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Why Are Fragrances Discontinued?


I come from a large family and distinctly remember my aunts as wearers of expensive perfumes. This is why I developed a love of fragrances. Now, nothing evokes memories of my youth as much as the waft of a certain scent. Feeling nostalgic, I recently tried to buy my grandma’s favorite fragrance, Tweed by Lentheric, only to find it has been discontinued. I was surprised as it was so popular once-upon-a-time! So I’ve been on a mission to discover why this happens.

Why are fragrances sometimes discontinued?

Why are fragrances discontinued? There are three main reasons why fragrances are discontinued: key ingredients become unavailable or scarce, particular ingredients are declared prohibited, or the fragrance isn’t selling enough meaning its production is no longer profitable.

Ingredient shortages and discontinued fragrances

Fragrances that use natural rather than synthetic ingredients can become impossible to produce if an ingredient suddenly becomes unavailable. An ingredient goes up in price once it becomes scarce making it difficult to produce that fragrance without hiking its price to a level that would make it unlikely to sell.

Many plants used in fragrances are cultivated especially for that purpose in order to meet consumer demand. However, if a particular brand happens to target rare plants for their unique scents, overexploitation often leads to a severe shortage or even extinction which in turn leads to discontinuation of that fragrance.

Prohibited ingredients and discontinued fragrances

The use of materials derived from animals – such as ambergris from Sperm Whales – causes ethical and moral concerns. It is now illegal to use natural ambergris in the US because Sperm Whales are an endangered species. Many manufacturers now use synthetic ambergris for this reason. Ambergris was once referred to as whale’s vomit but is actually a solid, waxy, substance produced by the digestive system of sperm whales and then excreted.

Ambergris from a sperm whale
Ambergris – produced by the digestive system of sperm whales

In 2017 The European Commission prohibited the use of three fragrance allergens: HICC, Atranol, and Chloroatranol. Atranol and Chloroatranol are extracted from tree moss and HICC is a synthetic fragrance.

Fragrance producers must phase out these ingredients by 2021. The big fragrance houses have already found suitable alternatives but those that haven’t may have to discontinue fragrances that use them.

Why less popular fragrances are discontinued

New fragrances are developed all the time as producers strive to stay ahead of the game. Developing a ‘new classic’ is always the aim – one that the world will go crazy for.

Every fragrance developer wants to be the one to produce a new iconic perfume. Of course, this means there are many casualties along the way. If a new fragrance doesn’t sell as well as was hoped, production will cease. If it has become someone’s new favorite go-to scent, they will be disappointed.

Why fragrance houses discontinue popular fragrances

Will these fragrances ever be discontinued
My classic fragrance collection

There are two main reasons why what were once popular fragrances are suddenly discontinued:

To update the outdated

The fragrance your mother or father used, let alone one your grandparents used, is probably not one you’d choose to wear. Fragrance fashions can be as fickle as clothing fashion. As new fragrances are formulated, old ones often fall by the wayside.

A perfume house is likely to decide not to keep up the production of a non-profitable fragrance. It may choose to lose fragrance ranges it considers outdated and replace them with fresh new scents.

It can be heartbreaking if your favorite fragrance is discontinued but it’s just one of those things. A fragrance must make a profit if it’s to stay in production. With so many to choose from you’re bound to eventually find another fragrance to love.

Unavailable or prohibited ingredients

If an ingredient is exploited to the extent that it becomes difficult to buy, the fragrance that uses it may be discontinued. Even if that ingredient made up just a tiny percentage of the fragrance, its absence can completely change the scent. If a fragrance can’t be exactly reproduced with alternative ingredients it has to be discontinued.

Sudden prohibition of ingredients for health and safety reasons is another problem faced by fragrance producers. They will endeavor to use alternative ingredients in place of the banned substances so as to continue making the fragrances that use them. If this proves impossible, the affected fragrances are discontinued.

Should you stop using your fragrance if it is discontinued?

Unless there is a recall for safety reasons, it’s fine to continue using any fragrance you own after finding out you can no longer buy it. It is rare for a fragrance to be discontinued for safety reasons so there’s no need to stop using one you own just because it is no longer produced.

If you are unable to find out why a fragrance has gone out of production you could try contacting the company via their website to see if they will give you a reason. They are duty-bound to tell you if it is because of health risks but they may not admit the fragrance just wasn’t popular enough or if an ingredient shortage or ban is the cause.

What to do if your favorite fragrance is discontinued

1. Buy a supply from the store

If you are lucky enough to discover your fragrance ha been discontinued before stores sell out of it you could buy yourself a good supply. Unopened fragrances can last three to five years if stored correctly.

