Fragrance Design Flashcards
What does A stand for?
Aldehyde
What does B stand for?
iceBerg
What does C stand for?
Citrus
What does D stand for?
Dairy
What does E stand for?
Edible
What does F stand for?
Fruity
What does G stand for?
Green
What does H stand for?
Herb
What does I stand for?
Iris
What does J stand for?
Jasmine
What does K stand for?
Konifer
What does L stand for?
Light floral/ Linalool
What does M stand for?
Muguet
What does N stand for?
Narcotic
What does O stand for?
Orchid
What does P stand for?
Phenolic
What does Q stand for?
Queen of the Orient
what does R stand for?
Rose
What does S stand for?
Spice
What does T stand for?
Tar and Smoke
What does U stand for?
Urine and Feces
What dies V stand for?
Vanilla
What does W stand for?
Wood
What does X stand for?
X-rated, musk
What does Y stand for?
Yeast, mossy, earthy
What does Z stand for?
Zolvent
Who made the ABC’s
Stephen Douthwait
How did the founder come up with ABC’s
He was teaching around the world, most countries know the ABC’s
How does Classic perfumery learn fragrance?
Memorise 800 different fragrances in the first 2 years.
In the ABC table which are top notes?
A-H
In the ABC table which are middle notes?
I-S
In the ABC table which are bottom notes?
T-Z
Is the ABC table a rule or a guide?
A guide
Do top, middle or bottom notes have the least time?
Top
Do top, middle or bottom notes have the most time?
Bottom
Which letter in the top notes section can often last a long time?
Dairy
Do single materials have on smell? Give example
No they have an odour profile, this is especially true for essential oils, for example Vetivert oil java has 85%woody, 10% yeasty mossy and 5% tar notes.
How are these subcatergories catergorised?
Capital for first note, lower case for secondary. eg. Vertivert (85% woody, 10% yeasty/mossy) would be Wy,
How are some subcategories subjective?
People can have differing opinions on them, woody with underline citrus or citrus with underline wood. Tends to go with the power of suggestion
Describe how odour can vary?
It is not known how odour is determined, lactone can smell to some people like parmesan cheese, or fresh vomit, reaction will be very different despite the fragrances being very similar.
What other systems are there to remember fragrances?
Floral, woody, anabolic, balsamic, herbaceous, agrestic (food/edible), green, minty, mossy, marine, aldehydic, medicated (phenolic, narcotic), fruity, citrus, spice, miscellaneous
How else can you group fragrances? (4)
By subjective quality (powdery, invigorating, calming, sensual etc.) by ambience (masculine, feminine, natural, sporty etc.), by objective adjectives (musky, hay-like, camphoraceous, aromatic etc.), by chemical function (amines, aldehydes, alcohols, esters, ethers, phenyls, terpenes monoterpenes etc.)
Describe grouping fragrances by subjective quality
Trying to connect them to emotions and sensations. This can sometimes be valid however can sometimes can get in the way of perception.
Describe the disadvantage of grouping by chemical function
You often can’t get far as some chemicals have the same function but can smell very different.
What makes combinations of perfume infinite? What are they affected by? (5)
Fragrance involved, their sources (season, method, time, location, species), their concentrates (civet (anamilic) smells like cat urine at high conc. at low conc. smells floral), their relative proportions in a fragrance (eg. galbanum (green) might suppress or add to different fragrances) and the bases in which they are presented (alcohol at various different conc. w/ or w/o water, creams, detergents solids etc. eg. water changes fragrance)
What are the 8 important fragrance types?
Floral, Eau de Cologne, Aldehydic, Chypre, Fougre, Leather, Oriental, Tobacco
Describe Floral
Self explanatory, recreate characteristics of flowers
Describe Eu De Cologne
One of the oldest fragrances, fore runners of mensfragrance. freshness and lightness are the hallmarks
Describe the mixtures of Eu De Cologne
Citrus oils, freshness through addition of camphoraceous (cool) herb oils, floral notes, musk
What is the typical solvent for Eu De Cologne?
Typically around 3% in 70% ethanol, eau de toilette 10-15%, eau de parfum 20-30%
What are some examples of Eu De Cologne?
