Whether it’s adding the sparkling top note toChanel N°5, the alluring almond scent to Prada Luna Rossa Black or the sugary sweetness to Mugler’s Angel, synthetic notes have been transforming the fragrance industry since the 19th century. Despite their widespread use, there is still doubt whether synthetic perfumes can ever triumph over their natural counterparts. So, join us as we settle the ‘natural vs synthetic’ debate, as well as answer all your burning questions surrounding synthetics. Fragrance fans, this one’s for you!
What are synthetic fragrances?
Synthetic fragrances are made primarily with artificial compounds and materials that have been developed in a lab. This is to replicate the scent of natural ingredients such as fruit and flowers, without extracting them from nature itself. It’s believed that the founder of modern perfumery, Paul Parquet was first to explore the use of synthetics in perfume. He used coumarin, a synthetic fragrance note to create Fougère Royal, in 1882.
By contrast, natural perfumes include notes that are derived solely from nature, including trees, plants and even animals.
Want to learn more about natural fragrances? Head over to our article: Wellbeing Benefits of Perfume for the lowdown!
So, natural vs synthetic – who wins?
While natural perfumes certainly had their heyday, the fragrance industry needed revolutionising, and that’s exactly what came with the invention of synthetic notes. Now, perfumers can create a whole host of new and exciting scents that have less impact on the environment and more impact on the senses! So in a nutshell, synthetic perfumes reign supreme in our books.
If you want to learn more about essential oils and the natural vs synthetic argument, you’ll want to check out our article:
Extracting resources from the environment does not come without its downsides. Trees, plants and flowers can end up being over-harvested to cater to the demands of the perfume industry. The use of synthetic notes helps to lessen the burden on farmers and protect plant life. Also, if you follow a vegan lifestyle, another upside of using synthetic notes is that it helps to protect animals such as deer, civets, and beavers where their extracts were commonly used in natural perfumes.
Shelf life
Notes that derive from nature can be extremely volatile, causing them to evaporate quickly (a.k.a not what you want from your signature scent!). Synthetic fragrances contain fixatives that work to balance volatile natural ingredients, helping them to last longer on the skin.
Endless compositions
With synthetic perfumes, you are not bound to the limitations of nature e.g. which ingredients are in season/can be harvested, because all-natural scents can be recreated artificially. By enabling the creation of molecules that wouldn’t usually be included in natural perfumery (most fruit, liquor and animal facets), a whole new spectrum of fragrance combinations is opened up, allowing perfumers to test the boundaries of what can be done with fragrance.
Safety
Believe it or not, synthetic perfumes pose less of an allergen risk than natural fragrances do. Many common allergens (restricted by the International Fragrance Association) are found within essential oils (which are of natural origin).
To add to this, natural notes can vary depending on the season/location of the ingredient, making it tricky to regulate the safety profile of these ingredients. By creating synthetic alternatives to these natural notes, perfumers can alleviate the majority of safety risks – so it’s a win-win for synthetic perfumes!
Cost
You may have noticed that synthetic fragrances tend to fetch a lower price than all-natural perfumes. This is because it is cheaper to synthesize molecules in a lab, rather than growing, harvesting, and distilling natural ingredients to use in perfumery. Here’s a list of some common synthetic fragrance ingredients to look out for.
Typical synthetic chemicals in perfumery
Geraniol
Geraniol is a synthetic compound that adds a mildly sweet, rose-like aroma that is highly desired within perfumery.
Benzaldehyde
This chemical compound has a nutty, fruity scent that is likened to almond and cherry.
Eugenol
When added to a fragrance, eugenol gives a clove-like aroma with warm and spicy nuances.
Indole
This chemical compound is widely used (in small concentrations) to boost the floral profile of a scent.
Ethyl Maltol (a.k.a veltol)
Ethyl Maltol gives a sugary sweet, dessert-like aroma that has been likened to candyfloss and strawberry jam. It is commonly added to gourmand scents like Angel by Mugler.
Coumarin is commonly used in male fragrances to create an aroma that smells like almond, marzipan and vanilla. Famously used to create the iconic Fougère Royal in 1882, you can also find this synthetic note in the more modern Luna Rossa Black by Prada.
Ambroxan is the synthetic alternative to the natural fragrance note, ambergris. When used in perfume it creates a smooth, woody aroma that is musky in nature, making it the perfect base note for Montblanc’s masculine and addictive Explorer.
Today, natural musk (extracted from animals such as the musk deer, civet, muskrats, beavers and sperm whales) is rarely used. It is now replaced with synthetic musks which have a smooth, sensual and slightly sweet aroma, earning CK Onethe title of the first ‘skin-like’ scent on the market! Another sensual scent that uses this note is For Her Pure Musc, by Narciso Rodriguez.
