The new regulation affects Chanel on 2 important aspects - the quality and the myth. We learn that "jasmine absolute" is toxic, poison for the skin. Remember that not only the perfume extract contains a great amount of French jasmine but also this is at the heart of all marketing stories of Chanel. Chanel always insisted on the quality of its jasmine, being one of the very few to use the French type, also cultivated by Chanel (in 2007 I visited the small field in Grasse).
According to IFRA 43 the maximum amount of jasmine absolute in a finished product (perfume) is 0,7%. So, if the fragrance is a an EDT at 10% - maximum 7 % jasmine absolute in the formula. If the fragrance is an extract at 20% - maximum 3,5 % jasmine absolute in the formula.
Chanel No5 extract has already been affected by IFRA in the past. The present formula on the market is NOT the 1921 creation and the main difference are the musks. Because No5 is not a rare perfume, you can test the difference with the vintage versions available on eBay.
The perfume contains everything considered bad - from coumarine to eugenol/isoeugenol/hydroxicitronellal and oakmoss!! But the main difference with any other modern creation is the amount of jasmine absolute. With less than 3% natural jasmine absolute, there is NO Chanel No5. Take out the small (but important) oakmoss note inside the extract and there is again NO Chanel No5.
Also from a marketing point of view, how can you communicate about jasmine now? Can you show the fields, the extraction and write articles about No5 history and quality when IFRA tells that "jasminum grandiflorum" is "poison"?
Chanel No5 is not just a beautiful perfume, but the most famous and best seller of all times. It means also that many women used this perfume. It would be interesting to know how many victims, other than those of its beauty, exists, if there was one.
I see several effects of this new IFRA death sentence:
- Chanel reformulates (again) the extract until its final mutilation
- Chanel protests against the new rule
- Chanel tests Chanel No5 to prove that it is safe
But in the last case (because Chanel has the money to run tests) and a positive answer, wouldn't it be a proof that what IFRA says is nonsense?
On the other side, in France, there is a well known prize for fragrance journalism called "Prix Jasmin". With the new restriction about the use of jasmine absolute isn't it strange to have this name for an ingredient that is considered dangerous despite its secular use?
Maybe it's time to put an end to this so called "consumer safety" - a façade for other type of interests than safety?
IFRA 43 has already more than 6 months. How strange it is that no official reaction from the french industry was heard. The jasmine case is symbolic, a shame for the French perfumery tradition and its obedience for Bruxelles but also a new start.
Next on the list of restricted materials will be probably the rose because of methyleugenol !
I wish to know what would have done Coco in this war against her perfume.
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Fragrance is the 8th Art - Octavian Coifan - Le Parfum est le 8ème Art
