INGREDIENTS Archives

May 5, 2023May 8, 2023

Captive Molecules: Frank Voelkl Reveals All (Mostly)

IMAGE: Firmenich.

The last time I chatted with Frank Voelkl, I instinctively knew he would enlighten me about the importance of synthetics in modern perfumery. So I turned once again to the New York-based perfumer to find out more about the intriguing (and often secretive) world of captive molecules.

IMAGE: Firmenich.

Who created the decade-defining Le Labo Santal 33 EDP (2011) and helped kick-start the Ariana Grande fragrance empire with Ari EDP (2015)? That would be the German-born perfumer. He’s also the creator of the fragrances below, among others:

+ Dunhill X-Centric EDT (2001)

+ Kenneth Cole Reaction EDT (2004)

+ Sarah Jessica Parker Covet EDP (2007)

+ Oscar de la Renta Esprit d’Oscar EDP (2011)

+ Ermenegildo Zegna Florentine Iris EDP (2012)

+ Paris Hilton Dazzle EDP (2012)

+ Gucci Bamboo EDP (2015)

+ Dolce & Gabbana Velvet Amber Sun EDP (2017)

+ Glossier You EDP (2017, in collaboration with Dora Baghriche)

+ Hugo Boss Hugo Now EDT (2020)

+ Kilian Roses On Ice EDP (2020)

+ Boy Smells Marble Fruit Cologne de Parfum (2021, in collaboration with Hamid Kashani )

+ Aedes de Venustas 16a Orchard EDP (2021)

+ Abercrombie & Fitch Authentic Self Man EDT (2023)

+ Ellis Brooklyn Florist EDP (2023)

Before we get to the actual interview, some general background info on the workings of perfumery: The fragrance (and flavour) industry is dominated by several multinationals: Firmenich (Switzerland), Givaudan (Switzerland), International Flavors & Fragrances (America), Symrise (Germany), Takasago (Japan), Mane (France) and Robertet (France).

These corporates have a vast array of ingredients (naturals, synthetics and increasingly biotechnology) to be used by their perfumers.

IMAGE: Ariana Grande Fragrances.

What fragrances do you wear?

I like to wear different fragrances for different moments and occasions. For example, I wear Le Labo Santal 33 when I go out because it’s rich, warm, has a lot of signature and it’s my way of making a statement.

When I am on vacation, I wear Giorgio Armani Acqua di Giò Profumo. There is a nice balance of freshness and woody elegance, but it still feels casual.

When I travel and board a plane, I wear Hermès Terre d’Hermès as it has such a nice presence and I will smell myself more than anything or anybody else around me.

Where did perfumery start for you?

It really started for me when I was living in Paris as a teenager in the Eighties. I discovered my passion for fragrance and learned there are actually people who create them called perfumers. That sparked my desire to pursue this career.

IMAGE: Ellis Brooklyn.

When you studied at ISIPCA, were you aware of the existence of captive molecules?

I wasn’t aware of that back then, as my focus at the time centred on imprinting any molecules and natural ingredients into my olfactive memory. It was only once I entered a fragrance house (my first employer was Haarmann & Reimer) that I started understanding how powerful captive ingredients can be.

IMAGE: Hugo Boss.

What was your fine fragrance debut?

My first real debut in fine fragrance was when I succeeded in creating Tiare de Chantecaille EDP in 1997, which was right around the time when the first niche brands started emerging.

I had the opportunity to meet Sylvie de Chantecaille who was getting ready to create her brand. She was looking for an exotic floral fragrance, got hooked on tiare and the fact that I had a personal connection to this iconic flower from Tahiti (my wife is from there and I go to the island almost every year since I met her 30 years ago), we decided to work on this fragrance together around it.

IMAGE: Chantecaille.

Without going into too much technical detail, how would you define captive molecules? And what are some of the most well-known examples?

A molecule is considered captive when a fragrance house such as Firmenich discovers a new fragrance ingredient that is only made available to their own perfumer team rather than being sold to a competitive fragrance house. That means it is exclusively used in fragrances from Firmenich, created by Firmenich perfumers.

In addition, when a team of scientists discovers a new molecule, it will protect it with a patent to avoid any other company copying or manufacturing that same ingredient. So it’s a powerful concept, as captive means exclusive.

MUGUET RELEASE: The lily-of-the-valley synthetic Muguissimo. IMAGE: Firmenich.

