TREATT Laboratory Fragrance Creation

  After listening to our guest speaker Juan Baso and researching the TREATT laboratory on my own, I have come to find the concept of laboratory fragrance recreation to be very fascinating. The thought that such distinct natural flavors can be duplicated using different chemicals in a laboratory setting is truly mind blowing. However, the scientists at TREATT are able to do so to perfection with a multitude of different scents.

  In today’s ever growing global markets, “...brands are relying on the power of perfume to entice consumers and drive sales.” (TREATT p. 1 2019) The demand for fragrance is at an all time high, but finding and using the natural resources to create these fragrances can be time consuming and harmful to the environment. However, “Perfume became more accessible with the introduction of synthetic ingredients.” (Valek p. 1) To create these synthetic scents, scientists at TREATT first study what chemical compounds make up a scent naturally. For instance, the familiar scent we know as rose is made up of rose oxide, or C10H18O. To harvest roses and extract this substance would be too tedious for the world’s demand for rose scent, so scientists recreate this scent with chemicals in their lab. Adding 10 parts carbon, 18 parts hydrogen, and 1 part oxygen will yield the same floral scent we know and love. This scientific advancement has created much more efficiency in the way we create fragrances and can help to preserve the environment by reducing our need for natural plant resources.

References

Valek, Sarah. “What Chemicals Are in Perfume?” Leaf. Retrieved from

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/what-chemicals-are-in-perfume/

TREATT. (2019). Retrieved from

   https://www.treatt.com/products/scent-ingredients/blends