4711, Eau Savage (Dior), Old Spice
Why does 4711 smell like toilets?
Been around since 1711, over 200 years, people use a fragrance, it get very popular, as it grows people put it into more things, candles, rooms sprays until it eventually gets to toilet products.
How complex is Eau Savage?
Very complex, and long lasting, over 30 components
Describe Aldehydic Fragrances?
Originally by Earnest Beaux who created Chanel No. 5. Chanel No.5 is the classic smell, now reproduced to make the scent in Lux soaps. Often associated with clean laundry.
What are the mixtures of Aldehydic?
Significant proportion of aldehydes (classically a few % but as much as 25%) blended with floral components particularly Ylang ylang
Give examples of Aldehydic fragrances
Chanel No. 5, Lux Soap, White linen (Esteemed Lauder)
How did Chypre fragrances get the name?
French word for the island of Cyprus, the meeting point for aromatics trade from east to west.
What did Chypre scents smell like in the 19th century? (10 components)
In 19th Century, Cyprus was famed for production of perfumes that combined citrus oils, floral pomades, labdanum from the mediteranium region, and resins such as styrax, incense, opopnax, myrrh, civet and musk
What does Chypre scents smell like today? )11 components)
Today refers to the Chypre scent made by Coty in 1917, Oakmoss, bergamot, Jasmin, labdumanum, civet and musk some woody notes such as patchoullli or vetiveryl acetate but also variety of aldehydes, green, fruity and leather.
Give examples of Chypre fragrances
Miss Dior, Chypre, Mitsouko
Where does Fougere get its name?
French word for fern
Describe Fougere fragrances
Captures the essence of the forest.
What are the mixtures of Fougere fragrances?
Herb top note, mossy (oak moss) bottom note, freshness from citrus, spice for warmth and deep, vanilla notes from the base
Give examples of Forgere fragrances
Boss (Hugo boss) Pour Homme (Paco Rabanne), Fougere Royal
What made the difference with Fougere Royal by Houbigant over 100 years ago?
The herb top note and vanilla bottom note
Describe leather fragrances
A relative of Chypre, has citrus and mossy notes, a little like miss Dior (chypre) but less feminine and more animal like
What components are in a leather perfume?
Castoreum (leather), ambergris (amber, woody, powdery), citrus notes, mossy, tar and smoke or phenolics (meant to make it more dramatically masculine)
Give examples of Leather perfumes
Gentleman (Givenchy), Aramis, Carbochard
Describe oriental or amber fragrances
Changing terminology as it can be seen as derogatory, however it is not a description of the customer, recalls the exotic spices, resins and wood that travelled along the old silk road, rich, sweet exotic
What compoanants are in an amber perfume?
Vanilla, sandal wood, vetiver, animal notes, distinguished by citrus, green and spice
Give examples of Amber perfumes
Shalimar, Obsession (Calvin Klien), Opium (Yves Saint Laurent
What do Amber perfumes often look like?
They often have an amber colour, and the bottle often reflects this.
Describe Tobacco fragrances
The more masculine notes of Fougere
What are the main components of Tobacco perfume?
Fresh citrus top notes, green herbs, pine needles, spicy, rich woody middle to bottom notes, new mown hay (coumarin) natural tobacco notes
Give examples of tobacco fragrances
The dreamer (Versace),, Tom Ford (Tobacco Oud),Tarac Orignal
Why is the perfumers workbook helpful?
Quantifies fragrances by giving relative odour impact, can create samples and get them sent to you, tells you which fragrances are suitable for different formulations, gives you cost, you can see different components of a fragrance
What is relative odour impact relative to?
Linalool which has an odour impact of 100 (100 isn’t that strong)
What is a big part of the creative/artistic process?
Intent, creating something you like won’t be targeted enough
What are four ways to design a successful fragrance?
Make what pleases you, find a gap in the market, create a theme, define your customer
What is the disadvantages to making what pleases you?
It’s very artistic, you have to hope others like what you like, it’s the riskiest. But even then you need a plan
What can help you design a fragrance?