Eventually, captives will be released, for example, when the patent has expired and so then they can be taken and recreated. We can decide as a company if we want to release some of our captives to others. Some great examples of captives that we have released in the past are [the lily-of-the-valley synthetic] Muguissimo (2022) and [the aquatic synthetic] Cascalone (2020).

AQUA INNOVATION: The synthetic Cascalone. IMAGE: Firmenich.

Are they becoming more important in the creation process?

Captive molecules, as well as captive natural ingredients, have always played an important role in my creations, especially because Firmenich has quite a few captive ingredients available to their perfumers.

They have become more important in recent years as transparency is on the rise and consumers are more interested in the content and the origin of the ingredients used in their products.

Are captive molecules synthetic or natural ingredients?

Captives can be both. They can be molecules / synthetics, or they can be natural ingredients.

Firmenich has a molecule research centre in Geneva, Switzerland, and a Naturals Centre of Excellence in Grasse, France, which both work on finding the next new captives.

Captive Molecules - Calvin Klein Eternity For Men Parfum

IMAGE: Calvin Klein.

Are you incentivised to use Firmenich captive molecules in your creations?

Yes, and the biggest incentive is to have a fragrance creation that nobody outside of Firmenich would be able to recreate. We all know there are some market products out there inspired by previous existing creations, and so using captives allows perfumers to have unique formulas that are not easily copied.

“Using captives allows perfumers to have unique formulas that are not easily copied”

As perfumers, we naturally want to use them in our creations, as it gives us a competitive advantage and edge when we work on projects both for hedonics and for performance.

Captive Molecules - Ariana Grande Mod Blush EDP

IMAGE: Ariana Grande Fragrances.

You’ve created several fragrances for Le Labo. For example: Iris 39, Santal 33, Ylang 49 and Thé Noir 29. And Ariana Grande Ari is one of your many other successes. Did you use any Firmenich captive molecules in their creation?

Sorry, I cannot really share all that information, but I can assure you that almost every single one of my creations will likely contain at least one or two captives from Firmenich in the formula.

That said, here are a few recent creations containing captives, but as they are captives I can’t name them all… Ariana Grande Mod Blush EDP (2022) contains Dreamwood. Calvin Klein Eternity for Men Parfum (2022) contains one of our most recent captives. Le Labo Thé Matcha 26 EDP (2021) contains four captives (two naturals, two synthetics).

I’m seeing the International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) captive molecule Cashmeran everywhere. Does Firmenich have an equivalent captive molecule?

Cashmeran was indeed originally a captive from IFF, but it has been available for anyone to use for quite some time since 1983. It’s certainly unique in its character and is still trending. It’s not biodegradable, though, so we may see the end of it soon.

Firmenich has its own iconic molecules, such as Muscenone Delta or Helvetolide [both synthetic musks].

ICONIC MOLECULE: The synthetic musk Helvetolide. IMAGE: Firmenich.

Could you tell me how you used a specific Firmenich captive molecule in one of your most recent creations? What did it bring to the composition?

Dreamwood is one of the latest Firmenich captive molecules stemming from our biotechnology research, a milestone in our ingredient advancements.

Natural sandalwood oil has become so rare that I got really excited to be able to use a natural sandalwood note like Dreamwood in a sustainable way. I have used it since the moment it was available to us in 2020. I love the incredible creaminess and comfort it adds to my creations. On top of that, it has benefits beyond its scent such as antimicrobial, antioxidant and soothing effects.

IMAGE: Firmenich.

Le Labo Thé Matcha 26 EDP and Santal 33 EDP are available in South Africa from Skin Cosmetics.

June 9, 2018

The Ugly Truth About Microbeads

My eyes have been taking a lot of strain recently. Not because I have been spending way too much time catching up on social media on my phone. It’s because I have been spending more time than usual reading the ultra-fine print on grooming and beauty products to see if they contain microbeads that are harmful to the environment.

“The past few years have seen an upsurge in awareness about the huge impact plastics are having on aquatic ecosystems.”

The past few years have seen an upsurge in awareness about the huge impact plastics are having on aquatic ecosystems. A lot of this damage is visible to the eye. But smaller pieces of plastic (microbeads or micro-plastics) are also contributing to the problem.

ALL CLEAR: Do your toiletries pass the microbeads test?

