This Beachy Ingredient Is the Secret to 2025's Most-Loved Summer Perfumes

Elle

5 days ago

When I think of my favorite summer memories, long beach days and the scent of salty, sun-kissed skin come to mind—and it seems the fragrance world has caught on. Sea salt notes are trending for summer 2025, lending an aquatic touch to beachy florals and woody musks.
"Summer never gets old, and anything that makes us think of the ocean has the potential to bring joy," David Seth Moltz, perfumer and co-founder of D.S. & Durga, tells ELLE. While salt itself doesn't have a strong aroma, ozonic accords and musky notes like ambergris are often used to give perfumes a salty essence.
"Oceanic notes make perfumes smell more realistic," adds Moltz. Just like how salt enhances flavor in food, salty notes can amplify a fragrance's profile, adding a savory, skin-like quality.
From classics like Jo Malone's Wood Sage and Sea Salt to Glossier's buzzy You Fleur, I sniffed my way through dozens of sea salt perfumes—and tapped Moltz and ELLE editors—to determine which ones are truly worth the hype. Discover my edit below.
Tropical florals and marine notes are a match made in fragrance heaven in this bestselling Ellis Brooklyn perfume. Ylang ylang and tiare flower blend with salty vegan ambergris to create a summery scent that's anything but basic.
'Salt Eau de Parfum is the first day of a beach vacation," Ellis Brooklyn founder Bee Shapiro previously told ELLE. "You wake up early on your own, there's no one on the beach yet, and there's still that morning freshness in the air. It's such a unique fragrance because it's not playing on any oceanside perfume stereotypes. It's this gorgeous, sophisticated take on how the ocean makes us feel.'
Key notes: Ylang ylang, Tahitian tiare, ambergris
Sizes: 0.34-3.4 oz.
Want a subtle way to dip your toe into the sea salt perfume trend? The latest iteration of Glossier's cult-loved You is more summery than its predecessors, featuring sea salt accord and apricot skin atop musky ambrox base notes. Personally, I think it's even better than the original.
'This smells like sunshine and showering after a day in the ocean, without any of notes of sunscreen," adds Beauty Director Kathleen Hou. "It is a very soft fragrance that evokes the feeling of freshly laundered towels... It's very comforting and cozy and the quintessential girlhood scent—this generation's Marc Jacobs Daisy.'
Key notes: Apricot skin, osmanthus, sea salt, cashmeran
Sizes: 0.27-1.7 oz.
Rose Atlantic is an ode to Moltz's favorite summer destination: the New England coast. As a New England native myself, I can confirm this perfume smells just like the region's fragrant seaside roses mixed with salty ocean air. It also boasts impressive longevity and sillage—you'll only need a few sprays for this modern rose scent to linger all day.
Key notes: Lemon, rose, salt water, dune grass
Sizes: 0.33-3.4 oz.
On the hottest days, the last thing you want is a heavy fragrance. Enter this refreshing hair and body mist, lightly scented with honeysuckle, lily of the valley, and pink sea salt. It's designed to have an instant cooling effect—much like a welcome breeze.
"This scent is heavenly," raves one Amazon reviewer. "It's light yet floral and sweet with the perfect balance of salt air, so you smell so fresh when wearing it! This one will be a staple for me."
Key notes: Honeysuckle, muguet, pink sea salt
Size: 3.4 oz.
The original sea salt scent, Jo Malone's Wood Sage & Sea Salt evokes crashing waves on rugged cliffs, blending earthy sage, sea salt, and musky ambrette. To me, it's the quintessential summer office fragrance: sophisticated and memorable, yet not overpowering. (Its eau de cologne formulation is less potent than an eau de parfum, making it ideal for those who prefer a more subtle fragrance.) I keep a bottle at my desk for a midday pick-me-up that won't give my coworkers a headache.
Key notes: Ambrette seeds, sea salt, sage
Sizes: o.3-3.4 oz.