Cashmeran is a widely used synthetic accord that gives a distinctively woody aroma with underlying spicy and floral qualities. It is widely used to invoke the comforting, velvety smell and feel of cashmere. If you’ve tried Perfect, by Marc Jacobs you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about!
Muguet highlights the delicate essence of the lily of the valley flower, which cannot otherwise be captured naturally. When added to a fragrance, muguet brings soft, sweet and slightly musky nuances. Which is a fitting introduction to Springtime In The Park, by Maison Margiella!
Ozone is a chemical compound with a distinctively clean smell that despite being synthetic, creates a ‘natural’ smelling aroma. It mimics the warm but fresh scent that can be smelt right after a thunderstorm. If that sounds sexy to you than give Dolce Shine a try.
Aldehydes are a group of synthetic compounds that give a sparkling and uplifting quality to scents. The aroma that they create can vary from waxy and citrusy to fresh and floral. Think Chanel No. 5!
This synthetic chemical is likened to that of a sea breeze with its fresh, water-like qualities. Not only this, but it also has gentle floral undertones that work well in aquatic fragrances. Cool Water Man is the essence of this synthetic note.
Iso E Super is a synthetic chemical with a woody, amber-like aroma that brings fullness and velvety smoothness to a fragrance. A velvety perfume you can find this note in is Dylan Purple, by Versace.
Rosa is a creative copywriter who has been writing about luxury beauty, fragrance and her personal interest, sustainable fashion, for over two years. When she’s not hunting in her local charity shops for vintage homeware, she’s testing out the latest beauty trends. Her favourite perfume? Chance by CHANEL.
What are synthetic fragrances?
Whether it’s adding the sparkling top note to Chanel N°5, the alluring almond scent to Prada Luna Rossa Black or the sugary sweetness to Mugler’s Angel, synthetic notes have been transforming the fragrance industry since the 19th century. Despite their widespread use, there is still doubt whether synthetic perfumes can ever triumph over their natural counterparts. So, join us as we settle the ‘natural vs synthetic’ debate, as well as answer all your burning questions surrounding synthetics. Fragrance fans, this one’s for you!
What are synthetic fragrances?
Synthetic fragrances are made primarily with artificial compounds and materials that have been developed in a lab. This is to replicate the scent of natural ingredients such as fruit and flowers, without extracting them from nature itself. It’s believed that the founder of modern perfumery, Paul Parquet was first to explore the use of synthetics in perfume. He used coumarin, a synthetic fragrance note to create Fougère Royal, in 1882.
By contrast, natural perfumes include notes that are derived solely from nature, including trees, plants and even animals.
Want to learn more about natural fragrances? Head over to our article: Wellbeing Benefits of Perfume for the lowdown!
So, natural vs synthetic – who wins?
While natural perfumes certainly had their heyday, the fragrance industry needed revolutionising, and that’s exactly what came with the invention of synthetic notes. Now, perfumers can create a whole host of new and exciting scents that have less impact on the environment and more impact on the senses! So in a nutshell, synthetic perfumes reign supreme in our books.
If you want to learn more about essential oils and the natural vs synthetic argument, you’ll want to check out our article:
The benefits of synthetic fragrances
Sustainability
Extracting resources from the environment does not come without its downsides. Trees, plants and flowers can end up being over-harvested to cater to the demands of the perfume industry. The use of synthetic notes helps to lessen the burden on farmers and protect plant life. Also, if you follow a vegan lifestyle, another upside of using synthetic notes is that it helps to protect animals such as deer, civets, and beavers where their extracts were commonly used in natural perfumes.
Shelf life
Notes that derive from nature can be extremely volatile, causing them to evaporate quickly (a.k.a not what you want from your signature scent!). Synthetic fragrances contain fixatives that work to balance volatile natural ingredients, helping them to last longer on the skin.
Endless compositions
With synthetic perfumes, you are not bound to the limitations of nature e.g. which ingredients are in season/can be harvested, because all-natural scents can be recreated artificially. By enabling the creation of molecules that wouldn’t usually be included in natural perfumery (most fruit, liquor and animal facets), a whole new spectrum of fragrance combinations is opened up, allowing perfumers to test the boundaries of what can be done with fragrance.
Safety
Believe it or not, synthetic perfumes pose less of an allergen risk than natural fragrances do. Many common allergens (restricted by the International Fragrance Association) are found within essential oils (which are of natural origin).
