Home Care Scent Trends Shifting Toward Gourmand Notes & Natural Escapism

Let's talk home care. In Perfumer & Flavorist+ (P&F+)'s September 2024 issue, regular columnist Amy Marks-McGee penned "Forward Thinking: 4 Trends Leading Innovation in Air Care," discussing the influence of sustainability, gourmand scents and interactive marketing in air care. Wanting to build on these insights,  P&F+ connected with Sandra Barvaux, VP Fragrance and Brand Partnerships for Prolitec & Aera to discuss evolving consumer demands, the growth of AI, and emerging technologies in the home care segment.

^ahttps://perfumerflavorist.texterity.com/perfumerflavorist/library/item/september_2024/4212945/

Sandra Barvaux, VP of Fragrance and Brand Partnerships for Prolitec & Aeracourtesy of Aera

What scent profiles are consumers currently gravitating toward in home care products?

Sandra Barvaux [SB]: As the seasons change, consumers are transitioning from fresh, summery fragrances to warm, cozy scents that embrace the comforting essence of autumn. Recently, Pumpkin Spice and similar scents have re-emerged in home fragrance offerings, signaling the end of summer and the return of woolly jumpers, roaring fires, and apple pie baking. In a few weeks, we’ll shift to holiday favorites, filling our homes with the scents of majestic fir trees, peppermint bark, and holiday baking.

What are the trending ingredients or notes in home care fragrances this year?

SB: As consumers continue to seek joy in their everyday lives, we’re seeing delicious scents appearing in many applications. Whether it’s new vanilla twists or culinary-inspired ingredients like caramel, praline, tonka, or warm, rich woods, your home can be transformed into a palace of delights. Others seek experiences that evoke the outdoors, gravitating toward fragrances that offer a sense of natural escapism. Wild florals, berries, and cool aromatics are clearly present in the new offerings.    

Are there any emerging ingredients or technologies that are shaping the future of home care fragrances?

SB: Consumers want to be reassured that the scents they choose for their homes will have the desired effect. They are increasingly seeking fragrances with performance benefits. Scents featuring advanced malodor control technology, which effectively eliminates unpleasant odors and leaves behind a clean, refreshing scent, are highly sought after by air care buyers. Aera’s sales of the “Great for Pets” and “Good Riddance” scents, which utilize OdorOut^b technology, exemplify the ongoing demand for such products.

On another front of the air care market, scents that promote wellness with fragrance technology to elicit desired emotions are gaining equal traction.

The trend towards sustainable and eco-friendly fragrances is continuing to gain significant momentum. Consumers are increasingly prioritizing products that are not only delightful but also environmentally responsible.

^bOdorOut is a trademark of Aera

Can you touch on how Aera technologies have evolved to meet consumer needs/wants from this type of equipment?

SB: Consumers are seeking diffusers that provide clean, long-lasting scents. Aera’s patented technology offers the most efficient and controllable way to fragrance your home. It disperses invisible fragrance molecules that are safe for everyone, including pets, and leave no residue. This technology uniquely releases all fragrance notes—top, middle, and base—simultaneously, rather than in their natural order of volatility that one will typically experience when scenting with more traditional slow-release fragrance technologies such as reeds, liquid electricals, aromatherapy diffusers. This ensures a truly long-lasting scent that remains consistent (no fading, no character change) over time. Additionally, the Aera diffuser comes with an App that allows you to set schedules to conserve fragrance, save money, and easily adjust settings or track the remaining fragrance levels in the capsule.

How do regional differences impact scent preferences in the home care segment?

SB: At a high level, we see consistent scent preferences across regions with the same families over-indexing in terms of consumer choice (ex. floral and warmer type scents) and fresher types perform well across the board.

How are brands using scent to differentiate their home care products in a crowded market?

SB: Ambient scenting brands often differentiate themselves with the use of fragrance technologies offering augmented fragrance performance, brand partnerships & collaborations that align with their brand values and audiences and most uniquely their interpretation of the olfactory trends. As a recent example, Aera collaborated with Apartment Therapy, the leading independent home site, designed to inspire anyone to live a more beautiful and happy life at home with millions of followers. We created a limited edition of Mini Diffusers (Forest Green and Terracotta) and a collection of fragrances that draws from the architectural elegance synonymous with the brand and transports you to a distinct place, evoking its structure and ambiance: Brooklyn Brownstone, Tuscan Villa and English Cottage.

Aera collaborated with Apartment Therapy to create a collection of fragrances that draws from the architectural elegance synonymous with the brand and transports you to a distinct place, evoking its structure and ambiance.courtesy of Aera

How do you see the home care scent market evolving in the next 5-10 years?

SB: I see the home care scent market evolve in multiple ways. The growth of artificial intelligence will facilitate the task for consumers in choosing fragrances that suit their tastes, enabling the creation of personalized scent profiles based on individual preferences and mood. The development of high-tech durable in-home diffusers will allow greater control over scent intensity and duration but also be further integrated in the smart home systems creating cohesive and responsive environments. As a counterbalance to the growing impact of technology use in our everyday lives and with the ability that scent has to evoke memories and create a sense of connection, its use will become more popular and help our emotional well-being, connecting ourselves with others and supporting our mental health. Prioritizing sustainability and transparency will continue to drive consumer trust and loyalty. This includes not only eco-friendly ingredients and packaging but also ethical sourcing and production practices.

Are there any under-the-radar trends or ingredients that you believe will soon become mainstream in-home care scents?

SB: As new technologies stemming from biotechnology or the stimulation of the creative power of perfumers leveraging the advancements of AI, I believe we will see the rise of new scent ingredients or combinations. This will enable brands such as Aera to bring intriguing and exciting new scent offerings to our customers.