As consumers explore new approaches to fragrance, regulatory developments aimed at reducing the VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds, including alcohol) [1] content of formulas are accelerating the move toward other types of formulas across beauty categories.
According to Aptar Beauty, three new territories for innovation are emerging on the fragrance market: a growing interest in alcohol‑free fragrances from brands; the rise of microencapsulated fragrance; and the emergence of hybrid perfume-skincare formulas.
Technical packaging challenges
For a specialist in cosmetic formula distribution solutions, the success of these new products involves overcoming several compatibility issues and technical challenges.
For alcohol-free perfumes, for example, the challenge lies in preserving both the sensory experience and the overall performance of the product. Indeed, alcohol is the most neutral olfactive solvent and helps with fragrance preservation and instant evaporation, leaving a dry feeling on skin. Water-based and/or alcohol-free formulas must rely on alternative stabilizers and volatiles, such as biphase or glycerin-enriched formulations, to maintain fragrance intensity and formula integrity.
As formula viscosity and weight may vary, it is more difficult to achieve a fine and homogeneous spray, that does not feel too wet on the skin, and that prevents water droplets spritzs during application.
“Our HDS Inune and HDS VP4 fragrance pumps are expertly designed to overcome the technical challenges of alcohol-free formulations. These high-performance fragrance pump and insert combinations dispense a wide-angle, homogenized spray that maintains the premium, sensorial experiences consumers expect of traditional fragrances,” explains Aptar Beauty.
In the case of micro-encapsulated perfumes, the main challenge is that fragrance capsules must remain intact inside the bottle and pump. In order to preserve the formula freshness and integrity, the concentrated fragrance has to be released at the right time. Upon actuation, the pump must dispense both the gel and the capsules simultaneously, in a well-balanced ratio, without clogging the pump system.
“Our Applied Sciences and R&D teams have found the perfect balance to ensure our selection of fragrance cartridges and inserts offer seamless diffusion of hybrid formulas, even with suspended caps,” Aptar claims.
Anticipating tomorrow’s formulas
Based in Le Neubourg, France, Aptar Beauty’s Applied Sciences team has been working on the development of adapted dispensing technologies for more than three years.
“Fragrance formulas are evolving and the fragrance pumps need to adapt. We have been preparing for this shift and have worked to optimize the pumps and formula combination for optimal efficiency,” highlights Thomas Clemence, Scientific Material and Formulation Manager, Aptar Beauty.
Guerlain Aqua Allegoria Perle
For the development of Aqua Allegoria Perle, Guerlain’s latest limited-edition release, Aptar Beauty teamed up with Microcaps, a Swiss start-up specializing in perfume micro-encapsulation, to optimize the hybrid formula for optimum dispensing.
The perfume is encapsulated inside micro-beads and diffused in an alcohol-free aqueous base, enriched with glycerine. This groundbreaking biphase formula fuses with skin, offering the intensity of an Eau de Parfum and the beautifying effect of hydrating skincare, as claimed by Guerlain.
Aptar Beauty’s R&D teams worked closely with Guerlain and Microcaps to optimize the initial formulation by determining the optimal ratio between capsule density and gel viscosity. The formula is dispensed by Aptar’s VP4 premium fragrance pump.
“We approached Microcaps to work on a perfect encapsulated formula/pump combination ahead of this project. This preemptive work helped Guerlain optimize their formula and reduce the time-to-market,” concluded Thomas Clemence.
