A Glimpse Into the Future of Perfumery

As has been the case across every industry and every aspect of our lives, the world of perfumery has been driven forward in impressive leaps and bounds by the emergence of contemporary science and technology.

The past few decades have seen numerous innovative molecules being developed by the world’s leading perfume houses, allowing the boundaries of creativity to be pushed further and the horizons of possibility widened considerably. Great progresses have been made, not least the fact that the industry no longer relies on the suffering of animals to reproduce certain Animalic scents. The civet cat, a source of musk for centuries, no longer needs to die in order to produce its unique fragrance - the same task is now completed with newly designed and isolated molecules, and the talent of modern perfumers.

Furthermore, innovative molecular development has seen the rise of new fresh accords, fascinating novel fruity notes, and tempting gourmand scents alike.

The perfume industry has also experienced a powerful comeback of natural fragrances; new techniques of extraction have allowed perfumers to access a broader palette of natural ingredients, alongside the ability to work with extractions of higher purity thanks to specific molecular distillation. As we continue to explore the world and uncover nature’s rich and varied bounty, we can and will distillate new aromas from the discoveries which are sure to arise.

Perfume has been in a state of constant evolution for millennia, and the modern world has opened the floodgates of possibility in ways the classical perfumers and those of the golden age of scent could never have imagined. Let’s dive a little deeper, and take a look at exactly what the future of this ancient and treasured artform has in store.

The quest for new innovative molecules: “the gold digger” 

Global perfumer Houses like IFF, Givaudan, Firmenich and their top R&D laboratories houses are tireless in their research, investing millions in the discovery and development of new olfactive molecules. Staying ahead of the game, uncovering bold new essences and compounds, and pushing the envelope in this field has allowed them to keep their focus on registering captive molecules - in much the same way as occurs in the pharmaceutical industry - that will allow them to blaze trails for the latest trends in perfume.

Once developed, these synthetic molecules are placed in the hands of their perfumers, and may well become the heart of the biggest brands’ forthcoming compositions. It’s a furiously competitive and fast-paced research; in just one year, researchers at such laboratories may develop anywhere between 500 and 3,000 new molecules with new olfactive profile or specific performative properties in different product bases (for example, alcohol, shampoo, or detergents).

However, once they are registered and released, and following years of intensive research, evaluation, and tests, it may be that only four or five such molecules may succeed as part of a perfumer’s palette. As such, it’s fair to say that giving life to a new molecule is far from a simple task and it is a real journey. But when it works, captive molecules can present a huge competitive advantage as they are immediately patented and can be reproduced by the competition. Today, copycat fragrances are a big subject in the perfumery world. We can more or less accurately copy everything with the use of gas chromatography (GC) analysis - an ideal and precise way to separate, identify and quantify the content of most perfumes. This is typically followed by an expert team of scientists further identifying components with the use of mass spectrometry. It takes time, money, and scientific talent, but make no mistake, it is absolutely doable, and this is why it is all too easy to find a copy of your beloved perfume at one-tenth of the price in China, Indonesia, or India!

As a result, one of the only ways to maintain the exclusivity of a blockbuster perfume from a famous brand is to introduce a decent amount of patented captive molecules in the formula. This is the price they pay to remain at the top of the podium, in prime position, and protected from the threat of counterfeiters as soon as success comes along.

This is why, in each and every formula we create at Maison 21G, we ensure we use a reliable quantity of IFF captive molecules, alongside ingredients of peerless quality. This essence of quality and exclusivity doesn’t just bring sensory pleasure to our customers, it also ensures the protection of our brand DNA and stops copycats from ruining the authentic perfume industry. Not everything, it seems, is so glamorous in perfumery!

 The Rise of AI and Data-Driven Perfumery: Making Data Noble and Useful for Our Consumers

No matter which industry or aspect of life in the very near future you examine, there’s no escaping the fact that AI (Artificial Intelligence) and BIg Data will play a considerable, if not all-encompassing, role. The fragrance industry is being catapulted into the future by these technologies as much as any other, and we can expect this to transform the way perfumes are produced and sold before too long.

