BW Confidential highlights the innovations presented at the World Perfumery Congress (WPC) 2024, which took place at Palexpo in Geneva, Switzerland from June 24-27
The theme of the three-day conference and exhibition for the fragrance industry was: ‘Fragrance Forward: Where Global Innovation & Creativity Meets.’
The conference part of the event featured talks on trends in fragrance, regulatory updates and how technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is influencing the industry. New to the event this year was a ‘nose to nose’ segment where pairs of international perfumers discussed their careers and the current state of the fragrance industry. Key trends at the show included natural ingredients and sustainability.
The event was expecting over 1,300 visitors; however final visitor numbers were not available at press time.
Innovations on show
Givaudan created a ‘Molecular Garden’ at its booth to showcase its Nympheal molecule. The company describes Nympheal as having a robust white floral profile. It adds that Nympheal is a fresh muguet ingredient with a hint of linden blossom that adds volume, floral creaminess and a high level of diffusion to fragrance compositions. It also claims to offer a bloom effect in water applications. Nympheal is a biodegradable molecule and was developed according to the principles of green chemistry.
Givaudan also presented ingredients from its House of Naturals, while Head of Marketing & Image Arnaud Guggenbuhl delivered insights on AI and Gen Z.
Cosmo International Fragrances highlighted its investment in two farms in Latin America – one in Colombia and another in Peru – at its booth with the theme ‘Latina Souls.’ The farms cultivate and source natural raw materials. Cosmo highlighted four natural ingredients, including Petitgrain Lime Essence, which has fruity, zesty, and vegetal notes. Cosmo cultivates lime trees at its farm in Colombia and obtained an extract from the leaves to create the ingredient.
The other ingredients on show were Cacao Blanc Craftivity, Schinus Molle MD ‘Molecular Distillation’ and Peruvian Ginger CO2.
Cacao Blanc Craftivity is derived from white cacao beans from Cosmo’s farm in northern Peru, and is developed in collaboration with a chocolatier. It revisits balsamic notes, providing both a rich and gourmand scent.
Schinus Molle MD ‘Molecular Distillation’ originates from the Incas in Peru, and has spicy and woody facets.
Peruvian Ginger CO2 comes from of the highlands at the juncture of the Andes and the Amazon region and is said to emit the freshness of the forest.
Finally, the company presented AquaElixir to demonstrate its focus on sustainability. AcquaElixir is a 100% natural origin and water-based technology for alcohol-free fragrances. This green technology claims to be skin-friendly, and remains entirely transparent at high-fragrance concentrations.
Germany-based Symrise showcased Neomagnolan, a take on its floral ingredient Magnolan, which was created in the 1950s. Symrise says the ingredient is brighter and provides more floral fragrance transparency than its predecessor. Neomagnolan has facets of magnolia, geranium, pomelo, peony, water lily, and tea leaves. The ingredient features tart citrus and green top notes. Symrise Fine Fragrance also showcased the new Iconoclast series, as well as Frostwood and Ambronova.
French company MANE presented several ingredients at its booth, which was made entirely out of cardboard in a bid to be eco-conscious. Sublimolide is a synthetic musk similar to the natural Ambrettolide found in ambrette seed, a plant from the hibiscus family. The musky note has fruity nuances and powdery floral undertones. MANE claims Sublimolide is long-lasting and has good volume and sillage, boosting top notes. It can also be used in vegan formulas.
Benzoin Siam Pure Jungle Essence is an extract from benzoin resin sustainably sourced in Vietnam. It features warm, gourmand, balsamic notes with a hint of vanilla. MANE used its Jungle Essence technology to capture the essence of the dry resin and create the long-lasting extract. It features a powdery heart with almond facets and subtle spicy undertones similar to carnation.
Rosa Lani, also known as Crimean rose, is cultivated in Moldova and features a new, fresh rose scent. Rosa Lani Absolute, features a petal-like profile with a fruity freshness and hints of liquorice and has subtle tea notes with undertones of hay.
