Ouddict

Ouddict Co-Founder & Tech Support
IFRA has compiled a list of prohibitive naturally aromatic materials that in effect, minimise the ability of natural perfumers to create a wide range of perfumes. This is the claim. Wondering how true this is?
 
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Alexander Oudh

Oud Fanatic
IFRA has compiled a list of prohibitive naturally aromatic materials that in effect, minimise the ability of natural perfumers to create a wide range of perfumes. This is the claim. Wondering how true this is?
Honestly, I do not see how this can be true unless the source of the natural fragrances are deemed protected under CBD, CITES, CMS, Ramsar or the World Heritage Convention.

IFRA has rules for more than just perfumer's. Their main objective is to determine the safety of fragrant petrochemicals produced for consumer goods. The IFRA also wouldn't outright ban a fragrance compound unless one of its Ordinary Member Organizations did so first.

Hope this helps
 

Ouddict

Ouddict Co-Founder & Tech Support
Honestly, I do not see how this can be true unless the source of the natural fragrances are deemed protected under CBD, CITES, CMS, Ramsar or the World Heritage Convention.

IFRA has rules for more than just perfumer's. Their main objective is to determine the safety of fragrant petrochemicals produced for consumer goods. The IFRA also wouldn't outright ban a fragrance compound unless one of its Ordinary Member Organizations did so first.

Hope this helps


I’m referring to the extensive debate that has been conducted regarding the IFRA regulations. Many natural perfumers feel that they unfairly encroach on their options. I think Anya McCoys Natural Perfumery Guild website has a lot of interesting information on this.
 

Mellifluence

Oud Fan
Some of the users on Basenotes make some very good points, they are restricting some natural materials without good reason and allowing some very unpleasant chemicals to still be used. I have many allergies to synthetic aroma compounds and very rarely have an allergic response to a natural essential oil or absolute.
This may also fit in with Agenda 24 which is a slow destruction of all natural medicine, i remember reading about this a long time ago and it is still slowly working it's way into regulations.
It is also part of the ultra sensitive EU nanny laws which are treating us more like children all the time, restricting more of what we say and do assuming all people are stupid, unfortunately many are but that shouldn't tar everyone.
 

Rai Munir

Musk Man
Very right, respected Abdullah. I couldn't ever understand this IFRA mania that has always been referred to for authentication of what is acknowledged authentic universally. Anyway, the multinational monsters are always there to fabricate to finagle. Anyway, we have to live with this IFRA-isms and any forum-istic cults.

Synthetic aroma causes a sore throat whenever I smell some perfume. No exception.
 

Mellifluence

Oud Fan
I agree, it serves multinational companies interest and not the citizens, so when a regulation is made, their chemicals sell more, i think they want to eliminate competition from small companies, especially natural ones.
When those companies gain so much money and power a huge conflict of interest occurs that is going unchecked, their greed affects the health of all citizens. I remember Greenpeace analyzed many synthetic perfumes and found so many contained hormone altering chemicals that have a negative effect on health.
When natural ingredients are used, the side effects are generally beneficial rather than having any negative impacts on the body.
 

F4R1d0uX

Resident Artisan
I agree, it serves multinational companies interest and not the citizens, so when a regulation is made, their chemicals sell more, i think they want to eliminate competition from small companies, especially natural ones.
When those companies gain so much money and power a huge conflict of interest occurs that is going unchecked, their greed affects the health of all citizens. I remember Greenpeace analyzed many synthetic perfumes and found so many contained hormone altering chemicals that have a negative effect on health.
When natural ingredients are used, the side effects are generally beneficial rather than having any negative impacts on the body.

Yes I agree, If I remember well, they analysed white musk from "the body shop" :confused: it hurts ...
 

Mellifluence

Oud Fan
Here is a list of the essential oils and absolutes that are prohibited or restricted if anyone is interested:

https://essentialoils.co.za/banned-oils.htm

Quite a few of the oils i love and use are on the banned list, i use Liquidamber orientalis raw on the skin and have never had any issues.
I understand juniper oxidises very quickly making it potentially carcinogenic if it is aged, but not likely as much as denatured alcohol which is used profusely and has some very unpleasant chemicals in there.

"Denatured alcohol is ethanol with other additives, which makes it unfavorable for drink. This is also known as methylated spirits because earlier, the main additive for this was methanol, which is about 10%. Other than methanol, other additives like isopropyl alcohol, acetone, methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone, and denatonium are also added to make denatured alcohol. Addition of these extra molecules doesn’t affect the chemical nature of the ethanol but makes it highly poisonous."