Frameworks, but we would need to reduce the amount of components to 10-15
What are some key questions you need to think about when designing a fragrance (8 components)
Why have you chosen it? What is special about it? How will you know you’ve achieved your intent? Who will buy it? Why will they buy it? What will they pay? How will they buy it? How will they hear about it?
Describe the differences between a Calvin Klein perfume for $45 and a Tom Ford perfume for $345?
They have got two different business schemes, Calvin Klein is targeting volume business, they have lower prices, whereas Tom Ford is going for exclusive business. Tom Ford doesn’t necessarily have high quality ingredients, but you’re paying for the name. Consumers don’t always go for cheap and affordable fragrances, often will splurge and buy a nice one.
What are the two different approaches to creating a perfume?
Theme first approach, customer first approach
Describe theme first approach
Fits with the idea of creating something you like, inspiration and creativity take the lead, then define and adjust as necessary to a target customer, use perfume styles to provide a structure, risky by how that people will follow your lean and that what you like others will too.
Describe customer first approach
Fits with strategy of finding a gap in the market, end-used value takes the lead, then define a theme to build around and tell a story, use perfume styles to provide a strucutre, less risky but possibly may lead you away from your passion
What is theme using mind mapping?
Take a picture and split it into sections, creating your fragrance around the different sections of the picture.
What is synesthesia?
Mixing different senses eg. Smelling something and seeing a colour
How many people experience true synesthesia?
6%
How are the rest of people influenced?
By association, words, feelings, sources
What are key things to think about when thinking of a persona?
Who are they? Where are they? What are there interests? Where do they shop? What do they buy?
Give examples of persona definitions (12 things)
Location, age, gender, interests, education, job, income, relationship status, language, favourite websites, motivation, concerns
Give examples of persona lifestyles and hobbies
Type of home and interior design, fashion style, where they go on holiday, what kind of accommodation they use, what sports they follow, where they shop, favourite bands and product categories, apple or android
Give examples of persona importance when shopping (18 things)
Overall qualities, value for money, economy/ consumption, materials and components, workmanship, construction and functioning, performance, personalisation, exrtaordianriness, rarity, prestige/image, ethical/eco-friendly, safety/happiness, design usability/simplicity, sales service
What 8 things do you have to think about when thinking of the stability of individual fragrance components?
Air/Oxygen, Temperature, Moisture, pH, Light, Time, Contamination, Packkaging
Describe why air/oxygen can be problematic
Oxidation, polymerisation, viscosity increase, hypochlorites (bleaches), perborates (detergents), soap. Terpenes in citrus oil can become turpentine notes.
Describe why temperature can be problematic
Speeds up deterioration, ideally store at 10 degrees- 20 degrees
Describe why moisture can be problematic
Hydrolosis- water tight packaging is needed and/or include a pinch of sodium sulphate
Describe why pH can be problematic
Careful when pH lies outside 6-8, esters (especially problematic) eg linalyl acetate (think f-fruit) can hydrolyse into acid/alcohol at acidic ph. Acetates can generate vinegar, butyrates a rancid butter note. Acetals are unstable in acid, split into acetaldehyde and alcohol; benzaldehyde unstable at high pH.
Determine if the following are acid or alkali or neutral, 1.Cold wave lotions, 2.antiperspirants, 3.fabric softener, 4.dishwashers, 5.’neutral skin products’
1.Alkali, 2.Acidic, 3.acidic, 4.alkaline, 5.slightly acidity
Describe why light can be problematic?
Photocatalysed reactions- use dark containers
Describe why time can be problematic
Expire. Relationship between molecular weight and functional groups vs timeLight citrus oils 3-6 months, general compounds 12 months, rich oriental 24 months
Describe why contamination can be problematic?
Vapours mingling
Describe why packaging can be problematic?
Glass, aluminium, copper, stainless steel, plastics (not PVC, Acrylic, LDPE, polysulfate) (polypropylene is best) ceramics. If the components are permeating from packaging to product or product to packaging it has to be non desirable for the shelf life.
