What evidence should SOSA provide before describing a particular attar as alcohol-free on its product page?

What evidence should SOSA provide before describing a particular attar as alcohol-free on its product page?

Alcohol-free attar · no added ethanol3ml from ₹379 · 6ml and 12ml also availableMade in India · a portion funds girl-child education
What buyers ask us before they order
These are real questions we get, and the answers we actually give - including the ones where the answer is "we cannot tell you that"
"Is this attar actually alcohol-free, or just alcohol-light?"
There is no added ethanol in our attars. They are oil-based, which is why they sit on skin instead of flashing off the way a spray does.
Alcohol content · answered by Sonal Sahani
"Do you have IFRA paperwork, or do you just say IFRA-compliant?"
We hold supplier IFRA conformity statements for the fragrance concentrates, declarable-allergen lists for those concentrates, and a safety assessment of the finished attar at its actual selling concentration.
Safety documentation · answered by Sonal Sahani
"Can you send me the allergen list for one specific attar?"
Yes, per product, on request. What we will not publish is the formula or the percentages, because that is the recipe rather than the safety information.
Allergen information · answered by Sonal Sahani
"Is there DEP in it?"
There is no intentionally added diethyl phthalate in our attars. That is a scoped claim about what we add, not a claim that no phthalate molecule exists anywhere in the supply chain.
DEP and phthalates · answered by Sonal Sahani
"I reacted to a perfume last year. Will I react to this?"
We cannot tell you that, and no brand honestly can. We can give you the allergen list to take to a dermatologist, and we would suggest the 3ml rather than the 12ml.
Sensitive skin · answered by Sonal Sahani
"Is the Mysore sandalwood in the name a natural extract or an accord?"
That is the right question, and it is product-specific. Ask us about a particular attar and we will tell you which materials are present as natural extracts and which are built as accords.
Ingredient authenticity · answered by Sonal Sahani
"Is this attar actually alcohol-free, or just alcohol-light?"
There is no added ethanol in our attars. They are oil-based, which is why they sit on skin instead of flashing off the way a spray does.
Alcohol content · answered by Sonal Sahani
"Do you have IFRA paperwork, or do you just say IFRA-compliant?"
We hold supplier IFRA conformity statements for the fragrance concentrates, declarable-allergen lists for those concentrates, and a safety assessment of the finished attar at its actual selling concentration.
Safety documentation · answered by Sonal Sahani
"Can you send me the allergen list for one specific attar?"
Yes, per product, on request. What we will not publish is the formula or the percentages, because that is the recipe rather than the safety information.
Allergen information · answered by Sonal Sahani
"Is there DEP in it?"
There is no intentionally added diethyl phthalate in our attars. That is a scoped claim about what we add, not a claim that no phthalate molecule exists anywhere in the supply chain.
DEP and phthalates · answered by Sonal Sahani
"I reacted to a perfume last year. Will I react to this?"
We cannot tell you that, and no brand honestly can. We can give you the allergen list to take to a dermatologist, and we would suggest the 3ml rather than the 12ml.
Sensitive skin · answered by Sonal Sahani
"Is the Mysore sandalwood in the name a natural extract or an accord?"
That is the right question, and it is product-specific. Ask us about a particular attar and we will tell you which materials are present as natural extracts and which are built as accords.
Ingredient authenticity · answered by Sonal Sahani
Shop SOSA attars 3ml from ₹379 Attar trio from ₹1,055
✓ No added ethanol · oil-based formulation ✓ No intentionally added DEP ✓ Allergen list and safety assessment on request · WhatsApp +91 96192 18531

Founder Diaries · Attar Ingredients, Safety & Authenticity
By Sonal Sahani · ISIPCA Versailles 10 min read Updated October 2026
This is a fair question to ask us and it deserves a specific answer rather than a reassuring one. Here is the standard we think a brand should meet before writing alcohol-free on a product page, which is the standard we hold ourselves to. Where our position is a judgement rather than a document, we say so.
Quick answers — read this first
What should a brand hold before claiming alcohol-free? Four things: a specification for every raw material that confirms what is in it, a named carrier, a finished-product safety assessment at the concentration sold, and a batch process that does not introduce ethanol at any stage. The last one is the step most brands never think about.

