Frequently Asked Questions

The short answers to the questions we get most often about Flora Five attars, how they wear, and how they differ from spray perfumes.

What is an attar?

An attar (also written ittar) is a concentrated, alcohol-free perfume oil with a long tradition in India and the Arab world. It contains no ethanol. You apply one drop to a pulse point. Because there is no alcohol to evaporate, an attar blooms slowly and projects close to skin — more intimate than a spray, and more forgiving in humidity. The format predates eau-de-parfum by centuries; in classical Indian and Arab perfumery, oils were the default and alcohol-based sprays were a later, European convention. A single attar bottle of 3 ml typically lasts several weeks with daily use because the active concentration is far higher than in a sprayed perfume.

Is Flora Five alcohol-free?

Yes. Every Flora Five attar is 100% alcohol-free. No ethyl alcohol. No sting on freshly-shaved skin, no evaporation in heat, no stain on a white shirt. We use a neutral cosmetic-grade oil base — never DPG (dipropylene glycol) as a primary carrier and never ethanol — so the fragrance sits on the skin rather than flashing off.

Is Flora Five halal?

Yes. Flora Five attars contain no ethanol or other alcohols, which makes them suitable for religious observances that rule out alcohol-based perfumes. Each batch is hand-blended in our Sirhind workshop using fragrance compounds suspended in a neutral cosmetic-grade oil base — no ethyl alcohol, no isopropyl alcohol, no denatured alcohol of any kind. We do not certify with a third-party halal authority because our formulations contain no animal-derived ingredients and no alcohol of any kind, but if you require formal halal certification for a specific ritual or commercial requirement, please write to us at florafive@outlook.in and we will share our ingredient declaration in writing.

Is Flora Five cruelty-free?

Yes. Every Flora Five product is hand-blended in small batches at our workshop in Sirhind, Punjab, with no animal testing at any point — not on raw materials, not on intermediate compositions, not on the finished oil. We do not contract any third-party laboratory that conducts animal testing on our behalf, and we do not sell into markets that require animal testing as a regulatory precondition. Our packaging components (glass bottle, gold-finish cap, outer carton) are sourced from suppliers who have confirmed the same. If a specific certification body matters to you for purchase, write to us and we will share our supplier declarations.

How long does a Flora Five attar hold on skin?

A single application typically holds through the evening. Because the oil is concentrated and alcohol-free, it sits close to the skin rather than projecting into the room — what you gain in longevity and intimacy, you trade for dramatic sillage. Reapply after 6-8 hours if you want.

How do I apply an attar oil?

One drop to a pulse point — wrist, neck, behind the ear. Do not rub the wrists together; pressing oil into the skin instead of crushing the molecules preserves the top notes. One drop is enough; two at most. For a fuller effect, dab a single drop behind the ear and one on the inside of the opposite wrist, then let both settle without touching anything for 60 seconds. The roll-on applicator releases a precise dose — you do not need more than the brief contact gives you. Reapply after 6-8 hours if you want a second wear; do not over-apply at the start, since attars build slowly and a heavy first application reads loud rather than refined.

Are inspired-by attars the same as the original perfume?

No. An inspired-by Flora Five attar shares the scent direction of a named fragrance — the silhouette — but is an independent composition, created in-house by Flora Five and blended at our Sirhind workshop. It is not a replica, not a counterfeit, and not affiliated with the donor brand. We borrow the silhouette, not the formula.

What sizes are available?

Our attars and ouds come in 3 ml, 6 ml, and 12 ml, all roll-on. A 3 ml bottle lasts most customers several weeks with daily use. Our bakhoor wood chips come in 25 g, 50 g and 100 g packs.

Do you ship across India?

Yes, we ship across India through DELHIVERY with door-to-door tracking. Shipping costs: ₹49 flat on prepaid orders below ₹499; free shipping on prepaid orders of ₹499 and above. Cash-on-Delivery (COD) is available with a flat ₹50 handling fee added on top of shipping — so a COD order below ₹499 totals ₹49 + ₹50 = ₹99 in shipping and handling, and a COD order ₹499 and above pays only the ₹50 handling fee. Orders are dispatched within 1-2 working days of confirmation, and typical transit is 3-7 working days depending on your pincode. We currently ship within India only — no international shipping.

What is the return and refund policy?

See our Return & Refund Policy page for the current window and process.

Why is the oil golden-yellow?

Natural concentration. Many of the aromatic compounds used in classical attar blending — particularly oudh, sandalwood, rose absolute, saffron, and amber accords — carry a warm golden-yellow hue, and that colour transfers into the finished oil. The deeper the colour, the more concentrated the perfume material per millilitre. We do not add cosmetic dye or colourant; the visible gold is the fragrance itself, suspended in our neutral oil base. The colour is a quiet signal of the oil's character: it should look like sunlight in a glass cylinder, not like clear spring water. If your skin is fair or you wear pale fabric, the colour rinses out cleanly and does not stain — the gold is dilute enough that the dab on a pulse point is invisible within seconds.

Can I wear Flora Five in summer?

Yes — attar oils are particularly good in heat. Alcohol-based sprays evaporate quickly in Indian summers; an oil blooms slowly and holds close to skin, which reads better in humidity.

Which attar should I start with?

Browse the Best Selling Attars or the Inspired Fragrances collection for the most-loved entries. If you already wear a spray perfume you like, check whether we have a Flora Five inspired-by interpretation of it in attar form.