Tired of chemical laden products on market, Chapel Hill couple launches toxin-free fragrance company
Meet the local mom behind a new company - Grow Fragrance - which features air fresheners made with simple, natural ingredients.
Posted — Updated
After the birth of their boys, Kelly Swimm and her husband became more mindful of the products they were using in their Chapel Hill home. Everything seemed to contain harmful chemicals and toxins - things they didn't wanted to be spraying or using around their young boys.
"We created this brand to disrupt the home fragrance industry," says Swimm, whose boys are now 7 and 9.
I checked in with Swimm to learn more about Grow Fragrance, what it offers and what's next for the business. Here's a Q&A:
I tried to choose toxin free brands with few, simple ingredients whenever possible. We realized that 99 percent of the fragrance available on the market was synthetic and contained a lot of toxic chemicals. A truly safe and clean fragrance brand did not exist.
People love fragrance, and we wanted to create a toxin-free brand that we would feel confident using around our own family. We also both love the outdoors and natural materials and knew we could create fragrances that not only were safer but also smelled amazing; fragrances that were real and came from the actual ingredient. There is a depth and sophistication to plant-based ingredients that is missing in synthetics.
We developed three classic scents that we carry year round and launch a new scent every season., which is a lot of work, but also a lot of fun. We are really excited about our spring fragrance, Blackcurrant Rose, which we are releasing at the end of February!
We had two seasonal fragrances over the fall and holiday that were really popular. We are also working on a completely plant based and toxin free candle! There are chemicals commonly used in the fragrance industry to increase the strength and persistence of a scent that we do not use because of health concerns.
In addition to being free from parabens, phthalates and synthetic petrochemicals, we never use any material considered to be carcinogenic, mutagenic or a reproductive toxin. We are also passionate about social responsibility, so we became a B-corporation. We participate in the Durham Living Wage project, are certified cruelty free by Leaping Bunny and contribute 1 percent of all sales to 1% for the Planet.
Our biggest success has been the feedback we’ve received from our customers. We’ve received an incredible response. Many people have told us they’ve felt concerned about the fragrances they were using and have been waiting for a brand like ours for a long time. It makes us so happy to see our products making other people happy. There is nothing more gratifying than having other people love and appreciate something you’ve created and have put your all into.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
