During the In-Cosmetics Global conference earlier this year, French fragrance and flavor manufacturer Robertet exhibited its ActiScents collection, a group of fragrance ingredients for end-stage product formulation that contain added benefits for consumer use.
As detailed on its company website, the ActiScents ingredient line has been in development for more than fifteen years, and features “the dual functions of fragrance and the physiological properties of the natural raw materials present in the perfumer’s palette.” These fragrances are formulated with “active ingredients that have soothing, anti-aging, moisturizing, purifying, and slimming properties.”
To learn more about this innovative ingredient collection, CosmeticsDesign spoke with Anthony Pegard, Fragrance Innovation Manager at Robertet for his insights into the potential impact of formulating with ActiScents for manufacturers and suppliers of cosmetics and personal care products, as well as the challenges and potential benefits behind the collection’s development process.
Development process & challenges to formulation
When working on developing options for the ActiScents line, the Robertet research and development team has focused on exploring “the potential fragrances’ interaction on emotions,” said Pegard. This research process has centered on “studying the cosmetic topical effect of fragrances on skin and hair,” resulting in “the suite of our Actiscent program focusing on mood-boosting scents based on a patented technology using neurosciences,” he shared.
This process, however, is not without its challenges. As Pegard explained, “each ActiScent is very unique and specially designed for a customer’s brief, so there are lot of challenges to formulating them.” The first difficulty can be regulatory as the Robertet team is obligated “to follow customer’s specifications that sometimes forbids the use of some natural ingredients, which are at the source of the ActiScent’s activities.”
An addition formulation challenge is the scent itself, he added. For example, “it’s not always easy to create a fresh floral fruity note when you have at your disposal for activity only green aromatics ingredients,” he illustrated.
The final challenge, and sometimes the most pressing, is the cost. The team will often “have to deal with a working price which can be quite low,” he said. Further, “it’s very challenging to provide our customers something natural, active, with an amazing smell, for the same price as a classical fragrance,” he explained.
Ultimately, however, “it’s all about our perfumer’s expertise to deal with these formulation issues to satisfy our customers” and find a best-fit solution to these potential issues.
Benefits of ActiScents
The fragrance ingredients produced as a result of this research and development process can offer many benefits to the cosmetics and personal care product manufacturers who utilize them. Said Pegard, “for the same price of a classical fragrance, clients get an active fragrance boosting the efficacy of the final cosmetic formula,” which is a win-win for both the manufacturer and the consumer.
Additionally, “ActiScent fragrances offer differentiating added value at a time where cosmetics products are getting scrutinized,” he said. This means that end-stage products formulated with these unique and beneficial fragrances allow “manufacturers to make unique fragrance cosmetic claims on finished products, which can be the perfect way to differentiate from competitors and offer a holistic solution for a cosmetic product,” he added.
Because “ActiScents are real fragrances, not ingredients, they give a renewed interest and positive image to the fragrances, coming back to the perfume’s roots: a blend of raw materials destined to heal and care,” he concluded.
Future opportunities
As consumers increasingly demand more and better benefits from their cosmetic and personal care product options, a fragrance formulation collection like ActiScents affords manufacturers the opportunity to make interesting claim on finished products. In fact, shared Pegard, a majority of Robertet customers “that have tried Actiscents for one of their ranges are asking for active fragrances when launching a new brief.”
Robertet also offers the Living Lab to further the success of the ActiScents program. This “premium offer allows clients to work together with our perfumers and lab to create a unique active fragrance signature,” affording manufacturers an added level of customization and control over the process.
The current ActiScents collection includes options like Gentiana Lutea, which helps prevent premature skin damage by blocking blue light from screen use, as well as Pelargonium Graveolens, which can slow unwanted hair growth activity. The Robertet research and development team continues to work on adding new ingredients to the ActiScents collection and will add more ingredient options in the coming months, affording further formulation benefits to interested manufacturers.