2. Buy decants or samples

You may be able to get your hands on some decants or samples. These won’t be sealed and you won’t know how old they are either. But if you know the scent well enough you will be able to smell them to ensure you are happy they are OK.

3. Stores may sell off their testers

Once a fragrance is no longer for sale you may be able to purchase the tester bottles from fragrances counters. These can also be found in certain online stores. They usually come in plain not branded packaging as they were not intended to be resold and as long as you purchase from a reputable seller you should be safe.

4. You may find online sellers

Online discount perfume sellers sometimes buy up the end of lines and so they often have stocks of discontinued fragrances for a while after the stores have sold out.

Storing your discontinued fragrance supply correctly

Keep unopened fragrances in their boxes (or in a box of some description) to ensure they are not exposed to sunlight as this causes rapid deterioration. It’s best to place them in a cool area of your home where the temperature is as constant as possible but be aware of how the temperature in that place might change with the different seasons.

Some people store their fragrances in a fridge but I wouldn’t recommend this as the temperature is usually too cold and will spoil the scent. If you have always done this and are happy that your fragrance doesn’t suffer, be aware that some fridges do occasionally develop very cold spots, usually right at the back and on the lowest shelves and you definitely don’t want your fragrance becoming a block of ice.

A freezer is definitely not a good option when it comes to storing your discontinued fragrance. Freezing and then defrosting breaks down the components and changes the whole composition and aroma.

Of course, all you’re really doing is delaying the inevitable for a few years – eventually, you will run out of your discontinued fragrance and have to choose a new one. Perhaps you could start your search straight away and hopefully, you’ll find one well before your stash runs out.

Cloning a fragrance

If you really can’t bear to choose another fragrance, there are companies online who produce matches for discontinued fragrances at reasonable prices. For example, Scent Matchers has been doing just this for 10 years now.

Beware of fakes

If you see your favorite discontinued fragrance for sale on auction websites think carefully before you buy as it may not be genuine – especially if it’s been out of circulation for a long time. Even if it is the real deal, it may not be in fantastic condition. You have no way of knowing how old it is or how it’s been stored.

Fragrances are discontinued for three reasons

Finding the perfect alternative to a discontinued fragrance

In order to find a replacement for your favorite discontinued fragrance, it’s a good idea to establish what its fragrance notes are, as it is these that determine the overall scent. A fragrance with similar notes will probably suit you well as you probably like the way these smell on your skin.

A fragrance has three different layers referred to as the base, top, and middle notes. Together these create the specific smell. For example, determine if yours is classed as citrus, musk, floral, or oriental and test other fragrances with these base notes to see if they suit you.

To wrap up

Many classic fragrances have been around for years and years and are likely to go on and on forever (hopefully). Occasionally, fragrances are discontinued for the reasons you’ve seen above – and there’s not much you can do about this. There are so many classic and new fragrances available that if you search long enough, you’re bound to find an excellent alternative to fall in love with.

What Smells Do Spiders Hate? How to keep spiders out of your home


Spiders play an important role in the balance of our planet’s ecosystem by controlling the population of bugs that might otherwise destroy important plant life.

Unfortunately, people often see spiders as nothing but pests that make a mess of their homes with sticky webs. And others are so scared of them that they scream and run away whenever one creeps into view.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a fragrance that stopped spiders from choosing to weave their homes in ours? Well, it is claimed by many that there is. What smells do spiders genuinely hate?

A house spider ready to hate a fragrance.

As a general rule, spiders hate strong smells like lemon and mint; at least that’s the belief! To deter spiders, you must apply a scent they dislike wherever you want to stop them nesting. There is, however, one feature of spiders that means simply spraying your home with a smell they hate is a total waste of time!

As a word of warning, if you choose to use undiluted essential oils of any fragrance to deter spiders, please be aware that in this form they can be toxic to any household pets, particularly cats. Make sure it is well out of their reach.

What natural scent repels spiders?

1. Lemon

Lemon is a great natural spider repellent. Many bugs, including spiders, hate the citric and ascorbic acid in lemons as opposed to the lemon scent itself. Any citrus fruit will have the same effect, so try lemon, orange, or grapefruit peel to keep these eight-legged creepy-crawlies away.

Rub lemon anywhere you think spiders may squeeze into your house and anywhere they create their homes. If the spiders hate it enough, they should stay away. Either way, your home will benefit from the clean smell of lemon scent.

Do spiders hate lemon fragrance?

2. Mint

Another fragrance spiders appear to have an aversion to is mint. No one really knows why but they do seem to steer clear of it. One possible reason might be the fact that it is an overpowering fragrance, particularly if you use peppermint essential oil as a deterrent. Whatever the outcome, your home will smell extremely fresh.

