Consumers aren’t just looking for great scents—but great scents that last. 

The demand for longer-lasting scents is undeniable. For instance, laundry scent boosters—scent beads or pods that are added to keep clothes smelling fresh for weeks after the wash date—are seeing a boost in sales.  

Market research firm Fact.MR forecasted that the global laundry scent booster market will grow at a CAGR of 10.2%, going from US$497 million in 2021 to US$1.3 billion in 2031. [1] In the US alone, the demand for laundry scent boosters is estimated to be valued at US$ 163 million currently. 

The need for scent longevity goes beyond extending the smell of freshly washed clothes.  

Fragrance fixatives are materials added to fragrances to help slow down the evaporation of aromatic compounds and therefore promote scent longevity. It is widely used in fine fragrances, haircare, skincare as well as household products.  

Market Growth Reports’ 2022 study forecasted that the global fragrance fixatives market size will grow from US$1.54 billion in 2022 to US$1.96 billion in 2028 at a CAGR of 4.1%. [2]  

What drives this growing interest in scent longevity? And what can brands do to leverage this? 

Scent as a balm for the soul  

OnScent’s vice president of technical perfumery Odila Zocca shares the pursuit of scent longevity started even before the pandemic, especially in the household care segment: “I don’t believe the quest for long-lasting fragrances is a new thing. It all started with air care and since then has become a big ‘ask’ in fabric detergents and softeners.” 

However, the pandemic brought about a shift in perception. Fragrances that were more perceptible became more popular and were viewed as a form of self-care.  

“Although fragrance longevity has been a key consumer desire in household care categories, we have seen an uptick in interest in bolder, more noticeable scents in fine fragrance and personal care categories,” OnScent’s senior marketing director Rosita Presti adds. 

“During the pandemic, fine fragrance—a category that had been sluggish—saw double-digit growth! Fragrance has become yet another vehicle for self-care, whether it’s experienced through a fragrant candle that’s creating a specific mood in our home, or experienced through a luxuriously pampering bath soak, shampoo, or whipped body mousse.”  

“We truly turned to scent to feel loved and secure, and fragrance perceptibility and longevity contributed to that.” 

Scent fosters the perception of cleanliness 

Scents don’t only contain mood-boosting properties, it is a way to reassure us that something is clean and safe.  

After all, there is more to cleanliness than just its visual evidence. For example, yesterday’s leftovers may look perfectly fine to eat, but the scent it emits might suggest otherwise. Chicago-based interior designer Cheryl Durst aptly puts it: “Cleanliness and health safety should be communicated through sight, touch, and smell.” [3] 

Detroit-based fragrance expert Kevin Peterson takes this notion one step further, linking the presence of malodor with diseases: “Humans have long associated smell with illness. During the bubonic plague, it was believed foul odors transmitted the disease.” 

As such, for brands that want to succeed in our post-pandemic world today, it is important they incorporate bold, noticeable, mood-boosting scents as well as an ability to trap malodors and promote scent longevity.  

At OnScent, we’ve worked hard to develop a fragrance technology that can do just that. 

We’ve found a way to promote fragrance perceptibility and retention 

ScentLift^TM, developed by our experienced in-house chemists and perfumers, is a fragrance technology that features:  

• Malodor control 
• Scent-boosting properties 
• Fragrance retention 

Malodor control 

Zocca shares ScentLift^TM stands out from other fragrance technologies out there due to “a mixture of malodor counteractants that act in different ways.”  

It contains a proprietary blend of four active ingredients that work synergistically to combat various types of malodors, from body and tobacco odors to kitchen and pet odors. 

The result? ScentLift^TM contributes to efficient odor control performance. Panel tests showed that household and laundry fragrances incorporating ScentLift^TM scored better in Hedonic attributes than those formulated without it. 

Scent-boosting properties 

ScentLift^TM has also been proven to improve fragrance perceptibility. Panel tests demonstrated increased strength in household and laundry fragrances treated with ScentLift^TM than those without it. 

Improves scent longevity 

ScentLift^TM delivers retention that is noticeably longer than average. Panel tests showed that household and laundry fragrances formulated with ScentLift^TM were still perceptible on the fifth day compared to samples not treated with ScentLift^TM. 

“Citrus and fruity scents that typically evaporate more quickly can greatly benefit from ScentLift^TM,” Zocca adds. 

And as fragrance trends for 2022 and 2023 point toward bolder, stronger, and more impactful fragrances across product categories, leverage OnScent’s ScentLift^TM to help your brand stay #OnBrief #OnTrend and #OnPoint. 

Speak to an OnScent fragrance expert today and learn how your products can benefit from ScentLift^TM. 

References

[1] Fact.MR, ‘Laundry Scent Booster Market’, 2021, https://www.factmr.com/report/477/laundry-scent-booster-market

[2] Market Growth Reports, ‘Global Fragrance Fixative Market Insights and Forecast to 2028’, 2022, https://www.marketgrowthreports.com/global-fragrance-fixative-market-20109338 

[3] Powers, Rebecca, “As hotels reopen, some employ new scents to create a sense of clean,” The Washington Post, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/as-hotels-reopen-some-employ-new-scents-to-create-a-sense-of-clean/2020/06/11/514cd464-a9c0-11ea-9063-e69bd6520940_story.html