Brand Breakdown
Is Esas NYC a Clean Beauty Brand?
ESAS NYC is one of those brands that immediately caught our attention, mostly because they’re tackling one of the trickiest categories in clean beauty: fragrance. Rather than relying on the vague “fragrance” blends we see in most perfumes, ESAS creates its scents using natural, plant-derived ingredients and actually tells you what’s inside.
The Esas NYC Brand Story
ESAS was founded in 2020 by chemists Seda Bilginer and Amanda Sichon, who previously worked together in the traditional fragrance industry. With more than 25 years of combined industry experience, the two eventually decided to step away after becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the lack of transparency and reliance on synthetic ingredients within conventional fragrance.
The name “ESAS” translates loosely to “root” or “real” in Turkish, a reflection of the brand’s goal of returning fragrance to simpler, more transparent ingredients. Today, ESAS focuses primarily on fine fragrance, along with body sprays, candles and its Kolonya collection, all built around the idea that fragrance can still feel luxurious without relying on the conventional synthetic fragrance model.
What Esas NYC Claims About their Ingredients
Transparency is one of ESAS’s biggest selling points. Instead of listing “fragrance” or “parfum” and leaving the actual scent composition undisclosed, ESAS lists the ingredients used to create each fragrance.
The brand says its formulas are made without synthetic fragrance, phthalates, parabens, synthetic dyes, petrochemicals or hormone-disrupting ingredients. Its fragrances are built around ingredients such as organic sugarcane alcohol, coconut-derived glycerin, botanical extracts, tinctures, essential oils and naturally derived aromatic materials.
ESAS has also earned MADE SAFE certification for its fragrance collection, providing an additional level of third-party ingredient screening that we don’t often see within the fragrance category.
Inside Esas' Ingredients
This is where ESAS really stands apart for us. A typical fragrance formula might simply list alcohol, water and “fragrance,” leaving consumers with very little information about what actually creates the scent. ESAS takes almost the opposite approach.
For example, its fragrances commonly begin with organic sugarcane alcohol, distilled water, coconut-derived glycerin and an in-house grape leaf tincture, followed by individually disclosed aromatic ingredients such as vanilla, bergamot, sandalwood, lavender, cedarwood, gardenia, tonka and ylang ylang. Some formulas also use naturally derived aromatic isolates, with ESAS disclosing their natural origin rather than grouping them under a proprietary fragrance blend.
We especially appreciate that the brand maintains an ingredient glossary explaining many of its fragrance materials and where they come from. Natural doesn’t automatically mean irritation-free – essential oils and naturally occurring fragrance allergens can still be problematic for sensitive individuals – but from an ingredient transparency standpoint, ESAS is doing something we wish was much more common in the fragrance industry.
Anything We'd Change?
There honestly isn’t much we’d change from an Oh Daisey ingredient perspective. ESAS is unusually transparent about its fragrance formulas and avoids many of the ingredients that typically make conventional perfume difficult for us to recommend.
Our main reminder is simply that natural fragrance can still contain naturally occurring allergens such as linalool, limonene and other aromatic compounds. Anyone with very sensitive or fragrance-reactive skin should still review individual formulas and patch test rather than assuming “natural” automatically means non-irritating.
Beyond that, we’d love to see ESAS continue expanding its third-party certifications and sustainability reporting as the brand grows. But when it comes to fragrance formulation and transparency, this is one of the strongest brands we’ve reviewed.
Our Verdict
ESAS NYC is an easy Oh Daisey Approved for us.
Fragrance is a category where ingredient transparency is notoriously difficult to find, which makes ESAS especially refreshing. The combination of fully disclosed fragrance formulas, natural and organic ingredients, MADE SAFE certification, cruelty-free practices and a genuine effort to rethink conventional perfumery puts the brand well ahead of most traditional fragrance companies.
If you love perfume but have been trying to move away from synthetic fragrance and mystery “parfum” blends, ESAS is absolutely a brand worth exploring.
At a Glance
Founded: 2020
Cruelty Free/ Vegan: Yes. ESAS identifies its products as vegan and cruelty-free and is Leaping Bunny cruelty-free.
Certified Organic: The brand uses certified organic ingredients, including organic sugarcane alcohol and select botanical ingredients.
Sustainability:Sustainability is a significant part of ESAS’s philosophy. The brand emphasizes local and domestic sourcing where possible, refillable/recyclable glass and aluminum packaging, reduced plastic use and compostable shipping materials.
Parent Company: Independently owned / no parent company identified.
Manufactured: United States. ESAS states that its fragrances are formulated and produced in-house in the U.S., with the brand also identifying itself as made in NYC.
Giving Back: ESAS has featured charitable and “Give Back” initiatives within the brand, although we couldn’t verify a current ongoing percentage-of-sales or company-wide charitable commitment. We’d rather leave this transparent than overstate the brand’s current giving program.
Oh Daisey Rating
OhDaisey Approved!
Where to Start
Curious where to begin? These are the products that stood out based on ingredient quality, formulation and overall usability.
