Annette asks…Is it possible to discover the scents in a shampoo and turn it into a perfume? Or to turn a shampoo itself into a perfume? I’m crazy about the Matrix Biolage Hydrating Shampoo scent and want it all over me!
The Right Brain responds:
We’ve got good news and bad news for you Annette. The good news is that it is possible to translate a shampoo fragrance into a perfume. The bad news is , it’s not easy!
A rose fragrance by any other name…
Matrix (part of L’Oreal) is like almost every other company in the industry in that they use specialized companies called “Fragrance Houses” to create the scents for their products. So you’d have to know which fragrance company makes the Biolage fragrance, then you’d have to get in touch with a perfumer in that company and convince him or her to take the fragrance oil that you like and translate that into perfume form. (Not exactly a piece of cake, eh?)
Lost in translation
What does “translate into perfume form” mean? Perfumes are essentially fragrance oils dissolved in alcohol. Scents in in cosmetic products have to be compatible with dozens of other ingredients, like the detergents in shampoos and the fatty quats in conditioners. To make the shampoo or conditioner smell right, different fragrance oils have to be used compared to the simple alcohol solution. So a perfumer would have to “adjust” the Biolage fragrance to make it work as a perfume.
While it’s not very common to turn a cosmetic into a fragrance, the reverse does happen from time to time. For example, Alliage, the classic Estee Lauder fragrance launched in 1972 was the inspiration for the original Finesse shampoo fragrance. The citrusy-peach top notes, green and rosewood middle notes and musky oak moss bottom notes were adjusted accordingly to work with the shampoo ingredients.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
It’s fun to think about wearing your favorite personal care product as a perfume but it’s not very likely to happen.
Image credit: fotopedia.com
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Too bad. I would totally buy the perfume if Matrix sold it as such.
I already knew everything in that post, but YES, it’s fun to imagine.
I’d give anything to have a body spray that smells like Burt’s Bee’s Radiance body lotion!!
I have a bit of an Aveda habit, and recently learned that they offer various oil blends and ‘purefumes’. They have bottles and recipe sheets, and apparently mix them in-store. I love the smell of Aveda’s Brilliant hair spray, and remember the salesperson telling me it was a popular perfume, as well.
I would love to know more about about it.Nice information provided here.
I would love to smells like Burt’s Bee’s Radiance body lotion.It really has a nice fragrance. Also it is very difficult to extract the essence of a perfume from a shampoo.