The US fragrance manufacturer IFF has unveiled Aquascent, a new vegan, water-based carrier for high-quality perfumes. The company’s proprietary innovation, made from biodegradable materials, is designed to combine a strong fragrance impact with visual clarity. According to the company, Aquascent enables fragrance concentrations of up to 25 per cent. Most comparable water-based systems have so far only been able to achieve a maximum of 15 per cent. The technology also does not require the deliberate addition of ethanol, preservatives or silicones.

Clear solution

According to the company, which specialises in flavours, fragrances, health and life sciences, fragrance oils can cause cloudiness when mixed with water. Aquascent, on the other hand, enables transparent formulations and a long-lasting fragrance effect even at higher fragrance concentrations. The formulation also has proven moisturising properties for the skin. Aquascent is part of IFF’s ‘Science of Performance’ platform for improving fragrance technologies. Furthermore, Aquascent can be supplied as a concentrate, meaning that the required water is only added during the production of the branded products. This reduces volume and weight, as well as CO₂ emissions during transport.

Transport as a concentrate

With Aquascent, IFF aims to establish water-based fragrances as a complete system for high-quality perfumes, combining fragrance performance, visual clarity and more efficient transport, said Fatimata Dembele-Kuntzmann, Senior Technical Manager at IFF Scent. The market for water-based fragrances is growing steadily as leading brands launch new products and consumers embrace new fragrance formats and experiences. According to the company’s web analytics, global Google searches for water-based perfumes have risen by 18 per cent this year. Related TikTok content has been viewed more than 15 million times.