What's Inside · Transparency
You deserve to know what touches your skin.
A fragrance is the most personal thing you wear. So here is how to read what's in the bottle, in plain words, with nothing to hide.
The short version
Real ingredients. Named, not hidden.
Every TLC product is built on two things: a clean, skin-loving base, and a fine-perfumery fragrance with a real structure — a top, a heart and a base that unfolds over hours. We don't bury that fragrance behind a single mystery word and hope you don't ask.
On every product you'll find its full INCI list — the international ingredient names regulators use. Below, we explain how to read one, what "natural" and "safe synthetic" actually mean, and the things we choose to leave out. No jargon walls. No fine print you need a chemistry degree to decode.
A quick guide
How to read a fragrance ingredient list.
- 1Order matters. Ingredients are listed by quantity, most first. Water, a gentle cleansing or moisturising base, and humectants usually lead the list.
- 2"Parfum / Fragrance" is the scent. This single word stands for the perfumer's full blend — often dozens of materials. It's normal, and it protects the formula. The notes themselves are written out on each product's page.
- 3The names at the end are fragrance allergens. Things like linalool, limonene and citronellol occur naturally in rose, citrus and lavender. Regulators ask brands to name them so anyone sensitive can choose with eyes open — so we name them.
- 4Latin = botanical. An ingredient written in Latin (e.g. Santalum Album) is the plant source. The everyday name sits beside it on our pages.
- 5A long list isn't a bad list. A real fragrance and a caring skin base simply need more materials than a bar of plain soap. What matters is that each one earns its place.
Natural & safe synthetic
"Natural" isn't always better. "Synthetic" isn't a dirty word.
We use both — and we're glad to. Naturals like rose, sandalwood and bergamot bring soul and complexity. Safe synthetics let us protect endangered species (real oud and musk once meant harming animals and forests), control allergens, and create notes nature simply never offered — like the dewy lily of the valley that no flower will give up.
Every fragrance material we use is held to IFRA standards — the global safety framework the whole perfume industry works to. Natural or lab-made, the only question we ask is: is it safe, and does it make the scent better?
SLS & paraben-free
Our cleansing bases skip harsh sulphates and parabens, so daily use stays gentle on skin and the barrier it protects.
Vegan & cruelty-free
No animal-derived ingredients, and never tested on animals. The musk and amber you smell are modern, kind versions.
Made to IFRA standards
Every fragrance is dosed within the international safety limits set for skin contact. Beautiful and within the lines.
Questions, answered
The things people ask us.
Where do I find the full ingredient list for a product?
On every product page, under the details. We publish the complete INCI list for each item, plus the fragrance notes — top, heart and base — so you know both what's in it and how it will smell over time.
What does "Parfum" or "Fragrance" mean on the label?
It's the single regulatory word that stands in for the perfumer's full scent blend — which can be dozens of materials. It keeps the recipe protected, but it's not a way to hide anything: the actual notes are written out for you on each product, and any fragrance allergens are named separately on the label.
Are TLC fragrances safe for sensitive skin?
Our formulas are SLS- and paraben-free and dosed to IFRA safety standards. That said, fragrance is personal — if your skin is reactive, check the named allergens on the label, and patch-test on your inner arm first. Our team is always happy to talk you through a specific product.
Do you use real oud, musk and sandalwood?
We use a thoughtful mix of fine naturals and sustainable synthetics. For materials where harvesting harms animals or endangered trees — like animal musk or wild agarwood — we choose modern, safe recreations that smell just as deep. It's how we stay both luxurious and cruelty-free. See the raw materials →
Are your products vegan?
Yes. We don't use animal-derived ingredients, and we don't test on animals at any stage.
The Perfumery Library
Four ways to understand what you wear. Browse the building blocks, learn the language, find your family.
What's Inside
Ingredients & Transparency
How to read a fragrance label, and what we will — and won't — put in the bottle.
The Palette
Raw Materials
Oud, rose, amber, musk and more — the materials a perfume is built from, A to Z.
The Language
Perfumery Terms
Sillage, accord, EDP, drydown — every word you've seen on a bottle, explained.
The Map
Olfactive Families
Floral, woody, amber, fresh — the eight families, and the TLC scents in each.
Go deeper
Every ingredient. Every note. A to Z.
Want the full story on a single ingredient or perfume note — what it is, what it does, and why it's in your bottle? It's all in our A–Z library.
Open the A–Z library Browse raw materials