L’Oréal and Cosmo team on low environmental footprint extraction process

In search of more sustainable solutions for the manufacture of natural fine perfumery ingredients, Cosmo International Fragrances has developed a new method for extracting fragrance molecules from botanicals. This patent-pending technology is a waterless, low-energy, slow extraction process that “reveals the exact smell of an ingredient while preserving its integrity,” claims the company.

Air-powered extraction

Using only air, the new extraction technology harnesses the volatile fragrance molecules of flowers, fruits and other natural ingredients without the need for heating, cooling or chemical solvents used in conventional scent extraction. Flowers thus retain their integrity and at the end of the process, can be recycled and re-used in a second extraction, helping reduce waste.

L’Oréal Groupe has secured exclusive access to this Green Sciences-based extraction process that, according to the two companies, promises to open the door to new fragrance frontiers and enlarge the fragrance-maker’s scent library to include “100% natural and pure scent extracts.”

“Through this Green Sciences extraction process, we can experience the olfactive power of flowers in an authentic way, as if walking in a garden, field or forest,” said Barbara Lavernos, Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of Research, Innovation and Technology, L’Oréal.

First launch in 2024

To kick off the collaboration, L’Oréal Groupe and Cosmo International will focus on a new tuberose floral extract for a fine fragrance to be released in 2024.

“Our brands will take fine fragrance crafting to new heights by offering unprecedented olfactive authenticity, allowing natural ingredients to express their full olfactive identity like never before,” said Cyril Chapuy, President of L’Oréal Luxe.

Sustainable supply chain

The partnership between the two companies is in line with a major trend of the fragrance market: the quest for new and unique accords obtained from methods low environmental footprint.

“As the world leader in fine fragrances, embracing sustainability throughout the whole fragrance value chain is not just a choice: it’s our conviction. From ingredient sourcing to refill adoption, we are innovating at every step to reduce our impact and shift towards a more responsible fragrance model,” added Cyril Chapuy.

The development of environmentally friendly extraction methods capable of providing access to new odorous molecules is one of the main fields of current research and innovation in perfumery. For instance, dsm-firmenich recently debuted new extracts from its Firgood electromagnetic extraction technology, launched in 2021, while in 2019 Symrise unveiled SymTrap, a process for capturing odorous molecules in aqueous solutions.