Describe what other formulations apply when talking about stability of individual fragrance components in terms of soap colour
Light coloured soap, as well as creams, lotions, deodorant sticks and shampoos
How do fragrances change soap colour?
Usually progressive darkening, from colourless through to hello to brown, or red if using indoles
What fragrances colour these formulations? (10)
Musks, indoles (severe at even trace quantities), anthanalites (severe yellowing due to Schiff base formulation with free aldehyde base), Vanilin (severe, instead use ethyl vanillin at low conc. or heliotropin), cinnamic aldehyde, curtail (yellow brown), eugenol (brown) isoeugenol (severe to black), thymol (darkening), phenols (oak moss, castoreum, oils containing eugenol)
What can the perfumers workbook tell us in terms of stability?
Which applications the fragrance works in eg. soap, shampoo etc.
What are the four different methods of stability testing fragrances?
Chilling, oven testing, light testing, smell testing
In what conditions of you chill test fragrances?
24-48 hours at -10 degrees
What does chill testing achieve?
Precipitates out waxes in particular, you can then cold filter them out. You will know if it’s stable under cold storage conditions. If you don’t remove waxes and they go back to liquid at room temperature, then they will come back eventually its just a matter of time
In what conditions do you oven test fragrances?
28-54 days at 40 degrees, 14-28 days at 50 degrees, 7-14 days at 60 degrees
What does oven testing at 40 degrees tell us?
Will pock up on a range of temperatures the product will undergo in a temperate climate
What does oven testing at 50 degrees tell us?
Represents shipping conditions in tropical climates
What does oven testing at 60 degrees tell us?
Visually a destruction test but represents very poor storage during shipping in tropical climates, this is often not that helpful
What conditions do you light test fragrances?
Use of UV or daylight wavelength at various intensities. Could leave in the window facing the sun.
What does light testing tell us?
7 days tropical sunlight, or high UV incidence will screen out the problems, eg. degradation of discoloration
What conditions do you smell test fragrances?
Compare the above tested products to a control kept in fridge at regular intervals
What does smell testing tell us?
Nothing beats sensory evaluation
Describe water solubility in relation to fragrance stability
Differs over a wide range, depends of polarity, no relationship to ABC’s
Describe vapour pressure in relation to fragrance stability
Related to relative odour impact (ROI) and odour life, weak relationship to ABC’s
What are the practical implications of water solubility?
Highly water soluble components behave disappointingly in water-based products (eg. moisturising gels), ironic as these have great solubility in such bases. Relative poor performance when applied to water friendly surfaces (fabric softeners on cotton after drying), tend to be lost on rinsing with water from fabric, skin, hair. They tend to do better in oil based products and oil friendly surfaces, although may possess solubility issues.
What is water solubility an essential predictor of?
Clarity of perfume solutions, although more about distribution between phases (water/air, water/oil, water/fibres) 100% ethanol (dries skin out, so have to add water to it, costs more money so might as well by 96% ethanol) 96% ethanol better, 90% ethanol solubility issues arise
What does relative volatility have implications for?
Odour life and impact. Impact less so as it comes down to the receptors in the nose, it’s not just about compounds which makes it hard to predict.
How does medsafe class fragrances?
Depending on the product/ dosage form
What is the definition of fragrance ingredients according to medsafe?
Any ingredient used in the manufacture of fragrance material for it odorous, odour enhancing or blending properties. Fragrance ingredients may be obtained by chemical synthesis from synthetic, fossil or natural raw materials or by physical operations from natural sources and include aroma chemicals, essential oils, natural extracts, distillates and isolates and oleoresins
Do ingredient with different functions have to be classed as fragrance ingredient?
No
How could new regulations affect fragrance?
New regulations are coming out with chemical classes, which could remove far too many fragrances than necessary.
If the fragrance was extracted with a solvent and the solvent is not added to the product do you record it on the label?
No
Do you have to worry about natural products with impurities?
No
What does ingredient mean according to medsafe?
Means the components present in a cosmetic product but odes not include impurities in the raw materials used.
Do free samples need labelling requirements?
No, but as soon as you charge for samples, they need to be labelled
Do you have to give the fragrance composition on the label?
