According to Laurence Dumont, progression of the organic perfume segment is being fuelled by growing consumer awareness of potentially harmful substances in perfumes such as phthalates and lyral.
In addition to reaching a large number of consumers, the supermarket and hypermarket distribution channel may represent an untapped market for organic perfumes, as Laurence Dumont told CosmeticsDesign.com USA that in a study carried out among 50 people, 45 said they would be prepared to purchase an organic perfume in these outlets.
Ecocert-certified
Seveline Nature is Ecocert-certified and respects the Cosmébio charter, conforming to requirements that state 95 per cent of ingredients must be of natural origin, and at least 10 per cent of ingredients must come from organic agriculture.
In Seveline Nature, 100 per cent of the ingredients are of natural origin and more than 79 per cent are from organic farming, according to Laurence Dumont.
The company said that formulation difficulties arise from the fact that a perfumer’s palette of fragrance ingredients for organic perfumes is reduced to around 300 compared to around 3,000 in classic perfumery, which makes it more difficult to create a quality perfume.
In addition to the specified percentage of organic raw materials, specific rules concerning the respect of the environment, traceability and packaging are imposed. This results in higher costs for the product itself, said Laurence Dumont, as well as additional costs for the manufacturer with respect to certification costs.
Expansion of Seveline Nature
Seveline Nature is currently stocked at Géant Casino hypermarkets, and is to be rolled out to Cora, Carrefour and Leclerc outlets from mid-March 2011. Laurence Dumont said that if the range is successful, it would look at adding additional products to the line.
The range is also available through Laurent Dumont’s overseas distributors, and the company said its organic perfumes respond to consumer expectations in countries such as Belgium and in the Baltic States.