The word vegan sits on a lot of bottles now. It is rarely explained. Most people who reach for it are not quite sure what it rules out, only that it matters to them.

This is what vegan parfum actually means. What it excludes, why the old perfume world relied on those ingredients, and how a scent can hold the same depth without them.

What vegan parfum means

A vegan parfum contains no animal derived ingredients. None of the substances that traditional perfumery leaned on for warmth and fixative depth.

Historically that meant things like musk taken from deer, ambergris from whales, civet, and certain animal derived waxes. They were prized for the way they held a scent to the skin and gave it body.

A vegan formulation builds that same warmth and longevity from plants and modern alternatives instead. Nothing is taken from an animal. Nothing needs to be.

Vegan and cruelty free are not the same thing

The two terms are often used together, and they are not identical. It is worth knowing the difference.

Vegan means the formula contains no animal derived ingredients. Cruelty free means the product and its ingredients are not tested on animals. A parfum can be one without the other.

Every Mihan Aromatics ™ parfum is both. Vegan and cruelty free. Always has been. Always will be.

The base that makes it possible

Most fragrance is mostly carrier. The alcohol that lifts a scent off the skin and lets it project. What that carrier is made from matters as much as the scent it carries.

Our base is Australian Organic Sugarcane alcohol, procured from sustainably practising farms in Northern Queensland. It is the hero ingredient across all seven parfums, and it is Julia's heritage, made liquid.

A vegan parfum is only as considered as its foundation. Ours begins in the soil of one country, on farms that practise sustainably, and is distilled in Melbourne.

Does vegan mean a weaker scent

No. This is the old assumption, that without animal fixatives a scent cannot last or hold depth. It is not true.

Every Mihan parfum is made at 30% concentration, which classifies it as Parfum, the highest tier available. Plant based does not mean faint. It means a different, and to us a better, route to the same lingering trace on skin. You can read more in what 30% concentration actually means.

Choosing a vegan parfum in Australia

Look past the word on the front. Ask what the base is made from, where the ingredients come from, and whether the maker can tell you. A considered vegan parfum has nothing to hide and usually a story worth hearing.

If you are beginning, the Discovery Set holds all seven Mihan parfums in miniature, every one vegan and at full strength. For more on what sits beneath each scent, read our guide to Australian parfum.

Frequently asked questions

What makes a parfum vegan?

A vegan parfum contains no animal derived ingredients, such as animal musk, ambergris, civet or certain animal derived waxes. The warmth and longevity these once provided are achieved instead with plant based and modern alternatives.

Is vegan the same as cruelty free?

No. Vegan means no animal derived ingredients in the formula. Cruelty free means the product is not tested on animals. A parfum can be one without the other. Every Mihan Aromatics parfum is both.

Are Mihan Aromatics parfums vegan?

Yes. Every Mihan parfum is vegan and cruelty free, with a base of Australian Organic Sugarcane alcohol from Northern Queensland. Always has been, always will be.

Does a vegan parfum last as long as a traditional one?

Yes. Longevity comes from concentration and formulation, not from animal ingredients. Every Mihan parfum is 30% concentration, the highest Parfum classification.

What is Mihan parfum made from?

A base of Australian Organic Sugarcane alcohol, combined with a 30% concentration of aromatic compounds. Vegan, cruelty free, and handmade in Melbourne.

Where can I buy vegan parfum in Australia?

Mihan Aromatics parfums are vegan, cruelty free and made in Melbourne, available at mihanaromatics.com. The Discovery Set is the simplest way to try the full range.

Familial scents of Australia. Explore the collection at mihanaromatics.com.