Air

The Verdict

Clean Air, created by perfumer Ruhi Patil in 2015, sets out to capture the pure, crisp sensation of open air and unspoiled nature. On this conceptual level, it succeeds admirably. The fragrance genuinely evokes the feeling of stepping into clean mountain air on a cool morning, with its blend of ozonic, floral, and aldehydic notes creating an impressively convincing illusion of freshness.

However, the community consensus reveals a fundamental problem: the fragrance simply does not last. Review after review reports the scent vanishing from skin within minutes to a few hours at best, leaving wearers questioning whether the application actually happened. For a fragrance marketed as an eau de parfum, this level of evanescence is difficult to justify.

Clean Air represents a frustrating paradox: a concept so well-executed in its initial impression that its failure to persist feels like a genuine loss. The fleeting moments when it does work are genuinely lovely.

What It Smells Like

The opening immediately delivers on the name. Mountain air accord and bergamot blossom create a sensation that is genuinely airy and expansive, like breathing deeply on a mountain summit. The bergamot here is not sharp or tart but soft and blossoming, contributing citrus brightness without acidity.

The heart of green notes, freesia, and peony adds gentle floral texture without heaviness. The green accord bridges the airy top and floral heart seamlessly, creating a natural-feeling transition. The freesia contributes a clean, slightly sweet quality, while the peony adds softness and a hint of rose-like delicacy.

The base, to the extent one can perceive it, features aldehydes, powdery notes, musk, cashmere wood, and white amber. These materials give whatever remains of the scent a clean, skin-like quality. Reviewers describe the dry-down as simply clean, like fresh cotton or newly done laundry, though many note they can barely detect this phase.

When to Wear It

Clean Air is best understood as a momentary experience rather than an all-day fragrance. It works best for quick applications before short outings, as a post-shower refresh, or as a layering base beneath more persistent fragrances. Spring and summer mornings are ideal contexts for its fresh, ozonic character.

Given its longevity limitations, planning to wear this for an evening out, a full workday, or any event lasting more than an hour requires either constant reapplication or acceptance that the scent will be undetectable for most of the occasion.

Longevity & Projection

Longevity is Clean Air's fatal flaw. While the brand positions it as an eau de parfum, community reports range from 30 seconds on skin to a generous 4-6 hours on clothing. The majority of reviewers describe a scent that vanishes far faster than expected, with some calling it the shortest-lived fragrance they have ever encountered.

Projection is essentially nonexistent beyond the first few minutes of application. This is a skin scent from the start, and within a short period, even the wearer may struggle to detect it. Applying to clothing rather than skin can extend the experience, as textile fibers hold the aldehydic and musky components better than skin does.

The Community Says

Fragrantica reviewers unanimously appreciate what Clean Air smells like while expressing frustration at how briefly it lasts. The phrase that appears most frequently is that it really does live up to its name, emphasizing the accuracy of the fresh, airy concept. Reviewers describe it as very very clean and soft and airy and fresh, like a beautiful light breeze.

The longevity criticism, however, overshadows the positive scent assessments. Multiple reviewers describe it as functioning more like a body mist than an eau de parfum, questioning the pricing relative to the experience duration. The discontinuation has been noted with limited mourning, as few wearers had developed enough of a relationship with the fleeting scent to miss it deeply.

Who Should Buy This

Clean Air works for those who view fragrance as a momentary pleasure rather than an all-day commitment. If you enjoy the ritual of spraying a fresh scent and experiencing its initial burst without expecting it to accompany you through the day, the opening moments of Clean Air are genuinely delightful. It also has value as a layering base, adding an initial freshness to heavier fragrances.

Anyone seeking reliable performance, noticeable projection, or value per spray should avoid Clean Air entirely. The gap between its conceptual success and its practical failure is too wide for most fragrance buyers to bridge happily.

The Bottom Line

Clean Air by Clean captures the essence of mountain freshness with real artistry in its opening moments, but its near-immediate disappearance from skin makes it one of the most ephemeral fragrances in memory. A beautiful concept that needed a stronger foundation to become a fragrance worth recommending.