In the golden age of Europe, which can be considered from about 1400 C.E. to about 1800 C.E., hygiene was far from widespread. In addition to recurrent contagious diseases and high rate of child mortality, generalized stench was a given. It is reported, for instance, that under Henri VIII and Elizabeth I all public places were scented because the Royals could not tolerate the overwhelming miasmas. Not coincidentally, the production and consumption of perfumes developed in those centuries, when the upper class used perfumes instead of hygiene products.

The development of the technology of distillation was instrumental in this instance. Invented by Jabir ibn Hayyan when Charlemagne was Emperor, the alembic was improved by Ibn Sina (aka Avicenna) in the 11th Century. The technique of distillation was kept secret until 1286, when Montpellier University professor Arnaud de Villeneuve described the first distiller.

Ethanol could be obtained by distillation of fermented grape and this constituted a major progress in the art of perfumery: the extraction of fragrances is indeed easier when flowers are incubated with ethanol. Fragrances can also be obtained by direct distillation of raw materials boiled in water, heated directly in the alembic or treated with steam from boiling water. These ways of extraction offer higher yields than the ancient Egyptian technology of macerating flowers in oils, and fragrances in ethanol solutions are more agreeable to apply than when in semi-solid oils.

Perfumes & Personal Care

With the onset of the industrial revolution, the creation and organization of sewer networks,  and the progress of medicine and of hygiene, bad odors became less of a social worry than a personal one, and perfume became more of a contributor to sensual pleasure than a necessity. Odoriferous materials were extracted from a range of botanicals, and it was observed that some of them, when applied to the skin, could provoke undesired effects. The discoloration of the skin caused by bergamot extracts when exposed to sunlight, or the allergic reaction some people get when essential oils are applied to skin, are just a couple of examples of undesired effects of fragrances.

According to the father of toxicology, the Swiss scientist Paracelsus, the basic tenet is that “everything is toxic, it only depends on the dose.” It is therefore necessary to elaborate guidelines aimed at making products that contain sufficient fragrance to smell good, and not too much fragrance, in order to be safe.

What of Safety?

Because of the wide utilization of fragrances and of their allergizing or photo-toxic potential, EU and US regulatory agencies require that the ingredient list in the label of fragrance-containing personal care products, contains the word “fragrance.” In addition to this, when one or more fragrances in a group of 26 specific perfume ingredients are contained in a product, the EU legislation mandates that their names be included in the list of the ingredients.  

To help maintain high quality products with no safety issues, the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) has established criteria to which the product must conform and has developed a method of certification. IFRA is an association of companies producing fragrances and of several national professional associations. As late as 2022, the regular members were Robertet, Symrise, Takasago, BASF, DSM-Firmenich, Givaudan and IFF. National professional associations adhering to the IFRA represented 24 countries including Canada, US, UK, Italy, France, Japan, Argentina, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Australia and Singapore.

For every fragrance, IFRA issues recommendations, called the IFRA Standards, that suggest limiting or prohibiting its use or indicate the need of specifications. These recommendations are issued according to the findings of the Research Institute of Fragrance Materials, which gathers data regarding the safety of fragrance materials. For instance, the IFRA Standard prohibits the use of Fig Leaf Absolute and of Musk Ambrette, restricts the use of Geraniol, Ylang-Ylang and Jasmin Absolute, and requires specifications for Limonene.

IFRA recommendations are not enforced by national law enforcement agencies, but the Standards are compulsory for all IFRA members. Distributors of fragrance-containing products might want to point out their efforts in providing consumers with safe products and might require a Certificate of Conformity to IFRA Standards. The Certificate of Conformity is a document established by the company creating fragrance mixtures; that is, the manufacturer. It indicates that for every fragrance used, the product contains less than the maximum concentration that, according to IFRA Standards, can be used in each one of the 18 categories of products. Categories include lipsticks, creams, fragrances…even diapers!

The Certificate of Conformity does not replace a Safety Assessment, and the final responsibility for the safety of marketed fragrant products rests with the company distributing the product.

Sustainability Requirements

In response to the attention devoted to sustainability in the personal care sector, the IFRA and the International Organization of the Flavor Industry (IOFI) launched the so-called “IFRA-OFI Sustainability Charter.” Exactly as for the IFRA Standards, this Charter is the result of a voluntary action undertaken by actors in the field of flavor and fragrances, with the goal to set objectives in the profession, such as the protection and restoration of bio-diversity, the reduction of the emission of greenhouse gases, the reduction of waste, the application of green chemistry principles, the health and well-being of the employees, the promotion of labor practices in line with fundamental human rights and international labor standard, the promotion of equal opportunities, fair treatment, diversity and inclusion.

Conclusion

In a perfect world, the laws regulating the production, marketing and advertising of products should be the result of a transparent interaction of the producers and the legislators. When regulatory agencies such as the FDA are too busy testing new drugs or fighting charlatans, the voluntary action of actors within a profession to analyze the safety of ingredients is more than welcome. Since the safety of the consumer is the main goal of personal care marketers, one can be confident that the rules of standards that are issued will be reasonable.

The downside is that these standards are not mandatory and other actors in the field might well decide to propose different standards. The eventual result is that the consumer will be confused. Very confused.

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Paolo Giacomoni, PhD
Insight Analysis Consulting
[email protected]
516-769-6904
 
Paolo Giacomoni acts as an independent consultant to the skin care industry. He served as Executive Director of Research at Estée Lauder and was Head of the Department of Biology with L’Oréal. He has built a record of achievements through research on DNA damage and metabolic impairment induced by UV radiation as well as on the positive effects of vitamins and antioxidants. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and has more than 20 patents. He is presently Head of R&D with L.RAPHAEL—The science of beauty—Geneva, Switzerland.