What is responsible perfumery?
Like all sectors of activity and all industries, perfumery has been undergoing a transformation in recent years in order to adopt a more sustainable and responsible approach and to limit its environmental impact.
The use of sustainable ingredients, ethical sourcing, increased transparency, reduction of the carbon footprint, protection of biodiversity, limitation of the use of controversial substances, respect for the local communities involved in the cultivation of raw materials…, we go through the initiatives and actions of the sector in terms of responsibility and the environment.
The challenges of responsible perfumery
85% of consumers, especially millennials, have changed their purchasing habits in order to prioritize more environmentally friendly consumption.
Beyond regulatory obligations in the fields of health and the environment, responsible perfumery allows for addressing increasingly important commercial and marketing issues. Increasingly attentive to the provenance and composition of the perfumes they purchase, consumers place sustainable development among the main criteria for choosing their products. According to a 2021 study conducted by the consulting firm Simon-Kucher & Partners, 85% of consumers, especially millennials, have modified their purchasing habits in order to prioritize more environmentally friendly consumption.
To address these concerns, the industry must, however, face challenges such as transparency and the risk of greenwashing. Brands must therefore redouble their efforts to prove their commitment, highlighting independent certifications and concrete initiatives rather than mere declarations of intent.
How perfumery becomes more sustainable
In order to improve its environmental impact and to adopt a long-term approach, the perfume industry has been adopting new practices and technologies in recent years.
- Use of renewable energy: Some perfume houses invest in clean energy sources to power their production sites, including the installation of photovoltaic panels on the roofs of factories and warehouses.
- Biodegradable and recyclable packaging: many brands are gradually abandoning plastic in favor of glass, FSC-certified cardboard, or compostable materials.
- Eco-responsible sourcing and ethical certifications: with the acquisition of labels such as Fair for Life or UEBT, brands can guarantee consumers a sustainable supply chain that respects workers and the environment (source: Quantis, “Make Up The Future”)
- The contribution of new technologies: artificial intelligence and biotechnology today make it possible to create bespoke fragrances while reducing the carbon footprint. For example, the use of bio-fermented synthetic molecules is now capable of faithfully reproducing natural aromas without impacting biodiversity. These solutions allow for reducing dependence on intensive cultivation of certain threatened plants, such as sandalwood or patchouli, without limiting the creativity of perfumers.
The criteria of an eco-responsible perfume
More sustainable ingredients
Today, brands prioritize the use of organic raw materials and more environmentally friendly extraction techniques when designing their fragrances. Processes such as supercritical CO2 extraction allow the production of essential oils without chemical solvents, thereby reducing pollution and improving the quality of the final product.
Natural and organic
While natural essences such as lavender or sandalwood are popular, some synthetic molecules can limit the impact of perfume production on biodiversity. For example, synthetic musk alternatives can replace animal-derived musk, ensuring both ethical compliance and a smaller environmental footprint.
Cruelty-free and vegan
Cruelty-free perfumes do not conduct animal testing and exclude ingredients of animal origin. Brands like Clean Reserve go even further by offering refillable bottles and formulas free of phthalates and parabens.
Eco-friendly packaging
Perfume bottles are increasingly made from recycled glass, while packaging tends to be biodegradable. Some brands innovate with upcycled materials, such as coconut shell caps to create closures or sugar cane residues to make their packaging.
Transparency of the supply chain
Brands like Henry Rose adopt strict standards of transparency and certification. They detail the origin of each ingredient and collaborate with independent laboratories to ensure the absence of controversial substances.
Support for conservation
Some companies are engaged in reforestation and biodiversity protection projects, such as Sana Jardin, which develops circular economic models that allow producers to directly benefit from the raw materials they grow.
Measuring the environmental impact of a perfume
The Life Cycle Analysis (LCA)
The ACV assesses the impact at every stage of the production of a perfume, from sourcing to the end of the product’s life cycle. This methodology takes into account criteria such as water consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste management.
Sourcing and manufacturing
The ACV will thus allow the impact of raw material extraction and energy consumption during the production of a perfume to be analyzed, in order to implement less energy-intensive and CO2-emitting solutions. The carbon footprint can thus be reduced through the use of solar distilleries and biocatalysis. This technique allows the production of fragrant molecules from microorganisms, thus reducing pressure on natural resources.
Transport and packaging
The transportation and packaging of perfumes is one of the other challenges to be overcome in order to create more responsible perfume brands, and it is essential to be able to measure their impact in order to implement more environmentally friendly solutions. To do this, brands can innovate by adopting lighter glass bottles, bio-sourced products, and shorter distribution channels. All these initiatives will help reduce the CO2 emissions associated with transportation and prioritize local supply chains for raw materials.
Training to become a responsible perfumer
Because our world is undergoing a profound transformation, because it must enter a period of transition to ensure its future, it is therefore particularly important that professionals in the sector can adapt and meet the new requirements of our society regarding sustainability, ethics and innovation. In order to remain competitive, anticipate consumer expectations and also comply with regulatory constraints, training in sustainable practices becomes in fact indispensable.
Cinquième Sens offers professional training dedicated to professionals who wish to adopt more sustainable and responsible practices. These training courses will enable you to acquire the necessary skills to create environmentally friendly perfumes while remaining innovative and attractive in your market.
Introduction to the sustainability of an olfactory composition (Presentational)
This training enables participants to gain a comprehensive overview of new practices and emerging trends in responsible perfumery. It will cover topics such as:
- The eco-responsible sourcing of the various ingredients
- The regulatory framework for the manufacture of a perfume
- Innovation with low-carbon raw materials, including green chemistry processes and upcycling of raw materials
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Sustainability commitment of a scented product (Mixed)
Designed for professionals, this training will allow you to integrate sustainability throughout the life cycle of your perfume, and will enable you to design sustainable products without compromising quality or creativity. It will cover, among other things:
- Resource management
- The choice of sustainable packaging (recycled plastics, glass, cardboard, etc.)
- The natural and ethical formulation, with case studies of pioneering brands in the field.
Atelier 2tonnes®: reducing your carbon footprint (Present)
Because responsible perfumery is not limited to the ingredients and formulation of fragrances, it is essential to have a comprehensive view of its impact. The 2tonnes® workshop enables industry professionals to understand the climate issues in a practical way and identify concrete actions to reduce their carbon footprint.
The workshop will address, among other things:
- Understanding the climate issues and the carbon neutrality objectives,
- The simulation in a collective setting of reducing CO₂ emissions,
- Exploring concrete actions by the perfume sector to achieve a sustainable transition.
