5 Clean Perfumes of Summer — From Big Names to Newer Entries

When summer heats up, you’re probably in search of lighter summer scents. Here are five clean perfumes that fit the bill ― all pristinely crafted. Most rely on a limited ingredient list and a backbone of distilled essential oils to make their statement. Because fewer chemicals always smell sweeter.

Windows Down by Henry Rose

Henry Rose was launched by Michelle Pfeiffer in 2019, with the goal of crafting 100-percent transparent products. They vetted 300 ingredients for safety and the strictest health standards, whittling down their clean ingredients list from a vast array of 3,000.

Within this limited palette, the perfumers at Henry Rose have designed a popular slate of scents from the grapefruit and bergamot-backed Windows Down, to the best-selling, Jake’s House, described as “honeyed neroli and earl grey tea with a floral finish.” One of the newest scents by Henry Rose is called Menace. It’s an aquatic musk with hints of lime, tangerine, and Mediterranean cypress.

50 ml ― $120

Jane by Modern Vanilla

Modern Vanilla scents rely heavily on essential oils. They are hand-blended with organic and wild-grown ingredients. Founder Erika Kuhn is all about the alchemy of it all ― the spiritual benefits and healing properties of essential oils.

The newest scent is Jane, with a heady scent of plumeria blossom. It’s intended to smell like a garden tea party, with nostalgic notes of lavender, tuberose, celery seed, and violet leaf. Kuhn created Jane in honor of her grandmother. For maximum potency of the oils, she suggests applying post-shower to wet skin, on pulse points. And, press the oil into the skin, never rub ― which destroys the top notes.

15 ml ― $90

Window2Soul by Orebella

Orebella is the first fragrance line from supermodel, Fort Worth transplant, and equestrian Bella Hadid. She calls her newly launched line of three Orebella scents “intentional skin parfum” ― hydrating, alcohol-free, and elevated with essential oils.

Blooming Fire is warmed by bergamot and patchouli. Salted Muse is a woody marine scent with hints of olive trees, sea salt, and cedarwood. And, my favorite is called Window2Soul ― a sheer floral that’s ideal for summertime with tonka bean, rose, and jasmine. Each bi-phase formula is clean, vegan, and meant to be shaken vigorously before spaying ― to blend the Orelixir base of hydrating snow mushroom and a five-oil blend with the essential oils.

100 ml ― $100

Lavande 31 by Le Labo

Like all of Le Labo’s plant-based, cruelty-free, and hand-formulated fragrances, Lanvande 31 is not a one-trick pony. While lavender is the top note ― it is enhanced by both bergamot and neroli. To achieve the greatest purity, only the flower buds are distilled. And nothing smells more summery than a lavender field in bloom.

The scent is described with, “ambery, dirty, and musky notes, blended with notes of Tonka to give the perfume a regressive classic style that is both clean and dirty, recognizable yet truly unique.”

15 ml ― $107

Indian Jasmine by NEST New York

NEST New York has long been a go-to for vegan, gluten-free, paraben-free, and long-lasting fragrances. The newer Indian Jasmine perfume oil (a symbol of love, devotion, and purity) is layered with aromas of Indian jasmine absolute, red berries, pink pepper, and bergamot.

Massage a few drops of this unique scent with its baobab oil base. Or add a few drops to your favorite unscented body moisturizer to create a custom fragrance experience. It comes in a jewel-like glass bottle tinted with a soft emerald hue.

30 ml ― $102

Ah, the sweet and clean smells of summer.