The Rise of Natural Ingredients

The way fragrances were made in the past was largely influenced by the technologies available during that time. As new technologies developed, so did new ways of making fragrances. Since 1970, Al Haramain has been in the perfume making industry, and still uses some of the older methods of hand-crafting perfumes and their bottles, while at the same time using ultra-modern equipment in such a way as to maintain the quality of the output while giving consumers fragrances that they have loved for decades. Other dynamics such as competition and rivalry among perfumers also influenced the fragrance manufacturing methods and practices. Economic pressures to lower costs also played a significant role. Industrial automation increases the output per unit of input, thus improving efficiency, making perfumeries more efficient in the production process.

However, fragrance manufacturing methods were not only influenced by technology, they were also influenced by the culture of the time. As cultures evolved, new ways of making fragrances also developed. For example, in the past, fragrances were mostly used for religious purposes, in which case very strict rules had to be followed in their preparation. When dealing with matters of religion, often strict rules have to be followed and ceremonial duties performed in line with a set code for which violation had serious consequences. In that regard, the use of fragrances for religious purposes left little to no room for creativity.

However, as fragrances evolved into art forms, this allowed for a whole new era of creativity in perfume making. Fashion became increasingly individual and personal. Just as individuals in many cultures are creative about how they dress, they similarly have become creative about how they smell. Thus the era of unique fragrances arrived, where it has became not only possible as a result of technology, but also desirable due to the socio-cultural influences surrounding fragrance consumer behavior.

According to the International Fragrance Association, the creativity of the fragrance is founded on a sound understanding of human behaviour and attitudes. It shares an appreciation of the benefits to human development and progress that science and technology can create.

However, equally important is the need to balance environmental sustainability, social acceptability and economic viability. This is the challenge of modern day perfume making especially in a world with several pressures in addition to the above three. Nevertheless, despite the same, natural ingredients in general have experienced an upsurge in preference and popularity. This trend has not been observed in perfumes alone, but in the wider cosmetics industry including soaps, body moisturizers, oral care products, and also elsewhere in the food and beverage industry. Organic beauty sales were up 20% from 2015 to 2016(q). The next section will deal with some of the reasons behind the adoption of natural perfumes, but first, a definition and overview of natural fragrances is necessary.

What is a Natural Perfume?

Perfumes are made from oils that come from plants and flowers, and these oils are extracted through several methods. They can be steam distilled, boiled, extracted by means of a solvent, through enfleurage, macerated, or expressed. The technology used to extract the oils plays a significant role in determining whether the perfume can be considered ‘natural’ or not. The classification itself has to be attested in some form through a certified authority, such as the Soil Association (UK), COSMOS (UK & Europe), or conform to the standards laid out by such organizations. According to the ISO 9235:1997 Standard (Aromatic natural materials vocabulary) a natural aromatic raw material is one which would have been physically obtained from plants using the processes of distillation, expression and extraction.

usda-organic-ecocert-nsf-vegan-friendly-cosmebio-nature-org-cruelty-free-soil-association-organic-standard-image

Image 4: Common Eco-labels, Credit: OrganicBeautyBlogger.com

 

The terms ‘organic’ and ‘natural’ are also used to refer to perfumes that are produced in accordance with criteria defined by certifying bodies worldwide. In general, ‘organic’ ingredients are those that would have been obtained and processed without artificial supplements such as fertilizers, man-made chemicals, or subjected to any kind of genetic modification. Thus the criteria used to classify fragrances as either ‘natural’ or synthetic, has to do with the fragrance production process used. Perfumers may make claims about their fragrances, but for the general public to have trust and confidence in these claims, they must then be independently assessed and certified or attested. Several eco-labels have arisen in the cosmetics industry, such as ‘alcohol free’, ‘cruelty free’ (not tested on animals), ‘cosmeceutical’ as well as ‘organic’ cosmetics, and all these have to do with one or more independent certifying authorities.

In that regard, the guidelines and standards set forth by independent organizations such as the International Fragrance Association (IFRA), COSMOS Europe and the International Organization for Standardization (French abbrev. ISO) are worth considering.

COSMOS-Standard

The COSMOS standard is an international standard for organic and natural cosmetics put together by 5 major European organic & natural cosmetics standard-setting organizations, namely:

  1. BDIH (German: Bundesverband der Industrie- und Handelsunternehmen / English: Federation of Industrial and Trade Enterprises),
  2. COSMEBIO (Belgium).
  3. Ecocert Greenlife (France).
  4. ICEA (Italian: Istituto Certificazione Etica E Ambientale / English: Ethical & Environmental Certification Institute)
  5. Soil Association (UK)

 

Each of the above organizations had their own qualification criteria for organic and natural cosmetics, some of which were different and conflicting. However, they came together and developed a single standard to which they all agreed. The standard is not static, but rather, innovative and progressive in line with industry developments, environmental concerns and also, consumer confidence and trust.