Antillone is naturally found in certain fruits, especially pineapples. It is a fruity note similar to green pear and pineapple, with a crisp, almost tangy undertone. Its fruity green character is said to reflect the freshness of tropical fruits. MANE says Antillone lends crisp naturalness to floral bouquets and fruity accords. The company adds that its work in biotechnology led to the creation of Antillone.
Jasmine Sambac E-Pure Essence is a transparent floral extract with gourmand apricot facets. Less animalic than the absolute, it is said to lend naturalness and luminosity to compositions. By combining maceration in vegetable oil and supercritical CO2 extraction, the company has obtained E-Pure Jungle Essence extracts such as Jasmine Sambac.
Spicyrup features notes of camphor and has an earthy scent. It also has warm, woody aromas of liquorice and spices, while powdery notes of vanilla and caramel give it a gourmand character. MANE claims Spicyrup is long-lasting, with a sillage similar to carrot cake. It was created with MANE captive molecules.
US-based International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) showcased Ylanganate, a new fragrance molecule, which the company says has solar white floral notes. It is said to improve the performance of fruity, sweet and vanilla-balsamic notes in perfume formulations. In addition to its primary white floral and citrus notes, it also has notes of red and stone fruits, wintergreen, balsams and spices. IFF claims it has no risk of discoloration and requires low dosage levels (below 0.5%). Ylanganate is suitable for perfume and personal-care applications and is said to give a sense of naturality in synthetic formulas.
The company also presented two new fragrance oils from from its in-house natural ingredients company LMR Naturals: Grapefruit Oil and Persian Lime Oil. The grapefruit and lime oils are derived from fruit peels using cold-press extraction technology and can be used as an alternative to bergamot and lemon. The lime oil has tangy notes and a hint of sweetness, while the grapefruit oil features bitter fruitiness and aldehyde nuances.
For the first time, IFF’s booth included a ‘Scent, Sound and Visual’ cabin and an interactive installation called the ‘Tree of Emotion’. The booth was made out of recycled and upcycled materials, as well as other recyclable materials – such as cardboard and PEHD (high density polyethylene) plastics – in a bid to demonstrate IFF’s initiatives aimed at protecting nature.
dsm-firmenich presented its latest Sharing Innovation collection. This year’s collection consists of six new ingredients, including Clearwood Prisma, which is a captive biotech ingredient being launched to mark the 10-year anniversary of biotech-based ingredient Clearwood. The collection includes two naturals from certified origins: Pink Pepper Madagascar and Jasmine Flower India, as well as three synethetics, including two musks: Dihydroestragol, Velvet Musk and Cashmere Musk. dsm-firmenich says the two musks were developed to address upcoming regulatory challenges.
Pink Pepper Madagascar is described as a spicy, citrusy, fresh scent with slightly woody facets. It can be used in bodycare and homecare to lend a spicy and citrus top note to compositions. Jasmine Flower India is described as having a white flower and fruity scent. dsm-firmenich claims it is responsibly sourced. Dihydroestragol is described as an aromatic, tarragon, star anise scent with a liqourice undertone. The company says it is an allergen-free, upcycled and 100% renewable alternative to Estragole and Anethole.
Velvet Musk is described as a musky, sweet, earthy, fruity (berry), floral-violet and powdery scent. It can be used in all segments. Cashmere Musk is described as a woody, musky, ambery and spicy scent. It can be used in both fine fragrance and consumer fragrance applications. dsm-firmenich claims it is biodegradable. Finally, Clearwood Prisma is a concentrated version of Clearwood, meaning it has a more intense woody-patchouli scent with enhanced oakmoss and ambery facets. The company claims it is 100% natural, renewable and ready biodegradable (60% or 70% of the organic carbon is converted to CO2 within a 10-day window and within 28 days total).
For the first time at WPC, a Naturals Corner booth organized by marketing and communications agency Resperfuma hosted seven independent natural ingredients’ producers. The seven companies were: Agroforex Company, Enio Bonchev, Jacarandas, Jasmine Concrete Exports, Nelixia, SCA3P, and Verger. These producers are small or medium-sized businesses or entrepreneurs from different countries who are working to improve their practices and are demanding third-party certifications. They aim to preserve nature and biodiversity in their regions, invest in industrial facilities, and produce high-quality natural ingredients.