These Perfumes Use Philippine Ingredients!
Which ones do you have in your scent collection?
Growing up, we were all taught how the Philippines is one of the richest countries in terms of natural resources. In fact, the Convention of Biological Diversity recognizes the country as one of 18 mega-biodiverse countries in the world with about 5% of the world’s flora!
That said, it’s unsurprising that there is a wealth of natural ingredients for fragrances (and other cosmetics) right in our local markets. Though production of these colognes and perfumes are mostly abroad, the Philippines is a great source of supply for the most common scents the world’s most popular brands use. Browse this list for ingredients that you may not have realized are right on your neighborhood grocery shelf!
Local Perfume Ingredients
Local Perfume Ingredients
Acacia
The Fleur de Portofino Acqua by Tom Ford uses the scent of white acacia flowers as one of the middle notes in this crisp and bright floral blend.
Acacia
Did you know that only a little over 900 bottles of the Fol Arôme by Guerlain exist worldwide today? This “lost scent” was released in 1912 and re-released in 2020, featuring acacia as one if its base notes.
Bamboo
Purr by Katy Perry starts off with a fresh bamboo scent as its top note, mixed with gardenia, peach, and red apple for a fruity floral fragrance.
Bamboo
An aromatic fragrance that blends bamboo leaves, green sap, and musk, TRULYGracious by Kate Spade is a fresh scent great for daily use.
Banana Flower
Launched just last year (2020), the Bahamas Passionfruit & Banana Flower by Bath & Body Works uses puso ng saging as one of its main ingredients!
Banana Flower
A scent for men and women, Bana Banana by L’Artisan Perfemeur uses banana flower as one of its middle notes to pull the amber floral fragrance together.
Calamansi
Using “a lemon unlike any other,” the Citrus Noir by Molinard is a radiant and charismatic scent that also has notes of elemi (another Filipino ingredient)!
Carambola (Star Fruit)
Did you ever imagine wearing perfume made from one of your favorite childhood treats? The Amburana by L’Occitane Au Brésil features the star fruit as one of its top notes.
Carambola (Star Fruit)
Chaps Woman by Ralph Lauren, released in 2007, is another fragrance that combines the fruity scent of star fruit with other tropical staples such as banana and jasmine.
Champaca
Who didn’t have a neighbor with champaca growing in their backyard? It’s actually a popular ingredient in fragrances! Considered an “exotic” scent, this flower is one of the middle notes used in Euphoria by Calvin Klein.
Champaca
Even celebrities have used champaca in their signature scents, including Reveal The Passion by Halle Berry.
Coconut Water
Besides being a refreshing drink while lounging on the beach, coconut water is also a favorite scent used as a top note in Àgua de Coco by L’Occitane Au Bresil.
Coconut Water
It’s also featured in the heart of Suede Pony by Boy Smells — a rebellious fragrance that also has notes of suede and hazelnut.
Coconut
Sweet, fruity, and nutty, coconut is a synonymous scent to summer days bottled in blends like Be Delicious Coconuts About Summer by DKNY.
Coconut
The Coconut Eau De Toilette by The Body Shop even puts this tropical fruit front and center in its own fragrance!
Elemi (Pili)
Also known as the ‘pili’ in Filipino, elemi is a popular resin ingredient found in Eau Des Merveilles by Hermès.
Elemi (Pili)
Who would have thought the scent of ‘pili’ would make it into Fan Di Fendi Leather Essence by Fendi? Here, it’s mixed with mandarin orange and balanced with leather, rose, tonka bean, and musk.
Guava
Launched in 2007, Versace Pour Femme by Versace is a primarily floral fragrance that also features guava as one of its top notes.
Guava
A tree whose leaves are a popular folk remedy in the Philippines, guava is one of the top notes of the sweet Gucci Eau de Toilette by Gucci fragrance.
Jasmine (Sampaguita)
Give Me The Night by Derek Lam 10 Crosby combines jasmine with moss for a powdery scent that’s perfect for nighttime.
Jasmine (Sampaguita)
Locally known as sampaguita, jasmine is paired with another Filipino flower—ylang-ylang—in Flying Fox by Lush.
Lychee
One of the country’s most high value fruit crops, lychee is one of the top notes in the eponymous fragrance Chloé Eau de Parfum by Chloé mixed with peony and freesia.
Lychee
Flower by Kenzo, a limited edition fragrance launched in 2014, famously paired lychee with ginger and mandarin orange in its light and airy blend.
Mango
A limited edition scent released in 2015, Hippie Princess by Vera Wang features mango as its top note blended with apple blossom and freesia.
Mango
There are no mangoes as sweet as the Philippines’, and our national fruit is actually the top and main scent in Exotic Blossom by Michael Kors.
Soursop (Guyabano)
Another refreshing tropical fruit beloved by Filipinos, soursop or ‘guyabano’ is one of the ingredients in the citrusy scent Flor de Graviola by L’Occitane Aui Brésil.
Soursop (Guyabano)
Lost in Paradise by Sofia Vergara also uses soursop as a top note, pairing it with nashie pear and apple for a fruity and floral fragrance.
Star Apple (Kaimito)
Another Filipino childhood favorite, the star apple has found its way into the Hearts BFF by KKW fragrance where it’s combined with wild berries and red currant.
Star Apple (Kaimito)
Versus by Versace for women also uses the star apple in its blend, mixing it with kumquat and lemon for a floral and fruity fragrance.
Watermelon
Released in 2020, Modern Princess Blooming by Lanvin puts watermelon front and center as one of its top notes—and who doesn’t love a whiff of popular sweet, fresh scent?
Watermelon
Another fragrance that uses watermelon, Sorbetto Rosso by Escada is a limited edition scent from 2018 features this tropical fruit as one of its middle notes.
Ylang-Ylang
A relatively new fragrance, Omnia Golden Citrine by Bvlgari is an amber floral scent that uses ylang-ylang—one of the Philippines’ most beautiful flowers—as its heart.
Ylang-Ylang
Ylang Austral by Givenchy is another floral fragrance that mixes ylang-ylang with sandalwood and mandarin leaf for an exotic scent with urban allure.
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