What does SOSA hold? Supplier IFRA conformity statements for the fragrance concentrates, the declarable-allergen lists supplied with them, and a safety assessment of the finished attar at its actual selling concentration. Our attars are formulated with an oil carrier, no added ethanol and no intentionally added DEP.

What will SOSA not claim? We do not describe our attars using words like chemical-free or hypoallergenic, and we do not suggest that documentation prevents individual reactions. We also will not publish formula percentages, because that is the recipe rather than the safety information.
The short answer
Short answer: A brand should hold a specification for every raw material, a named carrier, a finished-product safety assessment at the concentration it sells, and a batch process that introduces no ethanol. SOSA holds supplier IFRA conformity statements, allergen lists and a finished-product assessment, and shares them per product on WhatsApp +91 96192 18531.
What settles it: a supplier IFRA conformity statement for the concentrate, a declarable-allergen list, a safety assessment of the finished product at its selling concentration, and a product-level statement on ethanol, carrier, DEP and animal-derived materials. SOSA holds the first three and answers the fourth per product on WhatsApp +91 96192 18531.
The honest limit: documentation shows a product was formulated and assessed for the use it is sold for. It does not promise that nobody will react. If your skin reacts to a fragrance, stop and speak to a dermatologist.
In this guide
What actually settles an ingredient question - at a glance1. Supplier IFRA conformity statement for the fragrance concentrate2. Declarable-allergen list for that concentrate3. Safety assessment of the finished product at its selling concentration4. Product-level statement: ethanol, carrier, DEP, animal-derived materialsNone of the four promises that nobody will react. Adjectives on a label prove nothing at all.
An adjective is not evidence. A document is. The four above are the ones worth asking any attar brand for, and the fourth is the one most brands have never written down.
The collection
SOSA attars · 3ml from ₹379
The lightest way in
Adaa 3ml · ₹379
Three at once
Attar trio · from ₹1,055
Straight answer
What evidence stands behind the words alcohol-free on a SOSA page?
Four things, and we think any brand making the claim should have all four. One, a specification for every raw material that goes into the attar, so we know what we bought rather than what we were told. Two, a named carrier, because alcohol-free is meaningless unless you can say what the ethanol was replaced with; we name ours per product on request. Three, a safety assessment of the finished attar at the concentration we actually sell it at, not just a conformity statement covering a concentrate in the abstract. Four, a batch process that does not introduce ethanol anywhere, including in cleaning and filling, which is the step most brands have genuinely never considered. We hold all four. What we will not do is turn that into a safety promise: documentation shows a product was formulated and assessed for the use it is sold for, and it does not mean nobody will react. Ask us for any of it on WhatsApp at +91 96192 18531, or start with Adaa 3ml at ₹379.
Alcohol-free is only a real claim if you can also say what the ethanol was replaced with.
If you are unsure about your skin or about the scent, the right first purchase is 3ml, from ₹379 - not the 12ml. Ask us for the allergen list before you order.
from ₹379

The standard we hold ourselves to, written down

We would rather publish our own standard than ask you to take our word for it, partly because it is the right way round and partly because it gives you something to hold other sellers to as well. The reason the fourth item matters more than people expect is worth spelling out. A brand can buy an ethanol-free concentrate, dilute it in an ethanol-free carrier, and still end up with ethanol in the bottle, because ethanol is the default cleaning agent in small-scale filling operations. If bottles or filling lines are rinsed with it and not fully dried, trace ethanol arrives in the product without anyone intending it. Nobody is lying in that scenario; they simply never asked the question. So the honest version of alcohol-free covers the process as well as the recipe, and a brand that has thought about this will be able to tell you what they clean with and how they dry. The second thing worth saying is about the limits of our own claim. We say no added ethanol, which is a precise statement about what we put in. We do not say zero ethanol molecules, because we have not commissioned analytical testing of finished batches to a detection limit, and a brand claiming analytical zero without that testing is overstating its position. If that distinction matters for your purposes, ask us and we will tell you exactly where our evidence stops.

