Years ago I worked at a huge fragrance company called IFF – first in the applications lab and then as a fragrance evaluator where I worked on projects for may different types of product fragrances.
In the applications lab my job was to take the fragrance concentrate and mix it into whatever base it was created for at the correct percentage to send to the client.
We would always request the exact base from the client to work in and 9 times out of 10 it wasn’t ready yet so we used a standard base that we had a stock of in the lab.
If it was a shampoo fragrance it would go in a shampoo base or if it was a body lotion it would go in a lotion base for evaluation and testing.
Sometimes we tried it at different percentages before the sample was sent to the client.
Most of the time the client had not provided their base for testing and the fragrance they chose needed to be modified to make it work effectively.
Although we had made sure it worked in the same type of product base it wasn’t always enough.
There is so much variation in base products and the effect they have on the performance of your fragrance they must be developed and tested side by side – not in isolation.
Keep this in mind when you are creating or you will waste precious time and money. Every time you make a change to your base check the fragrance blend still performs.
Sounds simple but this is one of the biggest mistakes people make – assuming the fragrance will work in any product.
When you are making a perfumed product you need to test the following:
- How does the fragrance smell in the base product in the packaging? The first thing a potential customer will do is take the lid off and sniff
- Is the fragrance consistent enough across the range of products? (There is an industry trick to this that I share in my Creating Fragrances For Skincare Masterclass)
- How does the fragrance perform in use? Make sure that it smells great when the customer uses it too, not just from the bottle.
- Is the fragrance stable in the base long term – watch out for separation, colour change ans well as change in smell.
In the online class Creating Fragrances for Skincare Products I guide you through the process of developing and professionally evaluating your fragrances for different types of base. From oils, creams and lotions to rinse off products for face and body. This class is for those with a bit of perfumery experience who are having challenges with their fragrances performing in certain bases. If you’re not sure which course to choose check out my guide here.
