South African Society Coschem hosted a creative morning refresher on 13 June with a host of young and passionate presenters who covered all things fragrance related.

Marie Aoun of Saint d’Ici, the natural and limited edition parfumerie based in Johannesburg, South Africa, shared insights into local and international natural perfumers and perfumery brands. She also looked at what constitutes a natural perfume, discussed isolates, niche markets and suppliers and shared industry challenges and opportunities for growth.

Fragrance and its application for innovation were highlighted by Kelefang Mofokeng of Sensory FX. She provided answers to questions such as what drives innovation and why it is crucial to the fragrance industry’s continuing success. She also revealed how the history of perfume and fragrance profiles, methods of production and historical consumption set the stage for today’s innovation in the industry.

Zodwa Ndebele of Orkila covered latest fragrance trends. “We are seeing more products on the market formulated with natural ingredients and an increasing need for fragrances to support this trend,” she said. Genderless fragrances are also on the rise as well as customisation, where consumers create their own fragrance of choice at specialised outlets.

Fragrance translation – from mind to market was the focus of Givaudan’s Vipul Suri and Ofentse Tsipa, who discussed the structure and composition of a fragrance and the olfactive families.

Tiffany de Astui of Carst & Walker showcased a variety of new fragrances aimed at millennials. “Representing over a quarter of the global population, millennials are the most influential consumers yet difficult to define due to their multiple contradictions,” she explained. “The fragrance wardrobe concept has become very popular with millennials because they can personalise and match their scent to their mood, style and way of life. Their preferred fragrances are often freedom loving, elegant and playful with fresh, youthful and sparkling facets that please the millennial generation.”

This article was originally published in SA Pharmaceutical & Cosmetic Review, vol 45, no 7.