26 NATURALS
Have you ever bought cosmetics, personal care products or perfumes with natural ingredients
64.2% 35.8% 65.4%
No 29.4%
Yes 70.6%
34.6%
Do you think it is important for a product (cosmetics, personal care products or perfumes) with natural ingredients to be certified?
50% 50%
No 6.4%
Yes 93.6%
42.7% Figure 1: Iberchem survey of consumer perceptions of natural cosmetic products
Laura Nicolas: When it comes to regulatory affairs, I would say that the emergence of standards and regulations directly reflects the increasing popularity of natural ingredients in fragrances. A significant number of independent natural
standards have been created in recent years. It is in Europe that we find the most standards and the highest rates of certified products. More than 70% of natural and organic personal care products are certified in Germany and France. The best known are probably NATRUE and
the COSMOS standard, which has ten certification bodies in Europe, Australia and Asia. To obtain the ‘COSMOS Natural’ certification, a product must indicate the percentage of natural-origin ingredients by weight in the final product. As for North America, the Natural Products Association introduced the Natural Standard & Certification for Personal Care Products. As for me, considering the markets where the
demand for natural fragrances comes from, we are currently working with the COSMOS Ecocert certification.
María Ángeles Lopez: As an evaluator who works on the technical side of the fragrance and also with the client, I can say for sure that we are receiving an increasing number of projects involving natural fragrances. There is for instance an increasing demand from our clients to include an official seal certifying the use of natural ingredients. However, I often encounter misconceptions
when it comes to understanding natural products or products with natural ingredients. I’m often asked for fragrances that are the least harmful for health or the environment and with restrictive regulations. More often than not, people associate these elements with the concept of natural, whereas, in reality, there is no direct relationship at all. In the end, my work often has an element of educating the client about false myths or misconceptions.
PERSONAL CARE October 2021
PC: What is your opinion on the natural fragrance market? Luz: Fragrances that are 100% natural are definitely gaining in popularity, to the extent that I would say that they are here to stay. Although they are not the most commonly requested, perfumers nowadays should still be familiar with creating a fragrance using exclusively natural ingredients. Something else that is interesting to mention is
that, even when I work with synthetic ingredients, I often have to recreate natural notes. A couple of years ago, fragrance concepts were very abstract (ocean breeze, summer field, festive garden, etc.). Now it’s peony and orange, or amber and rose. When it comes to functional fragrances, especially in air care, I often get to create ‘accords’ that embody a single natural ingredient. In other words, nowadays, even synthetics ingredients are used to simulate natural notes.
Laura: From a regulatory point of view, there is still a lot of work to be done. As stated in a previous article published by Personal Care Magazine, today the Natural and Organic Cosmetics (NOC) sector still does not have an official regulatory definition for ‘natural’ in relation to cosmetics ingredients or finished products. Still, some progress has been made in recent
years. For instance, the US introduced the landmark Natural Cosmetics Act which clarifies the definition of the term “natural” when used in personal care products. Following this Act, ‘natural’ now means a product containing at least 70% natural substances (unprocessed ingredients). Until we introduce more regulations,
consumers would benefit from greater consistency and transparency from retailers and brands. People should always be critical and not blindly trust what’s written on the packaging. My recommendation would be to read about the brand and go through the full ingredients list.
María Ángeles: Considering the quantity and types of projects I manage daily, I can say for a fact that the demand for natural ingredients across different fragrance applications is increasing steadily. In the last year, I would say it has doubled. Most projects are related to the fine
perfumery segment. There is also significant demand in personal care, especially for creams and gels. We are also getting an increasing number of requests in the home care segment, particularly for detergents and fabric softeners. For now, the demand mostly comes from developed countries. In all cases, for an evaluator, it is
important to stay away from common ‘commercial’ fragrance references. The beauty and commercial spirit of a fragrance made only with natural raw materials tend to differ from those of a fragrance formulated with both natural and synthetic ingredients. On many occasions, synthetic ingredients allow us to reproduce scents that do not exist in nature, bringing new concepts and nuances to the table. There’s also the problem that some natural ingredients simply can’t be extracted. This is the case of the violet. This flower is too delicate to make it through any extraction processes. Therefore, its scent has to be reproduced using synthetics.
Sylvain: The natural and sustainable claims mentioned by my colleagues are without a doubt among the fastest growing in Europe. Even so, they still represent only a small percentage of all the fragrances launched every year. As explained by Luz, the trend still has a long
way to go. There is no doubt that the upcoming launches in perfumery, personal care and even home care will continue to promote natural and ‘cleaner’ formulations. The main risk will be not to fall into greenwashing. I am also interested to
www.personalcaremagazine.com 57.3% 46.9% 39.1%
Can you make a difference between bio, eco, vegan and natural products (cosmetics, personal care products or perfumes)?
41.7% 53.1%
Would you be willing to pay more for a product (cosmetics, personal care products or perfumes) with natural ingredients?
51.3% 48.7%
No 21.4%
Yes 78.6%
58.3%
60.9%
No 53.1%
Yes 47.6%
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