Industry should act to implement sustainable fragrances, Organic Monitor

26-Jan-2011 - Last updated on 26-Jan-2011 at 14:04 GMT

Sourcing and technical hurdles still remain the primary reasons for the low adoption rate of sustainable fragrances and fragrance ingredients in the cosmetic industry with raw material availability and quality one of the major barriers.

Specialist market research company Organic Monitor has devised a Masterclass in which it will highlight the major hurdles associated with sustainable fragrances and propose potential solutions.

Judi Beerling, head of technical research at Organic Monitor, told CosmeticsDesign-Europe.com the main aim of the Masterclass is to illustrate the current issues and challenges surrounding fragrancing products with sustainable ingredients, whether blended fragrances or essential oils.

Increasing consumer interest

“Sustainability is a relatively new but hot topic in fragrances. Whether companies currently operate in the natural area or not, consumers are becoming much more interested in where the ingredients in cosmetic products are sourced and to be assured that the plant/tree is not becoming a threatened species as a result,” she said.

Beerling also explained is increasing regulatory pressure on fragrance ingredients, with certain essential oils coming under scrutiny in the EU.

“I think this awareness will only increase as the spotlight falls more and more on the provenance of ingredients and the thorny issues of the so-called allergens in essential oils, which some dispute really are allergenic,” she said

Adulteration of essential oils

One of the other main topics for the industry to be raised by Organic Monitor at its Masterclass, is the adulteration of essential oils, with cheap substitutes or odourless materials.

“Large companies have historically struggled to ensure that the essential oils they buy are pure and from the source they are claimed to be. These companies have sophisticated analytical techniques and experts who are trained to spot adulterated material,” commented Beerling.

“However, the small cosmetic producer will have to rely on relationships with their suppliers but with many growers and traders in the supply chain this can be difficult,” she added.

Masterclass to discuss and highlight

The ‘Natural Cosmetics Masterclass’ organised by Organic Monitor will be split into two sessions looking at sustainability issues associated with fragrances, fragrance requirements as well as an update on the European natural cosmetics market.

The event, held at the Trocadero Business Center in Paris on 2nd March, will also explore the options available for developers, formulators and manufacturers, as well as enabling delegates to meet and discuss the issues with other specialists in the industry.

“We will examine how the natural/organic standards relate to fragrances and whether there needs to be more consideration of overall sustainability rather than just naturalness,” said Beerling, who will present a session on ‘Developing Sustainable Fragrances’ at the Masterclass.

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