To add to this, natural notes can vary depending on the season/location of the ingredient, making it tricky to regulate the safety profile of these ingredients. By creating synthetic alternatives to these natural notes, perfumers can alleviate the majority of safety risks – so it’s a win-win for synthetic perfumes!
Cost
You may have noticed that synthetic fragrances tend to fetch a lower price than all-natural perfumes. This is because it is cheaper to synthesize molecules in a lab, rather than growing, harvesting, and distilling natural ingredients to use in perfumery. Here’s a list of some common synthetic fragrance ingredients to look out for.
Typical synthetic chemicals in perfumery
Geraniol
Geraniol is a synthetic compound that adds a mildly sweet, rose-like aroma that is highly desired within perfumery.
Benzaldehyde
This chemical compound has a nutty, fruity scent that is likened to almond and cherry.
Eugenol
When added to a fragrance, eugenol gives a clove-like aroma with warm and spicy nuances.
Indole
This chemical compound is widely used (in small concentrations) to boost the floral profile of a scent.
Ethyl Maltol (a.k.a veltol)
Ethyl Maltol gives a sugary sweet, dessert-like aroma that has been likened to candyfloss and strawberry jam. It is commonly added to gourmand scents like Angel by Mugler.
Mugler
Angel
Eau de Parfum Refillable Spray
50ML – £95.00
Coumarin
Coumarin is commonly used in male fragrances to create an aroma that smells like almond, marzipan and vanilla. Famously used to create the iconic Fougère Royal in 1882, you can also find this synthetic note in the more modern Luna Rossa Black by Prada.
Prada
Luna Rossa Black
Eau de Parfum Spray
100ML – £105.00
Ambroxan
Ambroxan is the synthetic alternative to the natural fragrance note, ambergris. When used in perfume it creates a smooth, woody aroma that is musky in nature, making it the perfect base note for Montblanc’s masculine and addictive Explorer.
Brand
Range Name
Description of the Product
Volume – Price
Synthetic musk
Today, natural musk (extracted from animals such as the musk deer, civet, muskrats, beavers and sperm whales) is rarely used. It is now replaced with synthetic musks which have a smooth, sensual and slightly sweet aroma, earning CK One the title of the first ‘skin-like’ scent on the market! Another sensual scent that uses this note is For Her Pure Musc, by Narciso Rodriguez.
Narciso Rodriguez
For Her Pure Musc
Eau de Parfum Spray
100ML – £120.00
Cashmeran
Cashmeran is a widely used synthetic accord that gives a distinctively woody aroma with underlying spicy and floral qualities. It is widely used to invoke the comforting, velvety smell and feel of cashmere. If you’ve tried Perfect, by Marc Jacobs you’ll know exactly what we’re talking about!
Marc Jacobs
Perfect
Eau de Parfum Spray
100ML – £118.00
Muguet
Muguet highlights the delicate essence of the lily of the valley flower, which cannot otherwise be captured naturally. When added to a fragrance, muguet brings soft, sweet and slightly musky nuances. Which is a fitting introduction to Springtime In The Park, by Maison Margiella!
–
Ozone
Ozone is a chemical compound with a distinctively clean smell that despite being synthetic, creates a ‘natural’ smelling aroma. It mimics the warm but fresh scent that can be smelt right after a thunderstorm. If that sounds sexy to you than give Dolce Shine a try.
Dolce&Gabbana
Dolce Shine
Eau de Parfum Spray
50ML – £45.99
Aldehydes
Aldehydes are a group of synthetic compounds that give a sparkling and uplifting quality to scents. The aroma that they create can vary from waxy and citrusy to fresh and floral. Think Chanel No. 5!
CHANEL
N°5
Eau de Parfum Spray
100ML – £145.00
Calone
This synthetic chemical is likened to that of a sea breeze with its fresh, water-like qualities. Not only this, but it also has gentle floral undertones that work well in aquatic fragrances. Cool Water Man is the essence of this synthetic note.
Davidoff
Cool Water Man
Eau de Toilette Spray
200ML – £39.99
Iso E Super
Iso E Super is a synthetic chemical with a woody, amber-like aroma that brings fullness and velvety smoothness to a fragrance. A velvety perfume you can find this note in is Dylan Purple, by Versace.
Versace
Dylan Purple
Eau de Parfum Spray
100ML – £104.00
Want the lowdown on vegan fragrances?
Here’s all you need to know about vegan fragrances…
About Rosa Morell
Copywriter
Rosa is a creative copywriter who has been writing about luxury beauty, fragrance and her personal interest, sustainable fashion, for over two years. When she’s not hunting in her local charity shops for vintage homeware, she’s testing out the latest beauty trends. Her favourite perfume? Chance by CHANEL.
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