MythBusters & Ask Me Anything

Hello, Fragrant Friend 👋,

Did you know? The most expensive perfume ever sold, “Shumukh,” went for $1.29 million — enough for 2,700 bottles of Xerjoff Alexandria II, or 28 Tesla Model 3s.

🗓️ Contents of this Issue

1. Note Worthy: Perfume AI, Crowdfunding, and Gen Z
2. Scent MythBusters: All-natural fragrances
3. Ask Me Anything: Perfumers’ edition
4. Quiz: Oldest perfume house in the world
5. Molecule Spotlight: Hedione

Note-Worthy 🔎🌸

Scentalytics’ AI Perfume Creator lets you explore formulas and find similar perfumes. Thomas de Monaco announced a public crowdfunding campaign at a 2.5 million CHF valuation. And Gen Z teens are embracing fragrance culture (“smellmaxxing”), with male-teen spending up 26% in 2024, driven by TikTok influencers.

Ask Me Anything 🗣️ 👃

This week debuts the Ask Me Anything format with our interviewed perfumers.

How does the brief and price-per-kg work with indie perfumers? Sy Truong: similar to houses, but more invested in the brand concept. Marie-Pierre: “The brief is the foundation of the story — you’ll often find higher-quality ingredients in indie perfumes because we’re not bound by the same cost restrictions.”

How much is copy-paste vs. creative? Chester: began by reconstructing perfumes, now creates from scratch. Riyal: creative formulation comes from knowing what you’re aiming for. Marie-Pierre: “Big houses copy-paste more, jumping on trends.”

Scent MythBusters 🎭️

“All-natural fragrances are more sustainable.”
Myth of the week — final score: a draw

Environmental

Haiti vetiver controls soil erosion but steam distillation and transport add CO₂. Indian sandalwood faces overharvesting, making synthetics like santalol more eco-friendly. Ambroxan is produced with renewable energy and biodegradability. But synthetics like Civetone can drive demand for the controversial natural versions.

Social & health

Vetiver supports 80,000 farmers in Haiti; synthetics like Ambroxan are socially neutral. Natural ingredients (oakmoss, clove leaf oil) carry higher allergenic risks and are IFRA-regulated, though lavender has therapeutic effects. Sustainability must be examined case by case.

Molecule Spotlight: Hedione

Hedione® (methyl dihydrojasmonate) was discovered by Firmenich and introduced in 1966 in Dior’s Eau Sauvage by Edmond Roudnitska. Fresh, airy and jasmine-like, it enhances the diffusion and radiance of floral notes and is even linked to pheromone detection. Notable: Eau Sauvage, CK One, Acqua di Gio.