Products that are certified as conforming to the COSMOS standard are referred to as COSMOS ORGANIC, COSMOS NATURAL or COSMOS CERTIFIED, depending on the percentage of their ingredients which is considered ‘organic’ according to the COSMOS standard criteria.

The scope of the COSMOS Standard covers the sourcing, manufacturing, marketing and control of cosmetic products marketed as ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ – and some of the areas covered include the origin and processing of ingredients, compliance with water hygiene standards, minerals, physically (and chemically) processed agro-ingredients.

Origin & processing of ingredients: Describes 5 categories, their origin requirements and how they may or may not be treated:

 

  1. Water: Must comply with hygienic standards;
  2. Minerals & ingredients of mineral origin: Must be of natural origin and may be modified with simple chemical reactions
  3. Physically processed agro-ingredients: May be of plant, animal or microbial origin but not genetically modified, must not be from critically endangered species.
  4. Chemically processed agro-ingredients: Same as above, and the chemical treatments must respect the principles of Green Chemistry with the resulting ingredients complying with strict limitations of toxicity and biodegradability;
  5. Other ingredients: a very limited list of preservatives and some other ingredients and petrochemical moieties are temporarily allowed and are reviewed on a regular basis, taking into account availability of acceptable alternatives.

Source: Cosmos-standard

 

The USDA

The United States Department of Agriculture regulates the term ‘organic’ as it applies to agricultural products. However, when it comes to cosmetics and personal care products that are made up of agricultural ingredients, the USDA can certify such products in terms of the regulations of the National Organic Programme (NOP) of the United States.

In terms of the USDA regulations regarding organic labeling, there are 4 classes of organic products that are regulated.

  1. ‘100% organic’ – for a product to be labeled or marketed as 100% organic, the product must consist of only organically produced ingredients (apart from salt and water).
  2. ‘Organic’ – means that at least 95% of the product must consist of organically produced ingredients, with the remainder mandatorily being approved non-agricultural substances.
  3. ‘Made with organic ingredients’ – this means that at least 70% of the product must contain organically produced ingredients. This class of products can name any 3 organically produced ingredients.

Products that have less than 70% of organically produced material are not allowed to use the term ‘organic’ in terms of the USDA, but can identify specific USDA approved organically produced ingredients in their labels.

 

Why Natural?

The rise of the natural cosmetics industry is not alone, other industries that rely on any kind of agricultural output, such as food, drugs and cosmetics are also experiencing this trend.

Several forces are have contributed to the increase in the use of natural ingredients in perfumes and other products, most notably:

  1. Environmental Concerns

 Fragrance products ordinarily use ingredients sourced from the environment. Plants, fruits, water, animal secretions, resins and trees are all sources of ingredients for fragrances. Because of this, it is important to ensure the following:

  1. That the plants and trees used to produce ingredients for perfumes are grown in such a way as to ensure the continued agricultural productivity of the land, and the continuity of the supply of the ingredients.
  2. That the animals from which raw materials are sourced are reared in an environmentally sustainable way, and that the animals themselves are not at risk of extinction.
  3. That the extraction and processing of these materials is done in such a way as to minimize damage to the environment.

Consumers are becoming increasingly conscious and concerned about the manufacturing practices of the companies that produce their products. For example, purchasing products from manufacturers who exploit the environment and who engage in shady and suspicious dealings is an indirect way of supporting such activities. In that regard, Al Haramain is committed to perfume manufacturing that conforms to good manufacturing practices, and is ISO 22716:2007 GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) certified. Al Haramain also has ISO 9001:2008 QMS certification, demonstrating commitment to the highest standards of quality.

  1. Health Awareness

Health and wellness issues have come to the fore in people’s lives in the world today. This has driven modern day consumers to be conscious of the effects of just about everything on their health, from the food we eat, the lifestyles we lead, to the cosmetic and beauty products that we use.

Consumers have become more educated about the ingredients that go into just about everything they use, and the general notion is that the more ‘natural’ it is, the better it is for your health and wellness.

Health concerns are not only arising from the effect of the products on the consumer directly, but consumers are also being educated on the how the processes that are used to produce fragrances and cosmetics can affect their health indirectly through environmental pollution.

Previous Page
Next Page
[woocommerce_social_media_share_buttons]