Brands spend millions upon millions of dollars each year, testing each and every new scent creation in order to ascertain exactly what the consumers of today and tomorrow desire, and how they can target the younger generation and anticipate and mould their tastes, allowing themself to constantly stay one step ahead when it comes to olfactive trends. AI and Big Data are, in essence, allowing this whole process to be dramatically simplified.

Whereas traditionally, noses are developed through years and years of apprenticeship and the development of raw talent, AI is allowing brands to more rapidly attune to the preferences and desires of their customers. Consumer bases are divided and pigeon-holed on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, age, skin tone, and countless other criteria, allowing brands to discover the common olfactive denominator for different parts of the world and different consumer subsets. This essentially creates a number of shortcuts for the big names at the top of the industry - it allows them to create scents which aim to please as many people at a time.

While this may have its benefits, we’d argue that the age of the crowd-pleasing perfume is coming to an end. By utilising data in this way, you may well produce perfumes that are liked by the masses… but not those which people fall in love with, find themselves addicted to, or embrace as an aspect of their personality and intertwine with their most precious memories and moments.

AI may be introducing new data and techniques to the perfume industry, but we do not believe it represents the future of this time-honoured artform and artisanal craft.

 Consumers of today are, more than ever before, yearning for personalisation - AI should, therefore, be utilised as a tool with which to understand the differences and preferences of individual customers. At Maison 21G, from the beginning we recognise and leverage the useful aspects of AI in our innovative business model; aspects which are often in direct opposition to the way that AI is used by big brands. For us, AI is here to help identify the difference between nationalities, age demographics, and personalities in order to enhance thousands of different scents and to match each of them with another. It is not only impressively powerful, it also injects an element of fun for everybody, including the consumer who - thanks to AI - becomes part of the process of creation. We invite the customer to view their potential matches, and they are then free to choose according to their personal chemistry. We are in a way the “Tinder” of perfumery. We give you a potential good match... and you decide who you marry!

In conclusion, at Maison 21G, we truly do believe that AI has a place at the heart of perfumery’s future. However, we view its involvement from a completely different perspective than how it is seen by the bosses of the biggest brands. We are not on the hunt for the ‘common loved scent’ for everybody (readers of La Parfum of Suskind could compare it to the Utopia of Grenouille!), but we use AI as a technique with which to assist us in discovering and producing the unique, the bespoke, and the utterly memorable scents for each and every individual. This is the real future of the perfumery market.

Environmentally-Friendly, Clean, and Sustainable scents: No More Excuses, No More Alternatives.

If there is one perfume trend above all others which is at once welcome, prevalent, and deeply important for the development of our industry, it has been how consumers are demanding eco-friendly, sustainable, and waste-free standards from the brands they choose to follow. More so than ever before, there is a tangible desire in the perfumery world to slash the ecological impact of production and distribution, minimising waste and cutting energy expenditure across all aspects of perfumery. Here at Maison 21G, we take great pride in being trailblazers in this respect - and while we still have plenty of room for improvement, we’ve set high-reaching targets when it comes to sustainability which drive so many of our most important decisions.

There’s simply no getting away from the fact that the future of fragrance needs to be environmentally friendly. Companies need to harness the same technological vision and insight that it spent on molecular development and use it to improve the sustainability of their practices.

Perfume compositions will have to become biodegradable; most of the fragranced products we use, one way or another, end up in nature and can become pollutants - just think of the shampoo that gets washed down the drain, and the fabric conditioners which run from our washing machines, to name but two. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the environmental impact of such products, and there must be a cross-industry effort to ensure biodegradable scents become the norm.

