Perfumery: Ethanol in the Dock

A cornerstone ingredient in the vast majority of fragrance formulations, ethyl alcohol now sits at the heart of the industry's most pressing environmental and public health challenges. As the prospect of CMR classification looms and its ecological footprint comes under increasing scrutiny, the sugar beet sector is stepping up its decarbonisation efforts while new sustainable sourcing routes emerge together with the exploration of alternative solvents.

A Priority for Action

Used alongside distilled water, 96% ethyl alcohol – accounting for as much as 94% of the formulation in eau de cologne – is the solvent employed to dilute perfume concentrates. Thanks to its rapid evaporation at room temperature, this highly volatile ingredient efficiently releases fragrance molecules into the air while also ensuring product preservation through its antibacterial properties.

By definition, perfume alcohol is derived from plant-based feedstocks and biotechnological processes. It is produced predominantly by fermenting sugar beet, although wheat, maize and sugar cane are also used. However, large-scale global ethanol production places considerable pressure on agricultural land and carries a substantial carbon footprint. For the fragrance industry, this impact should nevertheless be viewed in context: perfumery accounts for only a tiny fraction of agricultural ethanol production and contributes just 0.5-1.5% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the French ethanol sector, according to a 2022 French government report.

Life cycle assessments (LCAs) conducted by the world's leading fragrance companies all point to the same conclusion: the overwhelming majority of the industry's carbon emissions arise from Scope 3, namely indirect emissions associated with raw materials – from cultivation and harvesting through extraction and primary processing. This includes the vast quantities of ethanol required not only to dilute perfume concentrates but also to extract fragrance molecules. As a result, farmers and raw material suppliers have become pivotal players in the sector's decarbonisation strategy.

Speaking at Join Forces for Climate in April – a gathering of nearly 500 partners dedicated to reducing supply chain impacts – DSM-Firmenich reported that 93% of its carbon footprint originates from its value chain, with 70% attributable to purchased goods and services (Scope 3, Category 1), and therefore to ingredients.

IFF has reached a similar conclusion for 2025. The American fragrance and flavour group has committed to cutting its indirect emissions by 30% by 2030, placing supplier engagement at the heart of its strategy. Givaudan reports an almost identical picture, with 97% of its overall carbon footprint generated across its value chain, again driven primarily by purchased goods and services.

Sugar Beet Growers on the Front Line

Faced with these striking figures, the industry is accelerating its eco-design initiatives, not least by improving existing supply chains. In Europe, sugar beet remains by far the principal source of high-purity ethanol used in speciality applications, including perfumery and cosmetics.

According to FranceAgriMer, France is the market leader in this segment, thanks largely to two major producers: Tereos and the Cristal Union cooperative, which supplies, among others, luxury brands within LVMH and L'Oréal.

At the end of 2022, Cristal Union became the first European producer to launch a low-carbon, agroecological sugar and alcohol offering through its Amplify programme. Gathering 9,000 member growers, customers of its subsidiary Cristalco, as well as its sugar refineries and distilleries, the initiative pursues a common objective: reducing Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions throughout the value chain.

Beyond providing financial support to farmers adopting increasingly sustainable agricultural practices, Amplify guarantees GHG emission levels that are, on average, half those of European benchmarks – between 490 and 750 kg CO₂e per tonne of ethanol, compared with the conventional range of 970-1,000 kg CO₂e per tonne. This year, the programme achieved its lowest emissions to date. Having already made all of its sugar refineries water self-sufficient – a European first – the cooperative now plans to extend the same approach across all of its distilleries by 2030.

Closing the Loop

Alongside the continuous improvement of established supply chains, the fragrance industry is actively developing circular alternatives capable of producing next-generation bio-based ethanol while further decarbonising the sector.

In Baule, in France's Loiret region, the focus is on recovering value from legume crop residues. At Intact's first industrial facility (see Expression Cosmétique #99), inaugurated at the end of May, a patented process separates the various components of these agricultural by-products. The starch-rich fractions are then converted, through fermentation and distillation, into extra-neutral alcohol with a very low carbon footprint.

According to the company, this production route reduces greenhouse gas emissions by more than 80% compared with conventional ethanol, while also eliminating residues of pesticides and heavy metals. By incorporating Pulse^® into the latest edition of L'Homme Idéal Cologne Forte, Guerlain (LVMH) has become the first fragrance house worldwide to use alcohol derived from legumes in one of its flagship creations.

