Redefining ‘clean’ for a contemporary take on freshness, and with a ‘field to fragrance’ focus on sustainability; CLEAN Reserve set about changing the face of the fragrance industry – from impeccably sourced ingredients to incredible (and easy to understand) scents…
In an often-confusing world of opaque terminology and blinged-out, excessive packaging, CLEAN Reserve stands apart from the crowd. With simple labeling and stylish oak caps, their pared-back aesthetic perfectly mirrors the juice within, and the eco-conscious ethos that was the guiding force for their creation.
Officially making a fragrant debut in 2015, CLEAN Reserve can actually trace their olfactory origins back to 2003, when the brand made a splash with a fragrance that was called, quite simply,‘Clean.’ And if ever a fragrance did what it said on the bottle, this was it: a scent that smelled as though you’d just stepped from the shower and dried yourself with a warm, fluffy towel. In a crowded marketplace, it was a bold move, but glowing feedback powered Clean forward.
The intuition – that there was a place for elegance and calm amidst the chaos and confusion that consumers faced – proved to be absolutely on the money, with that initial fragrance quickly gaining word-of-mouth cult status. Aimed at ‘…the woman who doesn’t respond to typical fragrance ads,’ the idea sprang from the revolutionary idea that many of us are looking for something that is beautiful – and beautifully uncomplicated. ‘CLEAN is for people that just want to smell good,’ was the philosophy behind its the creation of this fragrance house. And its debut fragrance assured it of a cult following.
From that humble beginning, a fragrance house blossomed, eventually leading to the formation of CLEAN Reserve, an umbrella incarnation allowing the focus for the fine fragrances to showcase entirely sustainable and ethically-sourced ingredients with a way-ahead-of-their-time record of 100% recyclable packaging (and even using a solar-powered production line!) With a chic, minimalistic look, those caps are made with wood sourced from forests that are sustainably managed, the glass is recycled and the ingredients in the bottles are entirely sustainable, of non-animal origin, never tested on animals. Today, there are 12 fragrances in the CLEAN Reserve collection – and counting.
As CLEAN Reserve explain, ‘The way we create our products means everything. We think our impact on the earth and communities where we source our ingredients has to be powerfully positive. To us, sustainability is more than a trend – it’s what we work towards every day… We consider it an honour to partner with companies that support small farming communities around the world, whether they’re offering fair-trade prices, funding for schools or clean drinking water.’
Because they know that ‘natural’ isn’t always best for the planet, however, some of the ingredients used for the CLEAN Reserve are nevertheless synthetic. Tried and trusted, these alternatives may actually prove far more ‘green’ (and safer, with non-allergenic properties) than certain essential oils. Where relevant, these synthetics are chosen, to harmonise with a palette of exquisite naturals, from uber-costly saffron to exotic spices, herbs, wild moss, birch and patchouli. Thus CLEAN Reserve offers the best of both worlds, for perfume-lovers and the planet alike. And on visiting their website, you can read in-depth the ‘Behind The Scent’ section, which explains about the sourcing and local social initiatives behind these beautifully composed creations.
Unsurprisingly, many of CLEAN Reserve‘s fragrances evoke the natural world – scents of rain, skin, wood, as well as fresh linens and warm cotton, greenery and fruits, flowers and other botanicals. Beautiful scents – which also chime so beautifully with the world’s changing values…
