Most perfume brands don’t actually know what’s in their own fragrances — even the big ones.

In our last piece, we shared why we believe transparency matters more than ever in 2025 — and why secrecy no longer protects the art of perfumery the way it once did.

But here’s something the industry doesn’t often talk about: many brands never see the full list of ingredients in their own fragrances.

Why? Because most don’t actually own their scent formulas. They brief a fragrance house… and receive a finished blend. The exact formula — and the complete ingredient list — is usually considered proprietary. Often, it’s never disclosed in full. Not even to the brand.

This has been the norm in perfumery for decades, with formulas protected as trade secrets.

That’s one of the reasons we chose to do things differently.

At Rosy & Earnest, we work directly with our perfumer and lab to review every single ingredient — not just for safety, but for transparency and alignment with our standards and values. We know exactly what’s in each formula — and we publish that list for you to see.

Because if you’re putting it on your skin, you deserve to know what’s in it.

Transparency shouldn’t feel radical. But in perfume, it often still is.

And we’re here to help change that — one scent at a time.  Thank you for being on this journey with us. 💛