Packaging
Heretic Parfum uses glass bottles and jars for all products, avoiding plastic containers. This glass packaging is easily recyclable and reusable. Caps and spray pumps do include some plastic components, as the brand acknowledges, but these are the only plastic elements. There is no evidence of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content or compostable biomaterials in use. Outer packaging (e.g. perfume boxes) isn’t explicitly described as sustainable
Ingredient Sustainability
Most botanicals used (e.g. citrus oils, herbs like sage or coriander, patchouli, vetiver, etc.) are cultivated crops or abundant wild species with minimal ecological harm. Some ingredients require scrutiny: frankincense resin and oud (agarwood) can be overharvested in the wild. Heretic shows awareness here: they collaborate with experts (Dr. Anjanette DeCarlo of Save Frankincense) and use sustainably sourced frankincense in several perfumes. By leveraging initiatives that use blockchain and community partnerships for frankincense, the brand helps ensure regeneration and fair practices, mitigating what would otherwise be an overharvested ingredient. Similarly, sandalwood in Dirty Coconut is explicitly noted as “sustainably harvested,” possibly from controlled plantations (New Caledonian or Australian sandalwood).
Heretic’s use of synthetics is selective and focused on safer molecules (macrocyclic musks, biotech aroma compounds). They completely avoid hazardous synthetics like nitromusks, polycyclic musks, phthalates, or other persistent pollutants. Instead, they employ synthetics that are biodegradable and non-toxic (e.g. plant-derived isolates, safe lab musks). For instance, Ambrettolide, Romandolide, Habanolide are large-ring musks designed to break down in the environment, avoiding the bioaccumulation issue of older musks. The few petrochemical-derived solvents or stabilizers (dipropylene glycol, carbomer, phenoxyethanol) are used sparingly and are considered low-toxicity and not persistent. One area for improvement is palm-derived ingredients: the lotion’s caprylic/capric triglyceride includes palm kernel oil with no RSPO certification mentioned.
Energy Use and Footprint
Heretic Parfum has a fairly localized production model but provides little data on energy use or emissions. Production is done in-house in Los Angeles, where the team hand-blends, fills, and packages orders in small batches. This local manufacturing shortens the supply chain for final products and likely means lower emissions from factory-to-warehouse transport. However, raw materials sourcing is international: essential oils and absolutes are often imported (e.g. frankincense from Somaliland, sandalwood from New Caledonia, etc.). There is no public information on whether the brand consolidates shipments or chooses lower-carbon shipping methods for these inputs.
The brand does not claim any carbon offsetting for shipments or operations, nor do they mention using renewable energy at their studio or warehouse. Emissions transparency is essentially zero: no carbon footprint reports or reduction targets are published.
Waste Management
Heretic shows some awareness of waste reduction mainly through inherently careful production and recyclable packaging, but lacks a formal circular approach.
Business Model
Heretic Parfum’s business model is that of a niche, slow-batch fragrance house, which inherently contrasts with fast-paced “fast” beauty. They maintain a core collection of scents (e.g. the “Dirty” series, signature perfumes like Florgasm) available year-round, focusing on quality, artistry, and long-lasting formulas. This suggests an emphasis on product longevity over novelty. However, Heretic also engages in periodic new launches and collaborations, which adds an element of trend-driven release (though at a much smaller scale than mainstream brands). For example, they created limited editions like Nosferatu (a film tie-in fragrance and body care line), the Ghosts collection around Halloween, and past partnerships.
