Why Cheap Perfume Is Still Allowed to Hide Toxic Ingredients — And How to Protect Yourself

Why Cheap Perfume Is Still Allowed to Hide Toxic Ingredients — And How to Protect Yourself

The fragrance industry remains one of the least transparent categories in beauty. Shockingly, brands can hide over 3,000 chemicals under one single word:

Fragrance.

And not all of them are harmless.

1. Cheap Perfume Uses Industrial-Grade Chemicals

Many imitation or low-cost perfumes contain:

  • methanol

  • industrial solvents

  • phthalates

  • DEP, DBP

  • synthetic musks

These ingredients are banned or restricted in many countries — yet still found in counterfeit perfumes.

2. They Cause Respiratory Problems

VOCs from synthetic fragrance chemicals can trigger:

  • migraines

  • asthma

  • dizziness

  • throat irritation

  • long-term sensitivity

3. They Damage Skin

Cheap perfume often causes:

  • rashes

  • redness

  • dermatitis

  • long-lasting irritation

Because the formulas are not dermatologically tested.

4. They Last Long Because of Toxic Fixatives

The harsh truth:
If a cheap perfume lasts “all day,” it’s usually because it contains banned or questionable fixatives.

True Born uses clean, high-grade fixatives that are safe and effective.

5. How to Protect Yourself

  • Choose brands with ingredient transparency

  • Avoid extremely cheap “designer dupes”

  • Buy only from reputable retailers

  • Look for toxin-free certification

  • Choose high-quality extrait and EDP from clean perfume houses

True Born was created for this exact reason — luxury that protects, not poisons.

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