3. Lavender

Another pungent aroma that it is claimed is disliked by our little arachnid friends is lavender. Try adding little sprigs here, there and everywhere. If it fails to do the trick, at least your home will smell lovely. One side effect is you may find yourself feeling very relaxed and even sleepy.

4. Cedar

Another trick that many people swear by is burning cedar incense. Apparently, it’s a smell that soon has spiders packing their bags. Of course, there is no harm in trying any of your favorite incense fragrances.

There is a good reason why this might not be effective as we explain in a moment. But if you do try this method, I can guarantee your home will be filled with a beautiful cedar aroma.

Spiders may hate the fragrance of cedar incense

5. Conkers (chestnuts)

There has long been a belief that spiders dislike the smell of conkers. Apparently hanging them around the areas of your home that spiders frequent will drive them away.

Many now refute this claim and I can find no hard evidence of it working, and as you will find out soon, there’s a very good reason why.

However, if you can collect some conkers for free there seems no harm in testing out this method in your home.

How do spiders pick up scents?

Spiders don’t have noses like ours but they do have a method of sensing smells. When people refer to spiders as having eight hairy legs they really do have and it’s the hairs on their legs that detect scents.

As spiders crawl over objects they interpret if they are edible or not. They also know if it’s a fragrance they dislike and move away from it.

What this really tells us is that an airborne scent in a room cannot deter spiders. If you wish to use scent to keep spiders away you literally have to coat every surface a spider is likely to crawl in through. This seems like a nigh-on impossible task.

The Best Spider Repellents

You don’t have to use smells to repel spiders. There are many other ways you can deter them and keep your home as spider-free as possible without harming them. Here are our favorite three:

1. Fill up every little gap that you can

If you block any obvious spider entrances into your home, you are halfway to winning the battle against spider invasions.

Obviously, you can’t block certain entry points such as air vents and keyholes but by removing the majority of their ways in, you will decrease your spider population.

2. Declutter and clean

Spiders like to hide and weave webs amongst clutter, so the less you have the fewer spiders you’ll have too. If you constantly vacuum away their webs they will not stay in that area for long.

Of course, they may just pick another part of your house that you can’t reach so easily!

3. Get a cat

A  cats is a good spider deterrent.

Getting a cat may seem quite a drastic measure for some people but they do love to chase spiders! They are ideal for frightening away those big hairy ones that run across the carpet straight towards you.

The downside is, a cat may eat spiders, not that this will cause any harm to it but it is sad to destroy spiders!

Diatomaceous Earth and why I dislike it

Diatomaceous Earth consists of the crushed fossils of freshwater organisms and marine life. It is labeled non-toxic and is harmless to people and pets.

However, rather than deterring spiders, Diatomaceous Earth actually kills them which I think is cruel. For this reason, I would not recommend it. After all, spiders have as much right to walk the Earth as we do.

Conclusion

Spiders may or may not hate certain fragrances and may be dissuaded from making your home their home by them. You can discover if this is true of any particular scent by trial and error.

Bear in mind the essential role spiders play on our planet and try to be tolerant of them. Most are harmless to people. Avoid killing them and use natural deterrents if you don’t want them to share your living space.

Is Lampe Berger Safe For Pets?


Homes with pets are sometimes a little pongy and we owners often become acclimatized to the point where we can’t smell the smells anymore! You can bet our visitors notice them though and unless they are very honest they often don’t mention it! How can we safely keep the unsavory scents that go hand-in-hand with pet ownership at bay? How about using Lampe Berger?

Is Lampe Berger Safe for Pets?

I’ve been a fan of Lampe Berger fragrances for 20 years but before I used any in my home I had to know, “Is Lampe Berger safe for pets?”

As Lamp Berger fragrances contain diluted essential oils, they are considered safe to use around pets. If you have reservations because you’ve heard essential oils pose a danger to pets, use Lampe Berger So Neutral fragrance which banishes odors yet contains no essential oils. We explain how to use Lampe Berger safely near pets.

Is Lampe Berger Safe for Pets?

The Lampe Berger System

Lampe Berger is a diffusion lamp filled with fragranced alcohol and topped with a catalytic burner. The alcohol soaks into a wick and is drawn up through the burner to diffuse a wonderful aroma into the air. It removes unsavory odors from the air better than any other method I have ever tried and leaves a lingering scent of whichever fragrance you’ve chosen.

As a user of Lampe Berger for 20 years, I thoroughly recommend it for eradicating the tell-tale odors that announce to any visitor pets reside in your home.

No odor will survive this little lamp including cat litter box smell, pet urine, feces, vomit, pet food, wet dog, not to mention any odors that might reside even if you don’t have pets.

It only takes 20 minutes to purify the air in one room and the fragrance scent lingers for the rest of the day. It doesn’t mask bad odors it literally destroys all traces of them

There are many fragrances – often referred to as fragrance oils – to choose from. Before you use any near your pets, take the time to read the following information.