No, mostly you just put ethanol, parfum water etc.
Do allergens need to be listed in NZ?
No, however it is an international requirement so you should put them on as a bare minimum
What does the list of ingredients in schedule 4 contain?
Components cosmetic products must not contain, they can only be used in trace amounts/impurities
What does the list of ingredients in schedule 5 contain?
Components cosmetic products must not contain except subject to the restrictions and conditions laid out. These are ingredients you should check
What other specifications are monitored by medsafe?
Colouring agents, preservatives, UV filtering agents
What are the two specifications of allergens for fragrance products?
European Union (EU) list of allergens, and INFRA
Which of the two specifications of allergen for fragrance products applies in New Zealand?
Neither
Describe the EU list of allergens
A list of 26 allergens that must be included in labelling if over a certain concentration in a product (this list changes often and things are added. This is compulsory for products in the UE and UK
Describe INFRA
Internation Fragrance ‘research’ association, a very long and growing list of restricted and prohibited materials, largely voluntary but possibly the most comprehensive system. More complicated. Lots of countries will ask if within INFRA
How many items are on the EU list, how specific are they?
26, they are very specific
Is there a case to be made about all of the products on the EU list?
Some could be argued either way
Explain why it is confusing that linalool is on this list, why is it on the list
Linalool makes up 60-70% of lavender oil which is an anti-inflammatory, it is on the list because someone has a reaction and reports it, linalool is present in many components and so it gets put on the list.
How can the EU list become problematic in the future?
Adding more and more ingredients until there aren’t many left
What is list A on the EU list?
Fragrance chemicals which according to existing knowledge are most frequently reported and well recognised as consumer allergens
What is list B on the EU list?
Fragrance chemicals which are less frequently reported and thus less documented as consumer allergens
How do you calculate EU allergens labelling?
List raw fragrances formulation components and convert to %, look up composition of each component with respect to % of EU allergens, calculate percentage of EU allergens contributed by each formula component, add up total % of EU allergen, decide if labelling is necessary.
How does INFRA differ?
Depending on what the product is used for
How do you calculate for INFRA restrictions?
List all raw fragrance formulation components and convert to %, look up composition of each restricted material according to INFRA class, calculate % of restricted materials contributed by each formulation component, add up total % of each restricted material, decide where totals meet restrictions
What are the most used ingredients in perfumes?
Spices, woods, flowers, grasses, fruits, resins, leaves, roots , balsams, gums and animal secretions
Which is leading the market, Male, Female or Unisex fragrances?
Female followed by male and unisex
What are we looking for in fragrance after the last two years?
Looking for solace in fragrances that support us emotionally, seeking comfort, balance, confidence and joy from these spaces
What types of scents should we expect more of?
Gender neutral scents
What are 2 fragrance market trends in 2022
Sustaibalilty and wellness are becoming the most influential concepts in nearly every industry, environmentally friendly fragrances and selfcare scents are in high demand
What fragrance componants will we be seeing more of and why?
Gardinia, cedar, vetiver, roses, teas and patchouli. This is due to the need to reconnect with nature and the forest bathing trend.
How is self care shaping fragrance?
Wide spread anxiety and concern by consumers, brands wanting to align themselves with this are creating fragrances that promote calmness, featuring components like lavender, rosemary and yang ylang.
How is GEN Z and individualism shaping fragrance?
Brands are reformulating their products to better suit Gen Z, Gen Z are looking to connect with brands that embrace transparency and social responsibility, most engaged with brands that have a social media presence, and whose values align with theirs (sustainability, and individuality). Gen z are looking for products that allow them to express their individuality.
What are the advantages to solid fragrance?
Keep fragrance at your fingertips
What are upcycled fragrances?
Fragrances that have been formulated with the essence and other scent material derived from waste
How are brands bringing other senses into fragrance?
By using colour and touch, solid products that are highly portable giving you a new sensorial experience
How is laundry detergent changing?
Laundry perfume, like a perfume product laundry detergent sold in aesthetically pleasing packaging
Describe the ideal balance with Natural products in fragracnces
Eco conscious but not solely reliant on natural is better
