Natural developing : COSSMA

Natural fragrances are particularly unique. Unlike conventional perfumes, they do not contain any synthetic ingredients and rely entirely on  the power of the plants. While manufacturers used to have to do without some fragrances in natural perfumes, targeted research processes are continuously expanding the range of natural fragrances.

The first known fragrances in history existed more than 5,000 years ago, and they were originally intended for religious acts. They were based on natural ingredients, such as resins. It was not until the 19th century that synthetic substances began to be added to perfumes, significantly expanding the variety of fragrance compositions. It was possible to create new fragrance components that previously could not be smelled in a perfume (for example, the scent of lily of the valley or various fruity aromas).

Nowadays, natural fragrances are making a big comeback in perfumery, as they offer consumers great security and fit in with the spirit of the times. Natural fragrance creations are in their own way direct and honest, yet natural. They deliberately avoid artificially created fragrance experiences through synthetic ingredients. Thanks to innovative biotechnological processes, we are now able to develop ever new  natural fragrance building blocks, for example through the fermentation process using enzymes and microorganisms.

"Almost all fragrance directions can be produced naturally. Both woody and floral fragrances are obtained with the help of conventional maceration, distillation and extraction."

Difference between natural and cOnventional perfumes

Natural perfumes are made exclusively with ingredients of natural origin, such as flowers, woods, fruits and spices. For this purpose, the essential oils are dissolved from the plants in order to be able to use the characteristic scent of the plants for the production of the perfume.

Natural perfume oils are characterised by a unique complexity and liveliness, in them unfolds the soul of a plant. They are unadulterated, sensual and emphasise the personal charisma of the wearer.

Conventional perfumes, on the other hand, also contain synthetic fragrances that are produced chemically in the laboratory. This often involves an attempt to recreate the particularly characteristic aroma of a natural fragrance. Synthetic fragrances have difficulty matching the complexity of their natural counterparts, but they can be produced in very large quantities and thus at lower cost. However, they cannot match the richness and depth of natural fragrances, which are also more familiar to us in terms of smell.

Excursus: How a perfume is composed - The fragrance pyramid

A perfume consists of top, heart and base notes. The subdivision is made according to the volatility of the fragrance components. The most volatile molecules are found in the top note.

The top note of a fragrance gives the first impression of the composition shortly after spraying it on. It is decisive in determining whether the fragrance is spontaneously appealing.
The heart note is responsible for depth and character in a composition. The heart note is the bouquet of the fragrance, it takes some time to develop and awakens in us sensations and feelings.
The base note develops last and lasts the longest. It is usually particularly intense, sensual and deep and rounds off the fragrance experience. The base note gives the perfume the charisma.

Highly emotional creation

The development of a perfume is like creating a work of art that takes time to perfect and mature. Because only a harmonious end result is crucial for its acceptance.

The creation of a perfume can also be compared to the painting of a picture, in which the artist processes a wide variety of personal inspirations. But the perfumer is also guided in his creative process by fashion trends, specifications regarding the target group of the fragrance, or trends in the fragrance market. Nature itself is still the greatest source of inspiration from which they compile their first fragrance proposal in the laboratory. All fragrance building blocks are noted and from there they continuously work on perfecting their creation. A harmonious fragrance structure with flowing transitions is the goal, and only then is the fragrance composition considered finalised.

What are the challenges in developing natural perfumes?

Until now, only a limited number of ingredients were available for the creation of a natural perfume. With only about 400 natural fragrances (in comparison, there are over 2,000 synthetic fragrances), the choice for perfumers was limited, and fragrance creations were often restricted to citrus, floral, spicy and woody notes.

In recent years, fragrance manufacturers have been able to continuously expand the variety of natural fragrances through targeted research processes. However, they also have disadvantages compared to synthetic fragrances, on the one hand because of the largely higher prices and, on the other hand, because supply fluctuations and shortages can occur during cultivation. Since the growing conditions, the weather and the harvest time are decisive for the quality, the raw material never turns out identical to a chemically produced one. This means that with each batch, it is a new challenge for the perfumer to keep the fragrance experience constant.

Meanwhile, almost all fragrance directions can be produced naturally. Both woody and floral fragrances are obtained with the help of conventional maceration, distillation and extraction. The trendy aquatic notes could mostly only be achieved with the help of synthetic molecules, yet some of them can now also be produced biotechnologically.

Actually, there are no limits, as long as you do not directly compare natural fragrances with synthetic ones. It should be noted that in terms of development possibilities, these are two entirely different worlds of perfumery. All the knowledge about conventional fragrances should be left aside when evaluating natural fragrances.

For the creation of a natural fragrance, it is necessary to find a completely novel approach, as well as for the wearing of the fragrance.