With famous fashion labels flooding the market and budding trends keeping formulators on their toes, perfumery has a stronger, more aggressive hold in the market than ever anticipated. Mass fragrances are the engine of growth as consumers put scent above image and are more price conscious than in other markets. Future prospects are looking strong. With mega-entrepreneurial spirits, fine attention to detail, a revolutionary new sector labeled ‘unisex’ and flashy advertising, say good-bye to the days of the small perfumeries, and hello to emotions, imagination, memories and fantasy—all contained in a bottle. But that’s not all—fragrance is much more than scent; perfume ingredients have been shown to offer a multitude of benefits, from anti-irritant properties to positive psychological impacts.
THE EVOLUTION CONTINUES
Fragrance, aromatherapy, essential oils — they’re on everyone’s lips (and necks). Scent is science; it is highly potent, medicinal, therapeutic and, when used correctly, it provides both psychological and physical benefits.
So what are the differences among fragrance oils, aromatherapy and essential oils?
Essential oilscontain the true essence of the plant they were derived from. It is liquid distilled from the leaves, bark, stems, flowers or root of a plant. The chemical composition and aroma of essential oils can provide valuable psychological and physical therapeutic benefits. These benefits are usually achieved through methods including inhalation and application of the diluted oil to the skin.
Fragrance oils, in comparison, are artificially created. They contain synthetic substances or are diluted with carrier oils, and they do not offer the caliber of therapeutic benefits that essential oils offer.
Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for psychological and physical well-being. The use of essential oil in aromatherapy can offer various therapeutic effects. Aromatherapy essential oils begin to work when their aroma molecules are absorbed into the body, either inhaled into the lungs or absorbed through the skin. The natural chemical constituents of aromatic oils stimulate the brain into producing a reaction, whether mental or physical. Aromatherapy oils were used as far back as ancient Egypt, Greece and China.
Today’s fast-paced lifestyle has driven renewed interest in the use of aromatherapy to improve mood and relieve the symptoms of stress. For example, lavender oil is well known for its relaxing properties; and tea tree oil has numerous healing qualities.
COSMETIC SCIENCE
Perfumed skin care products can relax and improve the emotional states of menopausal women, according to a research paper in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.1 The study, involving both Lancôme and L’Oreal products, indicated positive effects when users were familiar with the perfumed skin care products. Author Anne Abriat suggested the association between familiar smells has positive effects both on the skin and in the mind.
Alan Hirsch from the Chicago-based Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation added: certain smells can produce specific effects. Researchers Blau and Solomon studied 50 migraine patients over the course of three migraine episodes.2 Subjects were given a pen-like device with a tip that smelled of green apples. Patients were asked to rate the severity of their first migraine on a scale of one to 10. During the second episode, they were asked to rate their migraine, inhale the green apple smell for 10 minutes and then rate their migraine again. During the third episode, they followed the same procedure for the first migraine. Out of the 50 patients, 15 found the green apple odor to be pleasant, and they experienced a significant reduction in the severity of their migraine.
Another study conducted at the Centre Universitaire, France, suggested the beneficial effects of essential oils are due to pro-oxidant effects at the cellular level, affecting inner cell membranes such as mitochondria.3 Depending on type and concentration, they are usually non-genotoxic.
AROMATHERAPY IN PRACTICE
Knowing the chemotype of an essential oil is an absolute necessity in the practice of aromatherapy; it is important to understand the science and internal use of these highly potent, concentrated substances. Potential hazards depend on the compounds in the oil, the dosage and frequency used, and the method of application.
Essential oils have an immediate impact on the sense of smell. When essential oils are inhaled, receptor cells are stimulated and the impulse is transmitted to the emotional center of the brain, or limbic system. This system is connected to areas of the brain linked to memory, breathing and circulation, as well as the endocrine glands, which regulate hormone levels. The properties of the oil, the fragrance and its effects, determine how each system is stimulated. For example, when used in massage, essential oils are not only inhaled, but absorbed through the skin as well. They penetrate the tissues and find their way into the bloodstream where they are transported to the organs and systems of the body.
REINVIGORATING FRAGRANCE
Perfumeries are looking at all angles for inspiration. One of the latest scent trends is the use of color in the creation of new perfumes. Arlyessence, based in Marietta, Ga., works with color forecasters to create palettes to convey the latest scent trends. But the company doesn’t stop there—they not only track color forecasting, but also culinary and fragrance trends, new packaging and delivery systems, innovative formulations, and consumer purchasing habits.
They noted specialty fragrances are emerging as a fast-growing niche; and artisanal fragrances are reviving the industry by educating consumers on how different ingredients react with the body’s scent chemistry, resulting in a unique smell on different individuals.
According to Barbara Zoebelein, perfumer, Drom Fragrances International, inspiration comes many times from the raw materials themselves. “It’s like a game to work with the most challenging, difficult to use or unusual smelling products in overdoses or new combinations,” she said.
THE FUTURE OF FRAGRANCE
Perfume compositions are an important part of many industries, ranging from the luxury goods sector and food service to manufacturers of household chemicals. The purpose of using perfume or fragrance compositions in these industries is to affect customers through their sense of smell and entice them into purchasing the perfume or perfumed product. As such, there is significant interest in producing a perfume formulation that people will find aesthetically pleasing. The job of composing perfumes that will sell is left up to the perfumer, an expert on perfume composition.
The perfumer is essentially an artist who is trained on the concepts of fragrance aesthetics. At the most rudimentary level, a perfumer must have a keen knowledge of a large variety of fragrance ingredients and their smells, and be able to distinguish each of the fragrance ingredients whether alone or in combination with other fragrances. As well, they must know how each ingredient reveals itself through time with other ingredients.
Fragrances and the benefits of essential oils will continue to evolve. Custom-designed fragrances, perfume blends, and studies on the raw materials and their biological activities will take fragrance in a new direction, possibly as an alternative approach to health care outside the realm of conventional medicine—an inevitable evolution.
References
Abriat, Anne. Fragrance Improves The Mood of Skin Care Users. International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2007
Hirsch, Alan. “The Effect of Inhaling Green Apple Fragrance to Reduce Migraine.” The Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation, 2007
BakkalI, et al. “Biological Effects of Essential Oils - A Review.” ScienceDirect, 2007; 9:106.