Jules Miller of The Nue Co. Explains Why Your Perfume Might Be Messing With Your Hormones

Perfume is one of those little luxuries that can instantly shift a mood. A spritz before a night out, a dab after a shower—it’s ritual, nostalgia, and confidence, bottled. But what if the fragrance that makes you feel like your best self is quietly throwing your hormones out of balance? 

On Everything Is the Best, host Pia Baroncini sits down with Jules Miller of The Nue Co. to discuss the surprising effect that, she says, fragrance has on your overall wellness. 

Perfume Could Be Messing With Your Hormones, Says Jules Miller

Why clean fragrance matters—and what’s hiding in your signature scent 

Miller’s obsession with wellness started early. After being put on birth control at age 12 and battling IBS through her teens and twenties, she discovered how closely her gut, hormones, and environment were connected. That insight became the foundation for The Nue Co., a wellness brand that merges science, sustainability, and sensibility. 

So when the conversation turns to perfume, she doesn’t mince words. “Everything we’ve ever developed has been endocrine-safe,” Miller says. “Fragrance is everywhere—in detergent, in cosmetics, in all our personal care products. But we’re not really talking about what that constant exposure might do.” 

She points out that while the beauty industry has transitioned to clean skincare, the fragrance industry has lagged behind. The reason? A loophole that allows brands to hide potentially harmful chemicals under the label of “trade secrets.” As she puts it, “People assume that if it’s on a shelf, it must be safe—but that’s not always true.” 

You don’t have to abandon every product you love. You just have to know what’s in it—and make conscious swaps where you can. 

When wellness gets overwhelming 

Baroncini admits she’s been down the “everything is toxic” rabbit hole, too—the one where even the air you breathe feels like a threat. Miller laughs in recognition. “I went off the deep end when I started learning about all of this,” she says. “Nothing could come in plastic. No one could wear perfume around me. It was extreme.” 

Eventually, she found her balance. That led The Nue Co. to develop its “functional fragrance” line: products designed not just to smell beautiful, but to reduce stress and support mood.  “We wanted to create a fragrance that works with your body, not against it,” Miller explains. “Our scents are built to support your nervous system—so they actually make you feel good.” 

The connection between scent, mood, and identity 

Perfume does more than make us smell good. It carries memory, intimacy, and emotional connection. Miller describes how certain scents can trigger cortisol spikes or calm the nervous system, linking what we wear to our emotional state. 

She also shares a wild fact that changed her own view of fragrance. “When people are creating embryos in a lab, no one is allowed to wear perfume because it can affect the embryo’s ability to form,” she says. This is due to the potential for certain chemicals in fragrances to disrupt the delicate hormonal balance necessary for successful embryo development. That, more than anything, is enough to give most people cause for pause when applying Chanel No. 5 (or any other perfume they like to wear).

The ultimate answer isn’t to toss your cosmetics tray or swear off candles forever. It’s about balance. Whether it’s choosing a cleaner scent or simply pausing to notice how one makes you feel, awareness is the most powerful fragrance of all. 

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