The result of three years of research and development, Uveol^® is the first ultra-premium neutral alcohol made exclusively from grapes for use in perfumery. Produced by upcycling French wine industry by-products, it is the outcome of close collaboration between La Fabrique Végétale and Groupe UDM (Union des Distilleries de la Méditerranée). The distillation specialist has already supplied 500,000 litres of Uveol^® to a major international fragrance house. Because it relies entirely on existing resources, it requires no additional arable land while delivering a reduction of more than 30% in greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional alternatives.

Circularity reaches its furthest expression through the upcycling of industrial CO₂ emissions. LanzaTech captures carbon dioxide from multiple industrial sources, purifies it and converts it into high-purity ethyl alcohol through microbial fermentation. By partnering with the American biotechnology company in 2021, Coty became the first fragrance company to incorporate carbon-captured ethanol into a fine fragrance.

Launched in 2023, Where My Heart Beats by Gucci is the first fragrance distributed internationally to contain exclusively ethanol produced from recycled carbon. Since then, Coty has incorporated CarbonSmart alcohol across all fourteen fragrances in its Infiniment Coty Paris collection.

CMR Classification: A Looming Threat

In July 2020, Greece proposed classifying ethanol as a Category 2 reproductive toxicant (Repr. 2), as potentially harmful to breastfed infants (Lact., H362), and as a substance suspected of causing damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure (STOT RE 2, H373).

At present, regarding its use in disinfectants, the European Chemicals Agency's (Echa) Biocidal Products Committee (BPC) has issued a favourable opinion supporting ethanol as an active substance for biocidal applications. However, the remainder of the dossier has yet to be assessed, and additional dermatological data are expected before the end of the year.

The key issue now lies in demonstrating ethanol's low dermal bioavailability. Should Echa ultimately confirm its classification as a substance suspected of impairing human reproduction (CMR), and should the European Commission endorse that recommendation, ethanol could face restrictions – or even conditional prohibition – under the EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009.

Replacing ethanol would fundamentally alter the fragrance experience. In terms of volatility, the explosive lift of top notes, freshness, olfactory neutrality and broad, linear diffusion, no alternative solvent currently replicates ethanol's performance.

Although oil-based formats – such as roll-ons or solid perfumes inspired by traditional perfumery rituals – offer superior longevity and are particularly well suited to sensitive skin, their scent projection remains considerably more discreet and limited.

Occupying the space between skincare and fragrance, water-based formulations are steadily gaining ground, as illustrated by Dior's J'adore Parfum d'eau. Non-irritating and generally more environmentally friendly, they can also incorporate skincare actives. However, they present significant technical challenges, including the hydrophobic nature of many fragrance molecules, a less dynamic and more linear scent trail, higher production costs, an increased risk of bacterial contamination, and more complex formulation development.

As early as 2009, Mane introduced its Aquafine^™ microemulsion technology. More recently, the patented Water Plant Emulsion (WPE^®) process, developed by WPE Solutions (Biofortis), has been adopted by Hermès for the scented mists in its Les Jardins collection, as well as by Sabé Masson, creator of the Parfum de Soin concept, together with Maison Sybarite and Argentum.

Takasago subsequently launched Aquascent. Twenty years after introducing its original technology, the Japanese company has now embraced green chemistry with Hydro-Tec^™. Currently patent pending and already used by Clean Beauty Collective in its Clean Reserve H2Eau range, this microemulsion system relies entirely on renewable resources while providing enhanced moisturisation and improved fragrance longevity.

More recently still, additional alcohol-free fragrance technologies have emerged, including AromaHydro, the latest formulation platform unveiled by CPL Aromas in March. Combined with the company's Ecoboost fragrance concentrates, it enables the creation of fast-drying aqueous fragrances without any sticky after-feel.

Meanwhile, Guerlain has launched Aqua Allegoria Perle, a collection of highly concentrated water-based fragrances in which the perfume is encapsulated within tiny "fragrance pearls". These are, in fact, alginate microcapsules developed by the Swiss company Microcaps.

Against a backdrop of mounting environmental pressures and the prospect of CMR classification, two principal technological pathways are emerging. The first seeks to replace conventional ethanol with bio-based or circular alternatives, while the second aims to eliminate alcohol altogether through innovative water-based formulations, including microemulsions, plant-based dispersions and microencapsulation technologies.