The fragrance and beauty giant has unveiled Geogaia, a blend that reproduces the scent of Petrichor, the smell that comes from the ground when rain falls after a dry period.

Givaudan said they had to overcome a series of technical challenges to recreate this complex smell that will provide green, earthy and watery tonalities to fragrances. According to the company, this development is the result of a holistic work approach combining perfumery expertise and consumer understanding. The emotional resonance of Geogaia has been supported by the Givaudan Proprietary Mood Portraits 2.0 testing approach and InSituScanz brain imaging exploration.

With its 100% biodegradable formula, Geogaia enriches Givaudan’s Gaia collection, already featuring Phytogaia — which captures the wellbeing benefits of molecules emitted by forest trees – and Thalassogaia – which mimicks the composition of the marine environment.

“Demonstrating the emotional dimension of this new creation, 81% of consumers observed an “After the Rain” olfactive effect in the compositions containing a significant level of Geogaia, describing a pleasant natural outdoor sensation [1]. Being the most accurate translation of this universally evocative wet weather smell, Geogaia opens new creative perspectives, across all product categories,” said Stéphanie Martin, Home Care Category Director.

Givaudan added that Geogaia aligns with their objective of achieving a biodegradable fragrance palette by 2030, and of being climate positive by 2050.