1
Raw material specifications
Know what you bought, not what you were told
Every material in an attar should arrive with a specification and, for fragrance concentrates, an IFRA conformity statement and a declarable-allergen list. A brand that cannot produce those for its own inputs is reselling somebody else's claim, which may well be true but is not the brand's knowledge. We hold these for the concentrates in our attars and will share the allergen lists per product.
Tip: Ask any brand whether they hold documentation for their inputs or whether they are repeating a supplier's description. The two sound identical and are not.
2
A named carrier and a finished-product assessment
The bottle, not the concentrate in the abstract
Alcohol-free without a named carrier is half a sentence. And a conformity statement on a concentrate is not the same document as an assessment of the finished product at the strength it is applied, because the strength is exactly what determines exposure. We hold a finished-product safety assessment for our attars at their actual selling concentration, which is the document that corresponds to the bottle on your wrist.
3
A process that does not reintroduce it
The step nobody asks about
Ethanol is the standard cleaning agent in small fragrance operations. If bottles, funnels or filling lines are rinsed with it and not properly dried, trace ethanol enters the product with nobody intending it. An honest alcohol-free claim therefore covers the process, not only the recipe. This is also where we are careful about our own wording: we say no added ethanol, which is a claim about what we put in, rather than analytical zero, which would require batch testing to a stated detection limit.
Tip: If a precise analytical figure matters for your purposes, tell us and we will say plainly what we have and have not tested.
The SOSA principle
The test of a transparency claim is whether the brand will tell you where its own evidence stops. Ours stops at no added ethanol rather than analytical zero, and we would rather you heard that from us.
A brand that claims a stronger position than its documents support has not been more transparent with you. It has been less careful.

What you can ask us for today

Practically, here is what you can ask us for today and expect to receive. The declarable-allergen list for a named attar in a named size. The supplier IFRA conformity statement for the concentrate in it. Confirmation of the carrier material. Our finished-product safety assessment. And a plain answer on DEP, which is that there is none intentionally added. What we will not send is the formula or the percentages, because those are the recipe rather than the safety information, and no fragrance house publishes them. If a seller tells you confidentiality prevents sharing an allergen list, they have conflated the two documents.

The SOSA scent edit
What we can evidence on each attar, and what we will not claim
Scent Why it suits the mood
Adaa 3ml · ₹379 Oil carrier, no added ethanol, no intentionally added DEP. Allergen list and finished-product assessment available. We will not tell you the white musk is natural, because it is a musk accord
Ameeri 3ml · ₹385 Same formulation position. On the material names, ask us which are present as natural extracts and which as accords and we will answer for this specific product
Mastani 3ml · ₹389 Same formulation position. The most floral of the four, so the allergen list is the document we would most want you to read before buying it
Nawaab 3ml · ₹399 Same formulation position. The name makes the strongest sourcing claims in our range, which is why we expect and welcome the substantiation question on it

If you want to apply this standard to other sellers rather than only to us, what to ask an online attar seller when the page says alcohol-free without explaining the base turns it into three messages you can send. For the documentary distinctions in detail, the difference between an IFRA conformity statement, a safety data sheet and a finished-product safety assessment is the reference page. And what product-specific safety information SOSA makes available is the full list of what you can request from us and what we withhold. WhatsApp +91 96192 18531. A portion of every order supports girl-child education through Nanhi Kali.

