Expert olfactory artists responsible for adding pleasant scents to laundry revealed
In the heart of Germany, a company named Symrise specialises in creating fragrances and flavours that add a touch of magic to everyday products. At its Perfume School, Symrise teaches the art of scent development and fragrance creation through a comprehensive modular training program.
This training program, a structured, multi-year process, blends practical sensory training, scientific education, creative development, and international exposure. It is designed to refine the olfactory senses, deepen knowledge about raw materials and ingredient chemistry, and provide hands-on experience through international practical placements at various Symrise locations.
The sensory training is crucial, helping trainees to identify over 1,000 different odors while blindfolded. The program fosters a lifestyle where trainees “smell and think in scents,” balancing continuous learning, creativity, scientific knowledge, and market insight.
The curriculum culminates in a certification exam where trainees, known as “young talents,” present their original fragrance creations before a jury of experts and company leaders. These projects demonstrate the graduates' creative vision, technical skills, and market awareness. Graduates earn the title of junior perfumers or perfumers, marking their professional readiness.
Artificial intelligence plays a role in the industry, with computer programs predicting which fragrances will hit the mark. However, the final decision still lies with the human "nose." Marc vom Ende, the head of the Symrise Perfume School, emphasises the importance of multiple people smelling a perfume due to individual differences in perception.
The sense of smell and aroma significantly impact consumer decisions regarding food, beverages, cleaning, and personal hygiene products. However, regulations vary. Fragrances applied directly to the body have stricter regulations than detergents. For instance, Lilial, a chemical once prized for its floral and sweet Lily-of-the-Valley notes, has been banned in the European Union since 2022 due to concerns about skin irritation and damage to the reproductive system.
Symrise's competitors include DSM-Firmenich, headquartered in both Switzerland and the Netherlands, and Givaudan, another Swiss firm. The company caters to commercial clients' demands, creating scents that are strong, beautiful, powerful, and affordable. Alicia De Benito Cassado, a former professional pianist from Spain, is a trainee at Symrise and has transitioned into scent development.
Being a "nose" is a full-time job and requires a three-year training program. Students weigh ingredients down to the milligram, mix, smell, and start over, often replicating existing smells to understand their structure and then innovate. At Symrise's headquarters in Holzminden, trainees, referred to as "noses," begin each day by sniffing out scents from numerous tiny bottles while blindfolded.
Tastes vary across global markets. For example, Chinese shampoos selling well among a young clientele in China but struggling in Europe. Symrise extracts aromatic compounds from wood resin, a by-product of the paper industry, as a move that is both economically and environmentally sensible. The smell of a fabric softener can consist of up to 80 compounds, which is more than in a premium body perfume.
In summary, Symrise trains professional sniffers through a rigorous and comprehensive process, blending practical sensory training, scientific education, creative development, and international exposure, culminating in rigorous examinations and certification to prepare perfumers for the global market.
The comprehensive training program at Symrise's Perfume School fosters a lifestyle where trainees develop their olfactory senses, combining continuous learning, creative development, and market insight, enabling them to balance the identification of over 1,000 odors and the creation of original fragrances. Furthermore, the trainees, known as "young talents," work extensively with various raw materials, including aromatic compounds from home-and-garden sources like wood resin, to create fashion-and-beauty products that meet global market demands.
