Chemical raw materials for perfume production

In the world of fragrances

The importance of perfumes in today’s world goes far beyond their purely practical role. Nowadays, they are a powerful tool, not only psychologically but also socially. Perfumes are often a form of personal calling card and have a clear impact on emotions and mood.

Although the perfume industry has developed significantly in modern times, the choice of raw materials for perfume production allows for the creation of unique fragrance compositions.

Perfume ingredients and their effects

Although each fragrance is unique and has its own formula, there are ingredients that are fundamental to all perfumes. Each of them contributes to the creation of a composition that can evoke memories and emotions, turning an ordinary bottle into a small work of art.

The most important chemical raw materials used in perfume production are:

• Essential oils – these are most often obtained from plants by steam distillation or cold pressing. Synthetic substitutes are an alternative to natural essential oils. They are characterised by comparable durability and fragrance stability. From a chemical point of view, they are highly volatile fragrances, which are complex mixtures of various organic compounds. They are composed of, among others, terpenes, aldehydes, ketones and esters.
• In perfume production, aromas such as musk, vanilla, cedar and lavender are most commonly used. Plant extracts are also very popular. However, the most expensive ingredient in perfumes is ambergris, which is a secretion of the sperm whale.
• Alcohols – among the chemical raw materials used in perfume production, alcohols are key to both lifting and dispersing fragrance notes. For this reason, they are used as carriers in perfumes. Manufacturers use alcohol as a strong solvent that evaporates quickly and is invisible.
• Water – used to dilute alcohol, modifying the intensity of the fragrance,
• Fixatives – their task is to prolong the fragrance effect of perfumes. Thanks to them, the mixture of volatile ingredients lasts longer. The basic fixatives used in perfume production are alcohols (which are also fragrance carriers). Compounds of animal origin (e.g. ambergris) and plant origin (e.g. perfumed incense) are also used. Synthetic fixatives include low-volatility substances such as diphenylmethane.

PCC Group’s offering

The PCC Group is a major manufacturer of chemical raw materials for the cosmetics and detergent industries. It also supplies key ingredients for perfume production. One of the most important chemical raw materials used in perfume production is a solubiliser.

Solubilisers are widely used in cosmetics (including perfumes) to help combine hydrophobic substances, such as essential or fragrance oils, with aqueous formulations. They play an important role in maintaining the clarity of the final product and preventing separation over time. Solubilisers are usually surfactants or mixtures thereof with a high hydrophilic-lipophilic balance.

The solubilisers offered by the PCC Group are mainly products from the ROKAnol series (e.g. ROKAnol L3A, ROKAnol L5P5). Most of them are non-ionic surfactants. Due to their very good solubilising properties, they enable the introduction of fragrances into perfumery products.

In addition to ROKAnols, the ROKwinol series, e.g. ROKwinol 20, is also noteworthy. It is a non-ionic surfactant based on a natural raw material. It works perfectly as a solubiliser for essential oils, which makes it suitable for use in the production of perfumes, but also air fresheners.

Another important raw material is ROKAcet HR40. This product is a surfactant based on renewable plant raw materials. It has good solubility in water and acts as a solubiliser for, e.g., fragrance compositions of plant extracts, vitamins and other oily substances in aqueous and water-alcohol solutions.

Importantly, the raw materials on offer are safe and biodegradable in the natural environment. Most of them meet the biodegradability criteria set out in Regulation No 1223/2009 on cosmetics.