The world of fragrances presents itself as an inspiring field full of possibilities, permeating our daily lives in countless ways—from the reed diffusers that perfumes the office, to our everyday moisturizer, our favorite perfume, the cleaning product that disinfects our home, and even the scent of freshly laundered clothes. While there is a vast array of ingredients available to create the perfect fragrance for each application, the options for the solvent used in its dilution are considerably more limited. Historically relegated to the role of a mere auxiliary agent, with the sole function of dissolving the fragrance components, solvents have gained prominence in light of recent challenges related to sustainability, performance, and competitiveness, propelling the industry towards a more in-depth investigation. Today, it is recognized that the careful selection of the solvent represents a smart strategy to optimize the potential of the fragrance, simultaneously meeting the demands of contemporary consumers.
Solvay's Augeo can be used in a variety of home care applications. Courtesy of Solvay
Considering the solvent's crucial role—not only in fragrance solubilization and performance enhancement but also its impact across several scented devices and formats - Augeo® emerges as an innovative, high-performance solution. Beyond its sustainability and safety for both people and the environment, it positively contributes to the olfactory performance of fragrances within formulations and their effective diffusion in ambient spaces. This solution aligns with multiple regulations, including LVP-VOC (USA), EU Ecolabel and Safer Choice.
The solvent in fragrances is much more than a simple diluent; it's crucial for solubilizing the diverse fragrance ingredients into a stable, homogenous solution, preventing separation and ensuring scent consistency. It also facilitates dilution in water or other vehicles, in this way as disclosed in the table below, Augeo provides a wider range of fragrance solubilization compared to diproprylene glycol (DPG) taking into account different polarities. Additionally, Augeo® allows making the fragrance safe and suitable for various applications while influencing its volatility and how the scent unfolds over time due to its adequate evaporation profile. In comparison, DPG almost doesn’t evaporate causing application issues in air care devices. Beyond these core functions, the solvent impacts fragrance stability, viscosity, and increasingly, its sustainability. As a biobased solvent, Augeo® aligns renewable sources with a low carbon footprint. Therefore, the right solvent is essential for a fragrance's performance, aesthetic appeal, and environmental profile.
Augeo® has high compatibility with aroma chemicals , allowing the solubilization of a wide range of fragrances for different types of products.Courtesy of Solvay
Various scented devices offer distinct approaches to home fragrance, and the choice of solvent in their fragrance formulations plays a critical role in their performance:
- Reed diffusers rely on a solvent, often with a controlled volatility such as Augeo®, to carry the fragrance oils up the reeds and evaporate gradually into the air, providing a consistent, subtle scent release. The solvent's properties influence the rate of evaporation and thus the longevity and intensity of the fragrance. Their benefits include low maintenance and sustained release, though they offer limited scent throw and intensity control, partly determined by the solvent's characteristics. In this way, Augeo® is the best solvent for adequate constant evaporation in compliance with LVP-VOC demanding regulations.
- Electrical plug-ins utilize heat to accelerate the evaporation of the fragrance oil, which is dissolved in a solvent. The solvent's flash point and volatility are key considerations for safety, the speed and intensity of scent dispersal. These devices deliver a rapid, often powerful burst of fragrance and offer adjustable intensity, largely by controlling the heating of the solvent-fragrance mixture. However, they can be overwhelming in smaller areas and require a power source.
- Scented candles incorporate fragrance oils directly into the wax, which acts as a matrix and, upon melting, releases the scent. While there isn't a traditional "solvent" in the same way as liquid devices, the properties of the wax (a complex mixture of hydrocarbons) influence the release of the fragrance molecules, acting somewhat analogously to a solvent in controlling diffusion as it melts. The scent throw is variable, depending on the wax type, fragrance load, and burn pool, all of which affect how effectively the fragrance molecules are liberated. They necessitate careful handling due to the open flame. Additionally, Augeo® acts to improve fragrance incorporation into the wax, especially high crystalline polar powders such as maltol, ethyl maltol and vanillin, also reducing soot (cleaner burn) and causing less oxidation/yellowing of the final candle.
- Ultrasonic diffusers disperse a fine mist of water and essential oils. Here, water acts as the primary dispersing medium, though essential oils themselves contain volatile organic compounds that contribute to the scent. The performance depends on the diffuser's ability to effectively break down the water and oil mixture into a mist, allowing the scent molecules to be carried into the air. They offer a gentle, customizable scent experience and can humidify, but their scent projection may be less potent compared to devices that rely on the evaporation of a dedicated solvent-fragrance blend. In this case, as Augeo® is totally water soluble and enables a better fragrance incorporation into the water, evaporation properties including scent throw can be optimized by using Augeo®.
