The winner of our best SCS Diploma essay competition

Published: 23-Apr-2018

The winner of this year’s SPC prize for the best essay on the 2017 SCS Diploma in Cosmetics Science course is Thandiwe Tafireyi

You need to be a subscriber to read this article.
Click here to find out more.

This is an edited version of the winning essay, which discusses how the writer would advise a brief for a 100% natural fragrance


Fragrance can influence the consumer's perception of the performance and effectiveness of a product.

A fragrance is composed of top, middle and base notes, designed to give a pleasing scent associated with perfume.

Perfume typically consists of plant extracts or animal secretions harmoniously blended with synthetic substances in a solvent.

In this essay, I will advise a brand team to brief for a 100% natural fragrance and provide the information required by a perfumer on the brief.


The perfume brief

The perfume brief is a document shared by the client and the fragrance house to communicate about the briefing and submission of the final fragrance.

It outlines the vision of the fragrance that a client desires, providing the perfumer with sufficient information to let them create the envisioned scent.

A coherent brief will give structure and purpose to fragrance creation. Natural perfumery ingredients are most commonly derived from plants and animal-derived ingredients are being replaced with synthetic equivalents.

Fragrances described as 'natural' must be free from chemically modified natural ingredients and nature-identical raw materials. The use of petrochemical solvents in the processing of natural ingredients is prohibited by the Natural Products Association.

Imparting fragrance into a personal wash can help to define the product, extenuate its performance and provide a concept.

Fragrance impact is crucial: this is the measure of how intense the perfume is. The marketing team should decide the intensity of the fragrance and take into consideration the different aspects of product application.


Required information

Key information required by a perfumer includes:

Not yet a Subscriber?

This is a small extract of the full article which is available ONLY to premium content subscribers. Click below to get premium content on Cosmetics Business.

Subscribe now Already a subscriber? Sign in here.

You may also like