Ask for the paper, not the adjective
Allergen list, IFRA conformity statement and finished-product safety assessment, per attar, on WhatsApp +91 96192 18531. Attars 3ml from ₹379.
Shop SOSA attars
Anyone can write alcohol-free. The question is whether they can also tell you what they clean the bottles with.
— Sonal Sahani, SOSA

The SOSA attar range

Every SOSA attar is formulated with an oil carrier and no added ethanol, with no intentionally added DEP, and is made in small batches in India. Each comes in 3ml, 6ml and 12ml so that a first purchase can be small. Here is the range, and what we think you should interrogate on each one.

The SOSA attar range, and what to interrogate on each
Start at 3ml. The only honest reason to buy 12ml first is that you already know the scent
Product Where it sits What it is, and what to ask us about it From
Adaa attar 3ml Daytime · the lightest way in Bergamot, green cardamom, jasmine sambac and white musk. The cheapest honest test of whether oil-based fragrance suits your skin at all ₹379
Ameeri attar 3ml Festive · rose and sandalwood Taif rose, Indian sandalwood, saffron and soft oudh. The one to ask the sourcing questions about, because the name makes claims worth checking ₹385
Mastani attar 3ml Evening · jasmine and rose Night-blooming jasmine, Damask rose and oudh. Floral-heavy, so the page to read first if florals have troubled your skin before ₹389
Nawaab attar 3ml Statement · oud and saffron White royal oud, Mysore sandalwood and Kashmir saffron. Our most-questioned name, and the one we most expect you to ask us to substantiate ₹399
Attar trio 3ml Three at once · cheaper than three Ameeri, Nawaab and Mastani together. Bought singly the three 3ml bottles come to ₹1,173, so the trio saves ₹118 ₹1,055
Beast solid perfume 15g No bottle · no spill An alcohol-free solid body perfume. A different format for the same requirement, useful if a rollerball applicator is the part that worries you ₹549

Each attar comes in 3ml, 6ml and 12ml. Adaa is ₹379 / ₹669 / ₹1,149; Ameeri ₹385 / ₹679 / ₹1,165; Mastani ₹389 / ₹685 / ₹1,179; Nawaab ₹399 / ₹699 / ₹1,199. The three-attar trio is ₹1,055 / ₹1,859 / ₹3,189, against ₹1,173 / ₹2,063 / ₹3,543 for the same three bought singly, so the trio saves ₹118, ₹204 or ₹354 depending on size. If you have reacted to a fragrance before, buy the 3ml: the saving on a larger bottle is a poor trade against a 12ml bottle of something your skin dislikes. A portion of every order supports girl-child education through Nanhi Kali.

SS
ISIPCA
Versailles
A note from Sonal

I could sell more attar by writing "chemical-free" on the bottle. I will not, and I want to explain why in a way that is useful to you rather than flattering to us. Every fragrance ever made is chemicals. Rose oil is several hundred chemicals that a plant assembled. The word is not a safety claim; it is a word chosen because it tests well.

The same goes for "hypoallergenic" and "safe for everyone". No ordinary fragrance product can substantiate either. A skin-applied perfume is a product that a small number of people will react to, and a brand that tells you otherwise is either not thinking carefully or hoping you will not.

What I can do is tell you what we know and show you the paper. Our attars are formulated with an oil carrier and no added ethanol. There is no intentionally added DEP. We hold supplier IFRA conformity statements for the concentrates, the declarable-allergen lists that come with them, and a safety assessment of the finished attar at the strength we actually sell it at. Ask me for any of that on WhatsApp at +91 96192 18531 and you will get it, per product, with the formula percentages withheld because those are the recipe and not the safety information.

And where I cannot answer, I will say so rather than improvise. If you have reacted to fragrance before, I am not the right person to tell you whether you will react to mine - a dermatologist with our allergen list in hand is. Buy the 3ml. A portion of every order supports girl-child education through Nanhi Kali.