This is quoted from https://www.differencebetween.com/difference-between-isopropyl-alcohol-and-vs-denatured-alcohol/
 

Woodland Note

True Ouddict
This list of the banned oils seems a bit ridiculous to me... Tea? I drink it every day. Horseradish? I eat it frequently. :)
If those cause an allergic reaction in some small percentage of people, it should be mentioned in the ingredient list of the product... But banning it all from the use in the perfume industry? Cmon... With this logic they can ban almost everything. :)
 

Ouddict

Ouddict Co-Founder & Tech Support
This list of the banned oils seems a bit ridiculous to me... Tea? I drink it every day. Horseradish? I eat it frequently. :)
If those cause an allergic reaction in some small percentage of people, it should be mentioned in the ingredient list of the product... But banning it all from the use in the perfume industry? Cmon... With this logic they can ban almost everything. :)


I believe it’s to protect the French perfumery industry. It’s not for “wholesome” reasons.
 

jimbo425

Oud Beginner
It's been very discouraging for me since when I started out 12 years ago committed to using both natural and synthetic materials to emulate perfumes I remember my mother wearing in the fifties. Many she'd kept from her wedding in 1940. But it seems at every turn, as I become obsessed with a particular aromatic substance, natural or synthetic, it's banned or only allowed in derisory amounts.
 

Adweeya Mufriha

Oud Mystic
I believe it’s to protect the French perfumery industry. It’s not for “wholesome” reasons.

I believe likewise, but the group of interests and pressure are wider than that. There are many powerful lobby groups of interests pressing government regulations towards their own interests, not only IFRA, and it goes beyond the perfumery industry stricto sensu, but also cosmetics industry, wellness industry, and pharma (and beyond that food industries as well)

There is a conscience that many people today want naturals, and also that one can make much better cosmetics (for example) with good quality naturals and they will be less expensive than the branded "luxury" stuff, so those there started to be nervousness among shareholder only profit driven groups which lobbied for the last 15 years with the same kind of cynicism than say, the american war n weapons industry lobby.

As a result this has completely changed the legal landscape in EU and little actors have defacto been put out of business (or forced to operate illegally) by the new pack of regulations. Switzerland, which is not in the EU, was pressured during the last negotiations of their bilateral agreements with EU to accept those new laws that where pushed by the EU and put in the balance with more important things for the Swiss governement (access to European research programs, workers and goods circulation, etc) so they pragmatically accepted.

In my town the artisan cosmetic makers now operate like during prohibition era : they keep their own artisanal productions hidden locked and only show them to clients they know personally, and they try to keep their business open by selling some stuff they often don't like, but is legally approved, and offering new services. The legal way is only possible for bigger actors as each product now needs obligatory lab tests that reach here 2K-4K$ per product. My favourite maker is considering closing down as a direct results of those new laws.

I am currently working with legal experts here to try to find small ways around things that allows a natural perfumer to work, because otherwise you do risk for huge fines and irreversible confiscation of your full inventory, which I have seen happen in my own state (which a small state within the country). But honestly it is a nightmare. I am also trying to contribute raising of consciousness around locally and work with others to find legal ways what can. But it is complicated and I am pessimistic as the evolution of things has been consistently getting worse for years and years and the lobby groups are not getting any weaker or less proactive, to the contrary (in EU, at least).
 

mattmeleg

True Ouddict
IFRA has compiled a list of prohibitive naturally aromatic materials that in effect, minimise the ability of natural perfumers to create a wide range of perfumes. This is the claim. Wondering how true this is?
This is very true. Making 100% natural, thick, beautiful perfumes - will result in them not being IFRA compliant. it is not illegal to sell IFRA non-compliant perfumes.
 

Adweeya Mufriha

Oud Mystic
This is very true. Making 100% natural, thick, beautiful perfumes - will result in them not being IFRA compliant. it is not illegal to sell IFRA non-compliant perfumes.

but it is not legal anymore to sell anything to be put on skin without a full costly legal / lab procedure in the EU and some partner countries; this was my point above: you now face heavy fines and the confiscation of your whole inventory (in certain case not all clear to me know - legally. but it happened in the case I mentioned above)

and this is only one of the regulations affecting the possibility of business of artisan perfumers greatly over here

Beyond that, there is a concerted, multilayered and multisectorial process in favour to which the IFRA regulations participate
 

mattmeleg

True Ouddict
I completely agree. And I should say that I commming at this converstion from the North American perspective. I honestly feel sorry for perufmers in Europe. There seems to be more restirctions in Europe... which sucks.
 

mattmeleg

True Ouddict
but it is not legal anymore to sell anything to be put on skin without a full costly legal / lab procedure in the EU and some partner countries; this was my point above: you now face heavy fines and the confiscation of your whole inventory (in certain case not all clear to me know - legally. but it happened in the case I mentioned above)

and this is only one of the regulations affecting the possibility of business of artisan perfumers greatly over here

Beyond that, there is a concerted, multilayered and multisectorial process in favour to which the IFRA regulations participate
you may be correct... I am in North America and I know Europe is more strict. You could always call your fragrances "these are not fragrances, never use them as such - wink wink" - and then if someone uses them as a fragrance or puts them on their body by their own accord and decision - you can not be blamed? Something like this... take care Man! Matthew
 
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