Lampe Berger Fragrance vs Pet Safety

If you have pets, particularly cats, you may have read recommendations to avoid using essential oils with high salicylates or phenol content anywhere near them and any others that you do use should be well diluted.

Lampe Berger fragrances are ideal as they are well diluted by an alcohol base. I have used many different fragrances over the past 20 years and have never had a cat suffer any adverse reaction or health issues. I always place the lamp out of their reach and never burn it for much more than 20 minutes in any room.

If you are still not sure you can really dilute any Lampe Berger fragrance with a neutral base called So Neutral – there’s more about this coming up.

When a lamp is first lit, a small flame burns so obviously this should be placed well away from pets. After a couple of minutes, the flame is extinguished by gently blowing it out as you would a candle.

The catalytic burner remains hot until capped. A decorative guard is provided for safety (see the photo above) but it is still best to place a lamp where it can’t be knocked over.

For more information regarding the safety of fragrances containing essential oils when you have cats, I recommend you read Essential Oil and Cats over at petsKB.com (opens in a new tab).

Let’s look at a few select fragrances in more detail.

1. Lampe Berger So Neutral Fragrance

Is Lampe Berger Safe for Pets?

If you’re looking for a way to neutralize odors but don’t want the smell of a fragrance in the air, this is the ideal choice for you. As no essential oils are included in this particular refill, obviously, no essential oils are diffused whilst using. This one is perfectly safe to use near pets. You will be amazed at how efficiently So Neutral clears unwanted smells. Burn it for a maximum of half an hour in each room to remove all unsavory odors.

So Neutral is also the ideal choice for those who have fragrance sensitivities, allergies, and asthma because of its lack of essential oils.

You can also use this refill to dilute any of the other fragrances if you find the strength of their scent over-powering. You could even add a few drops of your own preferred essential oils.

2. Lampe Berger Lavender Fragrance

s Lampe Berger Safe for Pets?

If you are concerned about your pet’s safety, Lavender is an essential oil that is considered safe to use around them in a diluted form. This fragrance is ideal to refresh bedrooms as it is known for its relaxing qualities. In colder weather, you will no longer have to throw your windows open and let the heat out. If you find it a bit strong for your liking, dilute it with So Neutral.

3. Lampe Berger By The Fireside Fragrance

Is Lampe Berger Safe for Pets?

By The Fireside is a calming and relaxing fragrance to diffuse on a chilly evening. It has warm undertones of orange blossom, smoky cedar, and vanilla which. Twenty minutes of diffusing is all you’ll need to banish any lingering dog farts or stale pet food.

4. Lampe Berger Cotton Caress Fragrance

Is Lampe Berger Safe for Pets?

Cotton Caress is an ideal daytime fragrance. It has floral notes of orange blossom and rose, with undertones of cedar, vanilla, and white musk. Twenty minutes of diffusing will banish the odors of a cat’s tray or a damp dog and replace them with a cotton-fresh scent.

5. Lampe Berger Fresh Eucalyptus Fragrance

Is Lampe Berger Safe for Pets?

Fresh Eucalyptus is a wonderful fragrance for those who prefer subtle scents. It’s a mix of eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, and mint and after 20 minutes of diffusing bad smells will be banished and the fresh hint of this fragrance will remain.

The Perfect First Lamp

If you’re new to the world of Lampe Berger, here’s a perfect first lamp to purchase. It’s a great price, simple and stylish and will blend perfectly into any home. Being clear, it enables you to see when you need to add more fragrance which is a good idea until you get used to using this type of diffuser.

Essential oils some people avoid using near cats

These essential oils are ones that some cat owners avoid using as they contain high levels of phenols which are believed to pose a particular danger to cats:

  • Basil
  • Cinnamon Bark
  • Clove
  • Laurus Nobilis
  • Oregano
  • Tea Tree
  • Thyme

Conclusion

Many pets create smells in our homes. Indoor cats are often the worst offenders because they have to use litter boxes. Of course, not all cats smell bad!

Certain essential oils are thought to be safer than others if you have pets but there is no scientific evidence to support these claims. Avoid those that are thought to be harmful to cats if you prefer to and stick to using those said to be safe.

Diffusing is the safest way to use essential oils around cats and as Lampe Berger fragrances are so dilute they pose the lowest risk possible.

If you notice your pet doesn’t look comfortable or leaves the room when you diffuse any Lampe Berger fragrance, try diluting the fragrance with So Neutral or enticing your pet from the room for 20 minutes while you treat the area.

Once you’ve experienced the success of removing odors from your home using Lampe Berger, I’m sure you’ll be a fan for life. Nothing beats it when it comes to freshening the air.