In 2015, the US banned the use of microbeads in products. The UK followed suit in early 2018. Most recently, I read that South Africa’s Department of Environmental Affairs is in talks with the cosmetics industry about phasing out these plastics: https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/national/2018-05-18-state-gets-tough-on-toiletry-plastics/.

SPOT THE MICROBEADS: These tiny pieces of plastic are found in a variety of products. Image courtesy of the International Ocean Institute – Southern Africa.

I asked Dr Shannon Hampton, project co-ordinator of the International Ocean Institute – Southern Africa some questions about the environmental impact of microbeads.

What are microbeads?

Micro-plastics are any pieces of plastic that are less than 1mm in size. Some of them are visible to the human eye, but no less of a problem because of it. They are used to increase abrasiveness, add shine or sparkle.

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK: Microbeads in shampoo.

Which products are they found in?

Shampoos, soaps, toothpastes, body scrubs, facial scrubs, cleaning products, washing powder, make-up and body lotions. Most glitter is plastic.

ALL THAT GLITTERS: So pretty, yet so toxic.

Why are microbeads so harmful?

Micro-plastics are very difficult and expensive to filter out from waste water. Once they are in the environment, there is little that can be done to recover them. They contribute to the “plastic soup” that affects all parts of the ocean.

“Micro-plastics are very difficult and expensive to filter out from waste water.”

The tiny pieces of plastic get mistaken for food by zooplankton and then the zooplankton gets eaten by a small fish. The small fish gets eaten by a big fish, which then gets caught by a fisherman and lands on your plate, plastic included. The micro-plastics get scooped up in the gaping mouths of whales or filtered through the gills of mussels and sucked in by anemones.

ON THE MENU: Catch of the day infused with microbeads. Image courtesy of the International Ocean Institute – Southern Africa.

It won’t surprise you that there is no nutritional value to plastic. But did you know that some of the dyes used are toxic? Not only that, but plastic absorbs toxins like DDT. So the plastic becomes many times more toxic than the water that surrounds it (and this gets in to the meat of the fish that you eat).

Earlier this year the UK government banned the use of microbeads in various products. What is the South African government doing to combat this menace?

The Department of Environmental Affairs is working with the Department of Health to develop legislation to address the issue of microbeads.

How can consumers tell if the grooming or beauty products they are using contain microbeads?

The most common micro-plastic ingredients are listed below, but there are many variations:

Polyethylene (PE)

Polypropylene (PP)

Nylon (PA)

Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA)

Polythylene Terphthalate (PET)

Be suspicious of any artificial beads in your products. Microbeads are also used in household cleaning products, which don’t list ingredients.

DO YOU KNOW WHAT’S INSIDE YOUR PRODUCT?

What can consumers do to bring about change regarding the use of microbeads?

You can avoid all products with micro-plastics. Contact retailers and manufacturers asking them to no longer use them. The more people who actively choose to not buy products because of microbeads, the more pressure there will be on manufacturers to stop producing these products.

There are natural alternatives, so there is no need for plastics in our personal care products. Create awareness by talking about the issue with your friends and family. Contacting manufacturers and retailers on social media and directly can help them realise that there is public pressure to change their ways.

There is also a petition: https://www.change.org/p/ban-microbeads-in-south-africa?recruiter=69869968&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_petition&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-custom_msg.

We have written about some of this on our website: http://ioisa.org/2015/09/01/ioi-sa-becomes-a-beat-the-microbead-partner/ and my blog: http://howtosurvivephd.blogspot.com/2015/08/taking-pollution-down-to-zero-become.html.

September 15, 2017

The South African Beauty Connection

Some people collect cars, watches, handbags and art. My fragrance and vintage glass fetish aside, I can’t resist collecting ideas for a theme. As a Johannesburg-based blogger, this theme started out with a focus on top South African beauty/grooming products. It gradually morphed into something more fluid and fascinating the more research I did. I am hoping this round-up – the South African beauty connection – will intrigue and inform you too. Please let me know if I have left anything off this admittedly edited list.

Olay

Graham Wulff’s anti-ageing product has come a long way from its origins in the 1950s. The Durban-based, ex-Unilever chemist created Oil of Olay Beauty Fluid, using lanolin as one of its main ingredients. Such was its popularity that it found its place on vanity chests worldwide, back in the days when our mothers sat and groomed themselves.

“Olay found its place on vanity chests worldwide, back in the days when our mothers sat and groomed themselves.”

