Earthier Smells

Intro – Using a truly natural product can be a strange transition for some, because we are so used to ‘normal’ or conventional (chemical ridden) products – how they feel, smell, taste (if applicable), and work.  Throughout this series, I’m sharing my experiences with some of the products that were the most noticeably different for me when I first made the switch to truly natural products, and how the results are stacking up against their conventional counterparts.

In this installment of my little series on ‘transitioning to natural products,’ let’s talk about smells…

When I first switched to using truly natural personal care products, I was instantly aware of the different smell.  When I had switched 5 years prior to semi-natural products from conventional drug store stuff (which are basically all synthetic chemicals and which I’d been using all my life up until that point in time), I didn’t really notice much of a difference.  Perhaps the smell was a little less intense than the artificially fragrant drug store products, but it was still a familiar sort of smell.  (Side note – although that particular semi-natural line did not use artificial fragrances, I later learned that there were quite a few other questionable synthetic chemicals in the formulations, as is the case with most ‘natural’ and even many ‘organic’ products out there).

Then I started using Miessence’s certified organic personal care products (click here for a great little video overview).  At first I thought, “Oh, that smells… different.  Hmm, not bad, just… really different.  Hmm….”  And then I tried the Probiotic Skin Brightener, and I thought, “Pee-eew!  That stinks to high heaven, like vinegar!”  I hadn’t learned much at all at that point about the amazing benefits of fermentation.  All I knew was the product stunk like vinegar.  BUT!  Boy, did it work well!

Here’s the description of the product from the Miessence website:  “Probiotic bacteria ferment organic whole grains and legumes to release nutrients and create a naturally occuring, extremely mild, lactic liquid which is known to restore and protect the skin’s acid mantle, lighten and brighten the complexion, improve photodamaged skin, exfoliate dead skin cells for a smoother, less-wrinkled appearance, help break down impurities, whilst bringing moisture, clarity and vitality to the skin.”

I had a similar, though less pronounced, experience with the Ambrosia Essence Skin Perfector.  It smells, ummm, woody maybe?  I’m honestly still not sure how to describe it.  Although my reaction wasn’t as emphatic as it was with the skin brightener, I definitely didn’t care for the smell at first.  But again, I found it worked really well.  And now I truly enjoy the smell – it has really grown on me.  Because it has such valuable oils and is pricier, I use it very sparingly around the eyes and occasionally, as a treat around the whole face (using the rejuvenessence serum around the whole face more regularly).

I can’t speak for every brand of truly organic products out there on the market with regard to smells, but in the end, here’s what I have discovered about the smells of all the Miessence certified organic products in general:

Each product smells as unique and lovely as its particular ingredients, and the smells don’t linger at all.  With the exception of the botanical perfumes, whose scents are supposed to linger, you can really only smell the products when applying them, and then the smells quickly dissipate.  The results, both in terms of product efficacy and improving your health by ditching all the synthetic chemicals, are well worth the effort of getting used to the ‘different,’ non-chemical, earthier smells.  And honestly, now I love the smell of all the products – including the most unusual two, the probiotic skin brightener and the ambrosia essence skin perfector.