The same goes for packaging. We should all be making efforts to reduce our reliance on plastics, and this is something which forms a common responsibility between brands and consumers. The public should - and increasingly do - reject brands which insist on single-use plastics, and the brands themselves must respond to this change in attitude to seek out recyclable and biodegradable alternatives whenever possible. In this way, investment into waste footprint reduction can pave the way for a more ecologically-conscious future, something that the younger generations are crying out for and voting with their consumer habits to change.

To say that this aspect of perfumery evolution is important to our Maison would be an enormous understatement. Part of the reason for Maison 21G’s existence was to strive forward in the realm of ecologically-produced and packaged perfume; it was clear that there was growing impatience among the public regarding this matter, and an increased demand for recyclable, sustainable, and biodegradable perfume products.

At our Maison, we’re proud to be joining the battle against single-use plastics, and we refuse to use plastics in our packaging or production, and exclusively utilise refillable bottles and recyclable paper packaging. We will continue to keep sustainability and ecology at the very heart of what we do as we move forward, and will continue fighting for a more eco-friendly perfumery industry. For too long have perfume brands sat on their hands in silence, continuing to contribute to plastic waste and chemical pollution - it’s time to show that another way, and a better way for the consumer and the planet, is perfectly possible. Say no to waste. Say no to pollutants. Say no to single-use plastics and unnecessary packaging, and join Maison21G in our fight for the future!

No More Fake Secrets of Formulation: Transparency is the New Must-Have

Perfume formulation will need to rid itself of preservatives, phthalates, CMR substances, and GMOs - none of these all-too-commonplace ingredients are healthy for the skin or for the planet. Consumers not only have the right to know what is inside their perfumes, they’re increasingly becoming savvy and conscious of what they are buying, and the eco-conscious brands they wish to trust and follow. The age of secrecy in the perfume industry has long gone, and the age-old excuse of hiding perfume formulas for the sake of creativity protection is no longer valid. We should all demand transparency, honesty, and good practices in our perfume formulation for the health of consumers, and for the environment, too.

We’ve seen first-hand how consumers expect traceability when it comes to the natural ingredients in their perfume, partly as an aspect of the growing trend for eco-consciousness, but also as part of the trend for storytelling, authenticity, and insight into perfume, too. Perfumers will need to be able to demonstrate their fair trade credentials like Monique Remy has done at her laboratories LMR (today acquired by IFF) , showing that they care for the communities working to extract those precious natural ingredients. Many such ingredients are cultivated in third-world countries and with all too many intermediaries taking from the pockets of the producers - perfumery brands will have to start heading straight to the source, ensuring those at the first stages of the production process get a fair amount of the revenue from this luxury industry.

Businesses not following such fair trade practices and failing to meet environmental targets can expect, sooner rather than later, to get called out on their hypocrisies and will lose their credentials.

The new luxury, after all, is sustainability, clean formulas, transparency and authenticity… and this is exactly what we fight for in our day-to-day work at Maison, and we’re optimistic that our values will spread for the best future of this fascinating and ever-evolving industry.

For us, there’s simply no longer any excuses for the inclusion of nasty chemicals, GMOs, or planet-harming ingredients in perfume. The perfume-buying public are waking up, and demanding cleaner, greener, and more sustainable formulations, and they want to hold the brands they follow to account for their actions. Secrecy breeds suspicion, opaqueness shows you have something to hide… and today’s perfume-buying audiences are savvy enough to see when they are being misled or sold something which goes against their values. From the very beginning of Maison 21G, we saw the need for openness and transparency in the industry, and a need to champion cruelty-free, vegan, and sustainably-sourced ingredients. Nature provides us with beauty, it is our job to not only present that beauty to our customers in all its natural glory, but also to protect its source.

The level of transparency and openness at Maison 21G is completely new in the perfume industry - never before has anybody broken the codes of secrecy and indicated everything that’s in their formula. We believe that this openness and honesty is the way forward, and it’s the key to transforming perfumery into the greener, cleaner, and kinder industry it has no choice but to become.