A natural ingredient will be listed by its botanical name. For example, lavender oil might be listed as lavandula angustifolia and aloe might be listed as aloe barbadensis. Be careful though…if you see a natural ingredient listed without the botanical name, or with the word “fragrance” after it (examples would be “lavender” or “lavender fragrance”), you can assume it is not the real natural ingredient, it is a synthetic version of it.
Personally, I have always preferred natural aromas to synthetic fragrances. I used to work behind a makeup counter in a department store that was near the perfume counters. On busier days when the perfume “models” were out there "lightly spritzing" passers-by with whichever fragrance they were promoting, I often had to work the whole day with a stuffy nose and horrible headache that did not subside until I left the building.
Pregnancy made me even more sensitive to fragrances, and years later, that still hasn’t subsided. I have walked into rooms with women wearing heavy perfume, and had to immediately excuse myself. However, very few naturally-fragranced products seem to irritate me, and my favorites have the ability to transport me and trigger different memories even more than the synthetics.
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