Robertet’s “Living Lab” showcases botanical fragrances merged with skincare offering skin and hair health benefits

30 Mar 2023 --- At In-Cosmetics Global 2023, Robertet is showcasing a concept that “transcends” traditional skincare fragrances by delivering functional benefits through bioactive olfactory molecules that harness the physiological properties of natural raw materials present in the perfumer’s palette.

“With our concept of Actiscent, we really wanted to give the fragrance back its original properties. Before it was used for the smell, botanicals were used for their benefits and well-being and to heal from ailments,” Anthony Pegard, manager of the Aromatic Laboratory of Robertet’s Fragrance Division, tells PersonalCareInsights.

“We have a very wide palate of active molecules that can be formulated inside the fragrance product. In the innovation zone, we are presenting our new Urban Collection solution with a range of new anti-pollution actives,” he details.

“Urban Collection is a fragrance with four actives inside: detoxing, anti-collagenase activity, anti-eotaxin1 activity – preventing the protein responsible for allergies and redness of the skin due to pollution – and anti-acne.”

Robertet’s booth at In-Cosmetics Global 2023.Pegard explains that Robertet’s intention is to create a “living lab” from which it can introduce and involve customers in the olfactory creation. Here, customers can choose what active ingredients to include in their formulations by working closely with the company. 

According to the company, 65% of UK consumers pay attention to active ingredients contained in their skincare product. Meanwhile, 36% are seeking scents developed with natural ingredients in skincare products. Notably, 82% of urban consumers check for natural and eco-friendly ingredients in FMCG products.

Scents that brighten and protect skin
Exploring the holistic benefits of fragrance craft, Robertet has taken perfume as a starting point to craft topical care solutions that merge scent with functional care benefits delivered to the skin and hair using bioactive olfactory molecules.

The first item within Robertet’s ActiScents portfolio is called Skin Defense. Based on an extract from the roots of the European flowering plant Gentiana lutea, sourced in Turkey, ActiScents is created toward protecting the skin’s mitochondrial network from blue light damages. It also helps preserve skin radiance and improve elasticity while fighting skin aging through its antioxidant properties.

“Gentiana lutea is a wildflower that grows in the high altitude mountains,” illustrates Pegard. “In this environment, it receives a lot of blue light and UV rays, which means the plant has to naturally produce molecules to protect itself from the sun. When we collect the extract from the plant, we concentrate the active molecules for our protection-boosting fragrance.”

Skin Defense fragrance is described as having top notes of citrus and lavender, middle notes of floral gentian and bottom notes of tonka beans, musk and wood. It is flagged as ideal at 0.5% in face creams, serums and protecting mists.

ActiScents’ next item, Perfect Radiance, is used in products with skin brightening claims. It displayed good in vitro and ex-vivo inhibitory activity on tyrosinase, while also validated for its effectiveness in controlling the production of melanin. It offers a similar action compared to Kojic acid, a by-product in the fermentation process of malting rice, which is used in skin lightening.

Based on the sweet violet flower (Viola odorata L.), Perfect Radiance is recommended for use in creams and lotions, at 0.5% in leave-on products and 1% in rinse-off products. It has top notes of apple, peach and blackcurrant; middle notes of rose, freesia and lily of the valley; and bottom notes of violet leave and musk.

Fragrances for hair removal or growth
Beauty Ritual is the third ActiScents solution, formulated to help get rid of unwanted body hair. It contains aromatic raw materials that reduce the protein-coding gene Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFa) production through the cells and help to naturally slow down hair regrowth. According to Robertet, this leads to a significant reduction in hair density of 19% less on average, observed in 75% of study volunteers.

Suggesting that mental health and skin health go hand-in-hand, Robertet has taken perfume as a starting point to craft topical care solutions that merge scent with functional care benefits.Sourced from the leaves of the Egyptian multi-branched shrub Pelargonium graveolens, Beauty Ritual is ideal for creams, lotions and deodorants at 1% in leave-on formats. The essential oil is extracted via steam distillation. It has top notes of geranium, bergamot and may chang; middle notes of jasmine, heliotrope, peony and marine and bottom notes of musk and wood.

Hair Therapy, the fourth ActiScents solution, does the opposite of Beauty Ritual by protecting, fortifying and strengthening hair through the follicles. Stimulating VEGFa production, it is ideal at 0.8-1% in rinse-off products and 0.5% in leave-on products. It is designed for shampoos, conditioners and hair lotions.

Based on the berries of pink peppercorn (Shinus terebentifolius), Hair Therapy has the top fragrance notes of ginger, lemon and grapefruit; middle notes of pink pepper and rose; and bottom notes of cedarwood, tonka beans, musk and vanilla.

Proprietary perfumery esters that deodorize
Pure Freshness is Robertet’s fifth ActiScents solution, formulated to fight perspiration and malodors on the body. It is based on a patented active blend of perfumery esters that are hydrolyzed by skin bacteria enzymes, called esterases. The hydrolysis products obtained help the inhibitory growth activity on C. xerosis and B. epidermidis.

“Ester molecules are totally safe for bacteria, but when it is degraded to an acid, it becomes toxic to the bacteria. The bacteria are responsible for this process themselves, so in essence, they produce their own poison,” details Pegard.

The solution’s efficiency is said to be equivalent to that of existing deodorant active ingredients, while also offering an improved duration of action. Robertet highlights it is ideal at 1% concentration in rinse-off products and 0.5% in leave-on products such as deodorants and creams. 

Pure Freshness has top notes of basil, citrus, fruits and cardamom; green, floral and woody middle notes and base notes of moss and musk.

Imbuing scent with holistic health outcomes is a theme reflected in other launches by traditional fragrance houses this year. Firmenich, for instance, recently introduced a range of fragrances branded Focus, powered by EmotiCODE. The scents are designed to give consumers the benefit of improved focus and help them get into a state of flow.

In January, Givaudan linked neuroscience and artificial intelligence to translate scent profiles into color patterns to help fragrance brands better market their products.

By Benjamin Ferrer, with additional reporting from Venya Patel at In-Cosmetics Global 2023