Green Product Review: CVS/pharmacy Earth Essentials Aromatic Room Mists
January 17, 2009 by Jennifer
Hey there folks. Today I’ve got a green home product review for you.
Product: CVS/pharmacy Earth Essentials Aromatic Room Mists available exclusively at CVS/pharmacy. These aromatic room mists come in four scents. I reviewed the following three…
Also available in Fresh Eucalyptus which I didn’t try, but it’s just as well, since I’m not the biggest fan of eucalyptus.
Price: Around $4 for a 7-oz can which is an excellent price point for an eco-minded air freshener.
Eco facts:
- No animal testing.
- Uses natural essential oils.
- No propellants.
- Non aerosol.
- Recyclable container.
Ingredients listed: Purified Water, Surfactant, Fragrance, Glyceryl Caprylate.
The ingredients are tricky. Glyceryl Caprylate is a low hazard chemical, and it’s not something you need to worry about. It’s the surfactant and fragrance I’d be more concerned about. For one thing there are biodegradable surfactants out there (often made from stuff like coconut), but this product doesn’t actually say what kind of surfactant is used, so it could be anything. The fragrance is another concern of mine. Fragrance is VERY vague. I’m not sure if they mean the essential oil, or possibly something else. Both terms are used on the bottle so… ?
If I had to guess, I’d assume they mean the fragrance IS the essential oil based on how these smell (not chemical, very essential oil scented) however I don’t like to guess, and consumers shouldn’t have to either.
Product pros:
- I love the Apple + Cinnamon scented room mist and the Lavender + Citrus smelled great too. Both smelled very much like natural essential oils, not like some chemically scented air freshener.
- Nice soft mist of scent. When you spray this can, you get a light mist that floats around the room. No harsh squirts.
- Not too harshly scented. Someone who is scent sensitive could likely use this product without a problem.
- It’s nice that the can is recyclable.
Product cons:
- I didn’t like the Sweet Rain scent at all. As frequent readers here may know, I’m a big ol’ essential oil user. I’ve smelled dozens, used dozens, and can usually tell you with my eyes closed which essential oil you’ve got. However, I couldn’t, for the life of me, tell you which essential oils were used to make this product. I’m not even sure I could tell you what this is scented like. It did smell chemical to me.
- I’m not sure that the lid is recyclable. I’d go ahead and toss it in the bin though.
- Obviously, I’m not pleased with their ingredient listing (see above). While they do list ingredients on their website and on the can, terms like surfactant and fragrance are just far too vague.
Pros or cons depending on your taste:
I didn’t think the product was quite so concentrated as they say they are. I also didn’t think the scents lasted very long. If you compare these to say, the 100% Pure Citrus Air Fresheners that I discussed in the post Natural Air Fresheners, these room mists are nowhere near as concentrated or long lasting.
Now, this might be a pro and it might be a con. For instance, I think that the 100% Pure Citrus Lime is WAY too much scent. You spray it and a day later it’s still really strong; which means at first it’s so overwhelming. The CVS scents are far less overwhelming. This pro or con comes down to personal taste. If you like light scents, the CVS are perfect for you. Especially if you’re using this in a small space, like the bathroom.
If you want more scent punch, I’d try something else. For example, while I like the Lavender scented CVS room mist I’d probably never buy it, because I can achieve the same results by dashing a few drops of lavender essential oil onto a room diffuser, only my lavender scent will last longer.
Overall happy tree score:
Four out of five happy trees: For both the Apple + Cinnamon scented room mist and the Lavender + Citrus room mist. I’d for sure buy the Apple + Cinnamon mist again. I would not buy the Lavender, but only because I own so much lavender oil. This is the only Lavender room mist I’ve ever smelled that truly smells like essential oil vs. weird lavender. I hate the vague ingredient list, but overall, based on my nose, I’m guessing these mists aren’t too toxic, if at all. I’d recommend both the above scents.
Two out of five happy trees for the Sweet Rain scented mist. If I can’t tell what the heck it’s made with, that’s a problem for me. If it smells perfume-like, that’s another problem. Overall, I can’t recommend this scent.
Learn more at CVS/pharmacy (tip – hit their air freshener page)
Have you used these room mists? What do you think?
[images via CVS/pharmacy]