Looking for a gourmand perfume that won't turn cloying in the summer heat? Consider Liis's Choux Choux, inspired by the fluffy French pastry of the same name. This irresistible scent features a sea salt note drawn from fleur de sel caramel, balanced by citrus peel, sandalwood, and creamy, lactonic aromas.
Key notes: Citrus peel, cream, fleur de sel caramel, sandalwood, vanilla
Size: 1.7 oz.
If you're a fan of aquatic, slightly soapy perfumes, Salt Air is worth a sniff. Combining driftwood, sea salt, cotton blossom, and water lily, it's a fresh-out-of-the-shower-skin scent that's as soothing as lapping waves.
'Every time I smell this fragrance, I feel like I should be driving down the Pacific Coast Highway in a convertible," says Beauty Editor Katie Berohn. "To me, this fragrance is Los Angeles in a bottle—vibrant, sexy, and a little unexpected.'
Key notes: Sea salt, seaweed, water lily, cotton blossom, driftwood
Sizes: 0.33-1.7 oz.
Made to mimic the scent of perfumed skin after a dip in the ocean, La Mar blends creamy coconut, salt water, jasmine, gardenia, and tuberose. While I haven't had the chance to try it just yet, it seems like the kind of intoxicating fragrance you'd wear while lounging in a private cabana at a five-star resort in the Maldives. Bonus: Its quartz-capped bottle easily doubles as decor.
"It's light and feminine, wearable enough for everyday and special enough for date night," notes one Bloomingdale's reviewer.
Key notes: Jasmine, sea water, tuberose, gardenia, coconut
Sizes: 1.3-2.5 oz.
Salt-forward fragrances ooze sex appeal, since they often evoke the scent of lightly sweaty skin. Described as a "savory skin musk," Eauso Vert's Salvia Salvia smells like humid air after a tropical thunderstorm.
"Salt and mineral accents along with Mexican herbs, like salvia and clary sage, make this scent stand out,' Hou adds. An earthy base of labdanum and ambermax give it depth and longevity, lingering well beyond the six-hour mark on my skin. It's complex but not overwhelming, making it ideal for year-round wear."
Key notes: Mexican green lime, sea salt, sage, labdanum
Size: 1.7 fl. oz.
"Salted Muse smells fresh and a little earthy (in a good way), like that first whiff of ocean air you breathe in on a beach day," says Commerce Editor Sarah Maberry. "There's something a little brine-y about it that makes you want to go back for another smell." If your signature cocktail is a dirty martini, this fig and olive tree-infused scent is a must-try.
Key notes: Sea salt, olive tree, cedar
Sizes: 0.33-3.4 fl. oz.
Like vanilla soft serve on a scorching afternoon, this fragrance mist is equal parts creamy and refreshing. At first spritz, it's pure nostalgic vanilla sugar, but it dries down to cozy sandalwood, keeping it from veering too saccharine.
It also happens to be one of the longest-lasting body mists I've ever tested. I love how it transforms on my skin throughout the day—I can still catch whiffs of it well into the evening.
Key notes: Vanilla, sea salt, sandalwood
Size: 8 fl oz.
After its collaboration with Chloe Sevigny, niche perfume brand Regime des Fleurs has stayed on my radar for its unique, evocative fragrances. Inspired by midnight beaches and bioluminescent surf, Nitesurf Neroli features a rare smoked seashell accord that makes it one of the most distinctive floral perfumes on the market. It's an ethereal scent I love reaching for on sultry summer nights.
Key notes: Neroli, salty mist, citrus, smoked seashells, ambroxan
Size: 2.5 oz.
David Seth Moltz is a perfumer and co-founder of D.S. & Durga.
Lauren Gruber is a seasoned commerce writer and editor with over four years of experience covering lifestyle topics, specializing in beauty and fragrance. For this roundup, she consulted a scent expert about the sea salt perfume trend and tapped her fellow editors for their recommendations. After conducting extensive research on the topic, she personally tested nearly every scent on this list to round up the 12 best sea salt perfumes.