Fast-forward through changes in ownership, a change of name to Olay in 1999 and the brand is now one of American giant Procter & Gamble’s billion-dollar businesses. Mum’s little helper now includes everything from body and eye products to cleansers and moisturisers.

Maninka Fruit

I’d never heard of the maninka fruit before Boss The Scent was launched in 2015. I was reminded about this fruit, the heart of the fragrance, when Boss The Scent Intense was recently launched in South Africa. How could I forget with the wall-to-wall advertising that has accompanied this seduction EDP?

NOT THE USUAL: Maninka fruit, a key ingredient in Boss The Scent and Boss The Scent Intense. Pic courtesy of P&G Prestige.

Anyway, what counts is that maninka comes from South Africa. And apparently Boss The Scent was the first time it had been used in a fragrance. According to a Basenotes interview with Will Andrews, scientist and senior evaluator at P&G Prestige, maninka fruit (long used by the locals) was discovered by a team looking for unusual ingredients in the Western Cape’s fynbos region. The fruit itself comes from the Oncoba spinosa tree and was chosen for its “dried fruit” and “strawberries and chocolate” qualities.

While I can’t vouch for maninka’s supposed aphrodisiac qualities, I do appreciate a good back-story. The Scent itself? Maninka has been pumped to the max in Boss The Scent Intense. Leather, ginger, vanilla, lavender and cardamom notes all do their best to lend their notice-me-baby support.

Bio-Oil

German-born chemist, South-Africa-based Dieter Beier launched Bio-Oil in 1987. Little did he know that his cult product would become an international best-seller. Bio-Oil’s new owners, Justin and David Letschert, re-branded Beier’s dry-skin product as a treatment for scars, stretch marks and uneven skin tone in the early 2000s.

Their big investment in marketing and international distribution has paid handsome dividends. The product is a skincare success across the globe. Bio-Oil celebrates 30 years in the beauty biz in September 2017, with new and sleeker packaging. But the formulation – PurCellin oil, vitamins A and E, calendula, rosemary, lavender and camomile oils – remains the same. Proof than even in our high-tech-obsessed world, you can’t beat simplicity.

“Even in our high-tech-obsessed world, you can’t beat simplicity.”

Mark Eisen

What do Dunhill Icon, Montblanc Emblem, Montblanc Lady Emblem and Shanghai Tang have in common? Their flacons (“bottle” sounds too common for these visual beauties) were designed by South Africa’s Mark Eisen.

MARKSMANSHIP: Mark Eisen’s design for Montblanc Lady Emblem.

The Capetonian had a successful international career as a fashion designer from the late 1980s. He then turned his talents to industrial design, in particular fragrance bottle and wine bottle design.

I shamelessly used the South African connection to attempt to wangle an interview with Mr Eisen for this post, but he politely declined. So I will let his flacon design work for Richemont’s luxury fragrance brands speak for itself.

(While I am on the South African beauty connection thing, Dunhill, Montblanc and Shanghai Tang are just some of the luxury brands owned by Richemont, the company founded by South Africa’s Rupert family.)

Exhibit A: Eisen’s cylindrical bottle, metal-encased design for Dunhill Icon. A powerfully functional and stylish statement for this scent that’s sure to become a modern classic. Dunhill Icon bagged the prestigious Fragrance Foundation Award for Best New Male Design & Packaging in 2016.

Pelargoniums

Better known as South African/African geraniums, pelargoniums are mostly indigenous to South Africa. They are from the same family as geraniums but they are, in fact, very different plants. The scented varieties are an important part of the perfumer’s toolkit.

PERFUMER’S TOOLKIT: Pelargoniums are found in a variety of fragrances. Pic courtesy of www.perfect-pelargoniums.com.

I asked Cape Town-based natural perfumer Agata Karolina (House of Gozdawa) for some info on scented pelargoniums. This is what she had to say: “Pelargoniums are commercially farmed, but still in small amounts at this time. We source our pelargonium oil in the Western Cape from farmers we work closely with developing their crops especially for oil harvest. They hold all of the knowledge about the plants and their best conditions for growth. I bring my nose and knowledge of scent combination and complementary attributes of each plant’s characters.

PELARGONIUM PARFUM: House of Gozdawa Marta contains pelargonium oil.

“Pelargonium is less ‘rosy’ and has a far more green character to its scent. It smells like freshly cut lemongrass, lemon flesh, boiled candy sweets, rose leaves and earth.”

