PERRY ROMANOWSKI
Element 44 Inc, Chicago, USA

Fragrance is found in most cosmetic formulas and is an important component to make products more appealing to use and to provide some functionality. They continue to be incorporated into formulas despite the fact that they have a reputation for being detrimental to skin, are claimed to be toxic and are often on lists of so-called “nasties” ingredients. Here we’ll look at what fragrances are, why they get a bad rap and why they continue to be found in most formulations.

WHAT IS FRAGRANCE?
Fragrances are compounds added to formulas to improve their odor, to improve the odor of the surface they are applied or to create a certain aesthetic impression for the user.
They are a complicated blend of anywhere from 50 to 150 ingredients made up of a wide variety of ingredients including essential oils, natural musks & resins, and synthetic ingredients.

Creating fragrances is a specialty that requires years of training. In fact, some call it more of an art than science. Perfumers, who are the chemists who design fragrances, can train through an apprenticeship program that takes up to ten years to become a ful ...