This article was originally published in the Fragrance Trend Report. Receive your copy here
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Gen Z is avoiding alcohol. Young men and women are not just eschewing the booze their parents’ generation knocked back, they are also spearheading a revolution in the fragrance industry.
Alcohol has historically been the carrier solvent of choice for perfumery. This, explains Lisa Hipgrave, director of IFRA UK – the International Fragrance Association’s UK branch – is because fragrance ingredients are highly soluble in alcohol at a high percentage, making for a stronger fragrance. As well as being a preservative in its own right, allowing for fewer ingredients in the finished product, Hipgrave notes that alcohol evaporates quickly, and doesn’t leave a sticky feel.
However, fragrance players, both established and indie, have accelerated the trend for alcohol-free juices, many of which also offer skin care benefits. Dior launched its first-ever water-based fragrance in 2022 with Dior J’adore Parfum d’Eau, following this with men’s flanker Dior Sauvage Eau Forte in 2024 and, last year, YSL Beauty got in on the act with Libre L’Eau Nue Parfum de Peau. The designer brand’s first-ever alcohol-free scent offers a sun-kissed scent experience that also enhances the skin with a radiant glow.
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