In the fragrance industry, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible is essential.
The world of fragrance has a long history of innovating its processes and ultimately changing how a consumer experiences a product. This dates back to the 1980s, when the industry was changed forever by the introduction of headspace technology. A nondestructive, cost-effective method of capturing an aroma without removing the olfactory sample from its natural environment, headspace technology takes the odor of the sample—often a flower, herb, or plant—and releases it by trapping it under a glass dome. This process allows the sample to release its scent element without being crushed or processed.
British brand Jo Malone London has been using the technology in its fragrances since the inception of the brand. “Headspace technology was developed to capture ingredients that were not available naturally,” says Celine Roux, Jo Malone London’s global head of fragrance.
“At the beginning of perfumery, fragrances were made with ingredients that were extracted from nature. However, some plants and flowers cannot be extracted as essential oils or absolutes because they’re too fragile. Others are endangered species, so they must be protected. Headspace technology allows the creation of new fragrances with different olfactives. Imagine that it is like taking a photograph of the scent.”
Left: Jo Malone London global head of fragrance Celine Roux (Photo by Archie Brooksbank) Right: Capturing Honeysuckle & Davana Cologne (Photo by Archie Brooksbank)
For Jo Malone London, the process has allowed the brand to deepen the connection between its scents and its company origins. “As a British brand, many of our fragrances are inspired by the landscapes and traditions of the country,” says Roux. “But, not a lot of the ingredients are native to Britain. To remain authentic to our roots, we use headspace technology to capture scents that are not in the perfumers’ palettes. Because we tailor-make ingredients that are exclusive to Jo Malone London, when you experience the fragrances, they have something that you cannot smell anywhere else.”
Further expanding what’s possible in the fragrance industry is DSM-Firmenich, the world’s largest privately owned fragrance and taste company, started in 1895. The company recently launched Focus, powered by EmotiCODE™, the first patent-pending, AI-generated fragrance that they say could help consumers improve focus.
“Basically, we cracked the ‘code’ to develop fragrances that elicit a certain emotion or benefit,” says Lauren Rooney, DSM-Firmenich’s VP of fine fragrance marketing. “We identified the olfactives that were highly disrupting or enabling for focus. Based on the olfactives and ingredients, we created a sort of recipe to develop the fragrances. The first code we went after was ‘focus’ but expect to continue with ‘happiness’ and so forth.”
Lauren Rooney, DSM-Firmenich VP of Fine Fragrance Marketing Lauren Rooney (Photo courtesy of DSM-Firmenich)
This technology brings the fragrance industry into new realms, literally enabling consumers to achieve heightened states of emotion via scent. “Through our extensive consumer research, we know that for consumers today, mental well-being is a key priority,” states Rooney. “They tell us that they suffer from anxiety and stress from lack of focus. In our global Scent Move Study, 85% of consumers said they believe fragrances can help them be more focused or concentrated. With EmotiCODE™ Focus, we can develop fragrances that deliver on this expectation.”
With the continued research and boundary-pushing happening in the fragrance industry, the sky is truly the limit when it comes to what’s next in scents.