I spotted South African geranium as a key ingredient in Atelier Cologne Sanguine Orange. Superbly summery and uplifting, it’s the debut fragrance from the Paris-based niche fragrance company.

Perfluorodecalin

I was a dismal chemistry pupil, so I will keep this one as reader-friendly as possible. South African company Pelchem is the only Southern Hemisphere producer of perfluorodecalin, an active ingredient found in a wide variety of anti-ageing products.

ANTI-AGEING ACTIVE: A 3-D representation of the chemical compound perfluorodecalin. Pic courtesy of Wikipedia.

An article in the Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review yielded more insights. “The active ingredient is a fluorocarbon and derivative of decalin, which is used in cosmetics formulations to dissolve and deliver oxygen to the skin. Due to the ability of perfluorodecalin to dissolve oxygen and other gases, it revitalises skin and reduces wrinkles…” I love a good success story, so I’ll wave my small South African flag in recognition of Pelchem’s innovative and patented work.

PS: I have not included South Africa-born Etienne de Swardt, the founder of niche fragrance company Etat Libre d’Orange, in this round-up. You can read my interview with the maverick here: https://fragroom.com/2017/04/20/etat-libre-doranges-etienne-de-swardt/

July 21, 2017

Stranger Things: Weird & Wonderful Beauty Ingredients

From civet musk (extracted from the animal’s anal glands) to caviar extract, the beauty industry has often used some pretty bizarre ingredients. All in the quest to create the ultimate perfume or skincare product. With their exotic and out-of-the-world ingredients, the following three products rank high on the weird-o-meter.

The Ambergris Effect

Ambergris is one of the most sought-after ingredients in perfumery, fetching anything from $100 000 upwards for 1,5kg of the precious stuff. Contrary to popular belief, ambergris is not sperm whale vomit. It’s a by-product of the sperm whale’s digestive system and is excreted by these creatures. This may float in the ocean for decades before being washed up on the shore in solid form. It then becomes highly prized by perfumers for its musky (some would say fishy) quality.

As it is very expensive and rare, ambergris is not used in perfumes such as Chanel N^o5 anymore. Ambrox or ambroxan is now widely used in many best-selling fragrances. Christian Dior Sauvage, Versace Dylan Blue, Giorgio Armani Si and Bulgari Aqua Pour Homme Atlantique all owe their character to this synthetic compound.

However, for customers willing to splash their cash, ambergris can still be found in premium perfumes. These include many of the highly rated Creed fragrances such as Aventus.

Ambergris is very distinctive in Creed Millésime Imperial. This EDP was launched in 1995 to mark the Paris-based perfume house’s 150^th anniversary as the fragrance of choice by European royalty. It’s somewhat of an acquired smell.

Creed Millésime Imperial EDP, R4 850 for 120ml.

The Snail’s Pace

If I told you that I have used a snail-gel skincare product would you think less of me? Journalistic curiosity got the better of me when I heard that Celltone products contain this ingredient. Apparently snail gel is packed with glycolic acid, allantoin, protein and vitamin E. These are all very useful in the fight against ageing. One might even say they are highly effective in slowing the pace of ageing. Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

Now, for the big question? Are any snails harmed in the making of this product? Yes. I used it for two weeks and then felt very guilty about it, even though I had started noticing a tightening of my skin.

Celltone Snail Extract Gel, R399.90 for 50ml, www.celltone.co.za

Meteoritic Impact

Lab Series is one of my favourite male skincare brands. So I was very excited to read about its new high-tech range, Maxellence, which contains meteorite extract. Unfortunately, I was brought down to earth when I found out that this range is not available in South Africa.

Then a friend told me that Anesi Man Secret Serum had just landed in the country. This anti-ageing skincare product from the renowned Spanish spa professional range also utilises meteoritic extract. Talk about sci-fa (science fact).

So why is meteorite extract such a big deal? It’s rich in minerals such as calcium, iron and magnesium. This makes it a potent anti-ageing weapon, with deep-penetrating, firming and plumping properties.

I used Anesi Man Secret Serum for a month and enjoyed its light, non-greasy texture. I noticed a definite improvement in the condition of my skin. Was this due to meteorite extract? Or any of this product’s other exotic ingredients (including mineral extracts from precious mineral stones)? While I read up more on that, I must explore Anesi some more.

Anesi Man Secret Serum, R750 for 50ml, www.exclusivebeauty.co.za

Category: INGREDIENTS