conglomerate Manzanita Capital, which also owns brands like Diptyque and Space NK, acquired a majority stake in Byredo. The acquisition allowed Byredo to expand its reach globally.

Then in May 2022, Byredo was acquired by Puig, a Spanish fashion and perfume company. Puig owns fashion labels Jean Paul Gaultier and Paco Rabanne as well as British makeup brand Charlotte Tilbury. Even with Puig buying the majority stake of Byredo, it was announced that UK-based investment fund Manzanita Capital would stay on as investors and founder Gorham would continue to steer creative direction.

Byredo _ Parabens, PFAS

Most Popular Byredo Perfumes

Here is a list of the most popular Byredo perfumes:

  1. Bal d’Afrique
  2. Bibliothèque
  3. Blanche
  4. Gypsy Water
  5. Mojave Ghost
  6. Rose of No Man’s Land
  7. Sundazed
  8. Pulp
  9. La Tulipe
  10. Mixed Emotions
  11. Velvet Haze
  12. Black Saffron
 
Byredo doesn’t share which scent is the best seller, but if we had to guess, the top two most popular Byredo perfumes are Gypsy Water & Bal d’Afrique. (Gypsy Water has the most number of reviews on the Nordstrom site)
 
Byredo _ Parabens, PFAS
Byredo _ Parabens, PFAS

Do Byredo Perfumes have Parabens?

Byredo is not transparent about what ingredient are in their perfumes. 

Without a statement from a brand stating that their products are paraben-free, you have to assume they are not paraben-free.

This is the case with Byredo – we have to assume all Byredo perfumes do contain parabens. 

Do Byredo Perfumes have Phthalates?

Yes, we have to assume Byredo perfumes contain phthalates (since they are not transparent about the ingredients they use).

Do Byredo Perfumes have PFAS?

Yes, we have to assume Byredo perfumes contain PFAS, since they have not made any claims otherwise. 

Change on the Horizon?

We read through Puig’s financial and non-financial reports to learn more about future plans when it comes to perfume ingredients. 

In the 2021 non-financial report, it states that one of the “Comprehensive Management of Our Strategic Pillars” is “Product Stewardship”. One of the sub-sections includes “Ensuring that our products are not harmful to people’s health or the environment”.

When expanded, it elaborates that has a “Clean Puig” plan for fragrances and personal use, which includes a reformulation plan by 2025. Below are screenshots from the non-financial report.

Unfortunately, there are no additional details as to what ingredients will be eliminated in the reformulation plan, or what the reformulation plan consists of. However, we are hopeful that this will be a step in the right direction and we are excited to learn more!

Byredo Ingredient transparency
Byredo Ingredient transparency

So what can you do? Consumers hold real power to incite change in brands. Your voice and dollar is powerful.

  1. Refrain from buying Byredo perfumes. There are tons of other great perfumes on the market that don’t use concerning ingredients. (You can even get Target’s “clean” dupe of Byredo’s Sundazed – More on that here!).
  2. Reach out to Byredo  and/or parent-company, Puig. Write to them. Tweet them. Tell Byredo (and Puig) you want perfumes with transparent ingredients. Tell Byredo you want perfumes without phthalates/parabens/PFAS, etc. 

Bottom-Line: We don't recommend Byredo perfumes

We don’t recommend Byredo perfumes. Byredo is not transparent about what ingredients they use in their perfumes. Therefore, we have to assume Byredo perfumes contain ingredients containing parabens, phthalates and PFAS. These ingredients have concerning health implications (more on that here). 

There are tons of perfumes on the market that don’t contain concerning ingredients – and these are the perfumes we use and recommend. 

As consumers are becoming aware of the concerning ingredients in perfumes, many consumers are actively searching out better, safer perfumes. This is more than a passing trend. This is where the perfume industry is headed. Here at scentmovement, we’re here to promote this movement – browse around our site if you’re looking for perfume recommendations, reviews or dupes!

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