The Science

What "Parfum" Is Allowed to Hide

A short, honest explainer on why we built a fragrance around what's not in it.

The loophole

Fragrance formulas are treated as trade secrets. Regulations allow the entire scent compound — often dozens of individual chemicals — to appear on a label as a single word: "parfum" or "fragrance." Nothing inside that word has to be disclosed to you.

Where phthalates come in

Phthalates — most commonly diethyl phthalate (DEP) — are plasticizers used as solvents and fixatives. They're cheap, they're effective, and they make a scent cling longer. They're also absorbed through skin, and a body of peer-reviewed research has linked phthalate exposure to lower testosterone levels in men and studied their role as endocrine disruptors.

0%Lower testosterone linked to phthalate exposure in adult men in population studies

0%Reported decline in sperm counts across Western men over roughly 50 years

0%Phthalates in Obsidian Sky. Tested, disclosed, permanent.

How we get performance without them

Two ways. Concentration: Obsidian Sky is a 20%+ Eau de Parfum — more actual fragrance oil per spray than most designer bottles. Fixative notes: oud, amber, and musk accords are naturally tenacious materials; they anchor the scent to skin the way phthalates only imitate. The result is 8–12 hours of wear with a formula we can publish in full.

Our language policy

You'll notice we always say "linked to" — never "causes." Association studies are serious evidence, not medical verdicts, and we refuse to inflate them. We're not a pharmaceutical company and we don't make medical claims. We just believe you should know what's on your skin, and be able to choose.

The short version The word "parfum" can legally hide hormone-disrupting plasticizers. Obsidian Sky contains none, discloses everything, and performs on craft instead of chemistry tricks. That's the whole pitch.