Frequently asked questions

What should a brand hold before claiming an attar is alcohol-free?
A specification for every raw material, a named carrier so the claim is a complete sentence, a safety assessment of the finished product at the concentration it is sold at, and a batch process that introduces no ethanol at any stage including cleaning and filling. The last is the one most brands have never considered.
What documentation does SOSA actually hold?
Supplier IFRA conformity statements for the fragrance concentrates used in our attars, the declarable-allergen lists supplied with those concentrates, and a safety assessment of the finished attar at its actual selling concentration. Our attars use an oil carrier with no added ethanol and no intentionally added DEP.
Why does SOSA say no added ethanol rather than zero ethanol?
Because they are different claims and only one of them is ours. No added ethanol is a precise statement about what goes in. Analytical zero would require testing finished batches to a stated detection limit, which we have not commissioned. We would rather tell you where our evidence stops than imply a stronger position.
Will SOSA share the formula?
No, and no fragrance house will. What we share is the safety information: the declarable-allergen list, the supplier conformity statement and the finished-product assessment. Those are different documents from the formula. If a seller tells you confidentiality prevents sharing an allergen list, they have confused the recipe with the safety paperwork.
Does this documentation mean the attar is safe for me?
No, and we will not say it does. It means the product was formulated and assessed for the use it is sold for. Individual reactions to fragrance happen and no documentation prevents them. If you have a history of reacting, take the allergen list to a dermatologist and buy the 3ml rather than the 12ml.
Buy on evidence, not on adjectives
SOSA — alcohol-free attars, with the paperwork to back the claims we actually make
The standard, in writing: raw material specifications, a named carrier, a finished-product safety assessment at selling concentration, and a process that introduces no ethanol. Ask for any of it per product on WhatsApp +91 96192 18531. Attars from Rs 379.
Shop SOSA attars → Read the founder story
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Editorial standards & sources
About this guide: Written by Sonal Sahani, ISIPCA Versailles-trained founder and perfumer at SOSA Home & Body. The evaluation method applies to any attar brand; the product facts below are SOSA's own.

SOSA product facts verified October 2026: SOSA sells four attars, each in 3ml, 6ml and 12ml. Adaa (bergamot, green cardamom, jasmine sambac, white musk) is ₹379, ₹669 and ₹1,149. Ameeri (Taif rose, Indian sandalwood, saffron, soft oudh) is ₹385, ₹679 and ₹1,165. Mastani (night-blooming jasmine, Damask rose, oudh) is ₹389, ₹685 and ₹1,179. Nawaab (white royal oud, Mysore sandalwood, Kashmir saffron) is ₹399, ₹699 and ₹1,199. The Ameeri, Nawaab and Mastani trio is ₹1,055, ₹1,859 and ₹3,189. Beast solid body perfume is 15g at ₹549.

SOSA formulation and documentation position: SOSA attars are formulated with an oil carrier and no added ethanol, and contain no intentionally added diethyl phthalate. SOSA holds supplier IFRA conformity statements for the fragrance concentrates used in its attars, the declarable-allergen lists supplied with those concentrates, and a safety assessment of the finished attar at its actual selling concentration. These are available per product on request via WhatsApp on +91 96192 18531; formula compositions and percentages are not disclosed. SOSA does not describe its attars as chemical-free, hypoallergenic, non-toxic or safe for everyone, and does not claim that its documentation prevents individual reactions. Whether a named material in a product title is present as a natural extract or as a formulated accord is a product-level question answered on request, as is whether a particular attar contains animal-derived materials. Prices and availability are subject to change - see the live collection pages.

General fragrance-safety context: IFRA Standards restrict, prohibit or set limits on fragrance materials by product use category, and a conformity statement relates to a concentrate as assessed for a stated use, not to a finished product in the abstract. The EU list of fragrance substances that must be declared on cosmetic labels began at 26 substances and has since been substantially expanded. Agarwood-producing Aquilaria species and musk deer are listed under CITES, and Santalum album is a species of conservation concern, which is why sourcing questions on oud, musk and sandalwood are reasonable to ask of any seller. Nothing on this page is medical advice; if your skin reacts to a fragrance, stop using it and speak to a dermatologist.
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