Part 4 of 4
Natural Fragrance: scents and trends
In this, the final article in a four-part series on natural fragrance, Cosmetics Design talks with fragrance expert Lisa Wilson, principal at Scent&Strategy, about trendy notes, trendy retail, and trendy supply side developments.
Wilson told Cosmetics Design last year that coniferous wood scents were the coming trend in fine fragrance. Those scents figure into the natural fragrance business too.
Lisa Wilson: “Fragrances which feature coniferous woods like Cypress, Cedarwood, Pine, Fir, and Juniper are feel-good, aromatic, fresh and outdoorsy or natural feeling, whether the fragrance is 100% natural or not.
“It’s a meaningful trend for many reasons, one of the biggest could be that it’s gender-bending as these notes have been traditionally associated with masculine fragrances in the past and are now seen as unisex. I also think we are always looking for the next ‘fresh and clean’ accord, and coniferous / aromatic woods can give us that impression in a new way.
“There are several examples of these woody notes in natural fragrances—the Juniper Ridge 100% natural Backpacker Colognes come to mind. Their Siskiyou Cologne, for example, features ‘a bouquet of conifers from ginger cedar forests’ on a ‘bed of bark-laden soil’. Earthy, sappy, and true—heaven!
“Cedar Smoke Natural Perfume Oil from Osmia Organics, Everyone Ylang Ylang & Cedarwood Natural Hand Soap by EO Products, and Zum Bar Goat’s Milk Soap by Indigo Wild in Cedar are just a few more illustrations of this growing trend.
Market trends beyond notes and scent profiles matter greatly in the natural fragrance space. Retailers and ingredient suppliers alike have caught the naturals wave and are helping bring more such fragrances to market.
Lisa Wilson: “One of the trends I’m loving the most is the availability of natural scents, skin care, and bath and body products —both online and in-store.
“Credo Beauty launched last year in San Francisco; it’s an on-line and brick and mortar concept based on three pillars: totally clean, super good and absolutely beautiful. [The company promises to sell products with] ingredients [that] are safe and healthy, [from] brands that are sustainable and have ethical sourcing…[In short], product that is effective, that looks and feels good.
“There’s a plethora of ecommerce sites for natural beauty products like thedetoxmarket.com, aylabeauty.com, spiritbeautylounge.com, www.beauty-heroes.com…too many to mention here. Even Amazon has a natural beauty store!”
There’s good news on the supply side too.
Lisa Wilson: “From an olfactive standpoint, it’s about expanding the perfumer’s palette with more ingredients, especially isolates, and finding more ethically and sustainably sourced natural raw materials.
“Lucky for us, this is happening almost on a daily basis. We’re so far beyond aromatherapy-like essential oil blends in the natural fragrance world.
“We have all-natural fragrance formulas that perform, smell gorgeous and can be stable in countless applications. And we’re able to achieve juicy notes, brightness, warm and yummy notes, and better substantivity.”
