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Chennai, March 9, 2001 India
has for long been known for many perfumes – sandalwood, jasmine and rose,
to name but a few. But for centuries, these and other perfumes were popular
only in the form of joss sticks, otherwise called agarbathis. Even
today, agarbathis form the mainstay of several cottage industries.
But it is now possible for small and medium industries to enter the perfume
arena, as this offers plenty of scope both in the domestic and international
markets.
SMEs
do not have to restrict themselves to the premium segments of the perfume
market. While aerosol sprays could have been a promising growth area, the
accelerating green movement against ozone-depleting substances has seen
a significant shift from these sprays to more eco-friendly applications.
Roll-ons, liquids and deodorant sticks are some of the promising media,
as are water-based fresheners. Here are some of the more popular alternatives
to freon-based aerosol perfume sprays.
Solid perfumes The most popular form of solid fragrance is the cologne stick or frozen cologne, where the fragrance spreads as the alcohol starts evaporating. This form of cologne can be marketed as small moulded cylinders, wrapped in foil and packaged in airtight containers. Instead
of ethyl alcohol, many manufacturers use white beeswax as a greasy base
to carry the perfume, as in the following recipe:
Rose pomade - 600 White
beeswax - 200
Concentrated
flower oil - 200
By varying the proportions of wax and fixative, hard or soft products may be obtained and the perfumer can choose any perfume base. Sachet perfumes Since the 19th century, patchouli leaves have been folded into clothes and linen to protect them from moths. To commercialise this, sachets were made containing powders of sandalwood, cedar wood, patchouli, vetivert, rose petals etc along with specific additives such as lavender or jasmine to give the desired fragrance. Soap
perfumes
The cost of toilet soap is determined largely by the perfume used in it. Just 1-2 percent of compounded perfume spread through a large and non-volatile mass has to yield a scent suggestive of finer alcoholic perfumes. Odour perception as per the classification standards assumes great importance. Patchouli oil is a very useful soap perfume and is used by several US manufacturers. Perfumed cards Mainly used for advertising, perfumed cards are slowly gaining popularity. For this purpose, the card is placed in a specially constructed chamber and the perfume is volatilised at a low temperature from the shallow tray in the bottom. Patchouli oil, lavender oil, thyme oil etc form part of such fragrances. Aerosols This is a popular medium as aerosols are built-in, non-spill perfume atomisers. Aerosol solutions containing as little as 1 percent of perfume oils have shown the strength of alcoholic solutions containing 3-4 percent of the same perfume oil. In aerosol fragrances, diprpylene glycol is used as a cosolvent or solubliser to keep the perfume in the propellant. While aerosols make economic sense, they are less eco-friendly and are on the way out. For instance, J.K. Helene Curtis has an aerosol air-freshener priced at Rs 100 for a 160-ml can. On the other hand, sandal oil, which can also be used as an air freshener, could cost around Rs 5 per ml. Formulating a solid cologne with an exotic perfumery oil such as patchouli oil will be a novel marketing concept. In 1993, the US imported 390 tonnes of patchouli oil valued at $7.4 million, for various fragrance requirements. Below is a search tool that will help one find the perfect fragrance. Fragrance Finder: Scent TypePerfumers
go by certain classifications to differentiate the strong, light and middle
notes of the fragrance sources. Some of the better known fragrance families
are oriental, woody, fresh and spicy. Floral notes emanate with natural
jasmine and citral elements, while the classic spicy notes are characterised
by cinnamon, pepper and ginger.
Frozen cologne This
is a novel toilet article that could find a ready market. It is a solid
and transparent alcoholic soap prepared by dissolving 5 per cent sodium
stearate in warm alcohol. To this solution, perfume oils are added and
cast in moulds.
Solidified cologne Emulsified
fragrances -- cream sachet, liquid sachet, perfume cream sachet -- can
be used in the same way as conventional perfumes and colognes. With the
success of SMEs in the sachet shampoo segment, solidified cologne in sachets
could see the making of a new niche. Solid colognes are essentially liquid
colognes, which have been solidified by a gelatinous ingredient. They are
usually formulated with the following ingredients:
The
key to this product is the solidifying agent. The most popular solidifying
agent is sodium stearate (made from sodium hydroxide and stearic acid).
The hardness of a cologne stick is determined by the quantity of sodium
stearate in the formula. The inclusion of potassium chloride, castor oil
etc, helps achieve clear/transparent gels. Polyhydric alcohol functions
as a plasticiser – it helps prevent the stick from being too brittle, and
acts as a solvent for the gelatine agent.
Acknowledgements: Scope Marketing and Information Solutions Pvt Ltd. | ||||||||||