"The future of perfumery is in the hands of chemists. We'll have to rely on the chemists to find new chemicals if we are to make new and original accords."
- Ernest Beaux
The best perfumer is nature. It continually motivates, stimulates innovation, and challenges perfumers to develop aromas that are as natural-smelling as possible. Chemists assist inventive perfumers in their quest to create fragrances that are comparable to those found in nature.
In the current day, 'natural' may be purchased using chemicals. Let's use the pharmaceutical industry as an example, which is mostly dependent on synthetic raw materials. As a result, the food supplements, vitamins, minerals, and other pills we regularly take are made from synthetic materials. A few of the causes of this polarisation include the lack of natural components, the difficulties associated with logistics, and budgetary restrictions. In reality, in today's world, this is true for practically every business.
Ironically, the moral policing brigade turns hostile and unrealistic when it comes to synthetics and fragrance. The so-called apex organisations that control how raw commodities are used are biassed. The false notion that "Naturals" are good and "Synthetics'' are harmful has largely hypnotised the general populace. These presumptions are less rational and more emotive. Animal and vegetable sources have reached their physical limitations as a result of appreciation and criticism. The investigation of fragrance raw ingredients from a scientific and environmental perspective has intensified. The use of perfumes is generally considered to be harmless, however consumers, governments, and NGOs have raised concerns about potential adverse effects. Allergens, environmental pollutants, VOCs, and carcinogens are a few of the areas of concern. All of these have led to problems with fear mongering, consumer misunderstanding, and scientific mistakes. The overall effectiveness of employing scents in consumer items has been impacted by this. It might be hypothesised that customers have returned to simpler conceptions of consumer safety rather than trusting in complex scientific rationale as a direct result of consumers' perceptions of the "ambiguous status"of scents.
'Naturals' are not necessarily safer, better, or less risky than 'Synthetics,' it is important to emphasise here. For instance, synthetic linalool shares the same chemical makeup and physical characteristics as natural linalool. Consumer opinions should not be used to judge a chemical's safety; rather, toxicity, environmental effect, and other pertinent variables should be considered. It is vital to know that both synthetic and natural perfumes may have risks, yet the reputation of synthetic materials shouldn't be disparaged only because of where it came from. Additionally, restricting the creative perfumer to exclusively "natural" raw materials can be creatively repressive and potentially hinder the economic success of the scent.
The creation of fragrance and the development of its current form can be attributed to synthetic substances. In fact, we can closely mimic the scent of a flower and even improve and extend its duration! In actuality, several "Natural's" are impractical to extract, such as the oils of lily of the valley, carnation, etc. It is far more feasible and cost-effective to create their reconstructions. By boosting the spicy notes in the carnation or making the Lyli more "floral," we can make improvements. Many synthetics have been produced or evolved with structural similarity to their natural equivalents.
Our mood is improved by the scent of grass, which includes over 50 unusual natural compounds. However, Cis 3 Hexenol and Cis 3 Hexenyl Acetate, two synthetics, are sufficient to mimic the scent of perfumes.
Let's now examine what has changed in terms of the differentiation between natural and synthetic perfumes.In the biological sense, the word "natural" refers to something with a life cycle and biological growth, as a flower or a plant. However, "natural" in the sense of "belonging to the Earth" is a very distinct idea. By this reasoning, even fossils are a part of nature. The idea has also been expanded to include synthetic aromatic compounds with a structure similar to that of natural extracts. For instance, numerous essential oils, such as lavender, rosewood, and others, may be used to extract linalool, the main component of lavender oil.As an alternative, it may be produced inexpensively from isoprene and other basic materials.
In any scenario, it is referred to as "synthetic," although "true" synthetic items are made from cheap and abundant raw resources like coal, petroleum, and its derivatives.
Because materials from natural extracts are subject to seasonal fluctuation, availability, and consistency, perfumers in the 17th and 18th centuries noted the difficulties in consistently creating perfumes. It's important to recognise how synthetic materials have developed and how they have helped perfumers recreate natural scents like muguet, honeysuckle, lilac, and gardenia, among many others. This means that the question of whether an aromatic material is natural or not is both technical and aesthetically pleasing.
Vanillin was one of the earliest synthetic compounds, created in 1876 by German scientist Wilhelm Haarmann, Karl Reimer, and Ferdinand Tiemann. Additionally, they established HAARMANN&REIMER (H&R), which is currently a part of SYMRISE.
The work of Aime Guerlain is exceptional in the history of synthetics use. His invention "Jicky" in 1889 was a departure from the dominant conventional fragrance at the time. Guerlain made no attempt to mimic nature or duplicate well-known flower scents. Jicky is brazen in that she prefers chemistry above nature and was born with fresh feelings and dimensions. "Jicky" was created using artificial molecules with natural components and had a perfume that was unique to itself!
Synthetics are strong, economical, and reliable. For instance, an analysis of a rose reveals that it contains more than 300 molecules, which work together harmoniously to give roses their distinctive aroma. We can create commercially effective Rose perfumes that are utilised in a variety of sectors, from fine fragrances to detergents, using just 20 synthetic ingredients. A natural Rose cannot in any way achieve this achievement.
Any chemical that is intended for use in personal care, food, the automobile sector, or any other business must undergo scientific research. A chemical is not always hazardous just because it is a chemical. Everything around us is a chemical, including the air, water, and salt. The typical consumer won't feel secure until these substances have been carefully analysed, examined, and explained.Ultimately, good perfumes for practical usage and commercial success are created by combining synthetics and naturals. There can be no question that natural and synthetic ingredients work well together to produce wonderful smells that appeal to the senses.