{"id":8932,"date":"2023-11-22T10:26:04","date_gmt":"2023-11-22T10:26:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/masterparfums.com\/?p=8932"},"modified":"2026-10-28T14:00:46","modified_gmt":"2026-10-28T14:00:46","slug":"which-perfume-for-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/masterparfums.com\/en\/which-perfume-for-children\/","title":{"rendered":"Which Perfume for Children? Our Advice!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ah, perfume, the undethronable classic of gifts of all kinds! Christmas would not say otherwise: in a few weeks, it is a safe bet that many perfume bottles will slip under the trees\u2026 About a month before, on 20 November, it is World Children’s Day<\/a>, a day established to remember the advances made in the rights and well-being of the youngest among us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are you thinking of giving a perfume to a little imp this winter, but don’t know how to go about it? You’ve come at just the right time. Did you raise an eyebrow at the previous sentence, because you tell yourself that perfume is for grown-ups? Think again; Master Parfums tells you all about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Genesis of Perfumes for Little Ones<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The beginnings of perfumes for babies date back to the 1960s. In 1967, Dior inaugurated its very first Baby Dior boutique on Avenue Montaigne in the French capital. There, one could purchase creations by the label intended exclusively for children! Clothes, toys, dolls, soft toys\u2026 No fragrance on the horizon yet. It was not until 1970 that the very first perfume for a young audience made its entrance: it too was called Baby Dior and was designed from an eau de Cologne base, with very little alcohol. Yet, on its release, the gamble did not pay off, perfume still being at the time a product accessible only to the wealthiest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1975, another boutique came into being in Paris, at 67 rue de l’Universit\u00e9: that of Bonpoint, a ready-to-wear brand for children founded by Marie-France and Bernard Cohen. In 1986, the brand launched a perfume for the little ones, the now cult Eau de Bonpoint. This time, this citrus-based, ultra-fresh essence made a splash, and many children’s perfume creations followed in its footsteps. In 1994, it was notably Guerlain’s turn to try its hand at the exercise with Petit Guerlain, the birth of his grandson prompting Jean-Paul Guerlain to compose this water blending citrus, lavender and mimosa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The popularity of children’s perfumes has never stopped growing, and they have since blossomed more or less everywhere on the market\u2026 sometimes making the choice of one of them a little nebulous! Don’t panic, we’ll point you in the right direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Scents for Little Ones\u2014What’s the Point?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

First of all, you should know that babies are extremely sensitive to smells, even straight out of mum’s belly<\/a>. Between the eighth and eleventh week of pregnancy, their olfactory receptors and the area of the brain analysing and processing olfactory information are formed. Then, between the fourth and sixth month of pregnancy, their nostrils open up. Foetuses are then already able to “smell” the odorant substances of what mum eats, through the amniotic fluid in which they spend several months!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At birth, the sense of smell gets going without delay: the baby recognises the smell of its mother then, little by little, that of milk, of its environment\u2026 Contrary to what one might think, its fifth sense is called upon without further ado, and it will continue to develop throughout its growth! A perfume can therefore constitute an additional marker in this constant olfactory education and help to make baby feel safe through scents that will quickly become familiar to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is recommended to perfume a child only from three months of age, first giving them time to become familiar with the whole host of smells that surround them. From three months and up to three years, perfume is allowed, but be careful: not a drop of alcohol! Let’s look at this a little more closely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients to Avoid<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Perfumes with Alcohol<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Beware of alcohol, then, which can be too aggressive on children’s sensitive skin. Fortunately, although this word is often used to designate them, many baby “perfumes” are in reality what are called scented waters\u2014in other words, alcohol-free perfumes. From three years of age, the embargo on eaux de toilette and eaux de parfum is lifted, but here again, their alcohol content must be low, no more than 30%. In short, it is better to swear by the absence of alcohol or, for children over three years old, a very small dose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beware of Endocrine Disruptors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We are also wary of endocrine disruptors, molecules whose effects are complex and still subject to debate, but which scientific studies suggest could affect functions related to the hormonal system<\/a>. Between its development in its mother’s belly and early childhood, a child will be particularly sensitive to, and therefore vulnerable to, their potential undesirable effects. Here are the main culprits:<\/p>\n\n\n\n