Through this virtual world tour of the iconic raw materials used by the house of Nicolaï, we hope you will discover our committed affiliates as well as the rare ingredients highlighted by the work of our inspired perfumer, Patricia de Nicolaï.
What about synthetic raw materials?
Our know-how is based on using the finest raw materials.
Depending on the choice of these resources, we use either traditional or more innovative processes to reveal their purest facets.
We indicate the percentage of natural ingredients in our perfumes to ensure transparency for our customers. However, it is important to point out that our perfumer, Patricia de Nicolaï, uses synthetic ingredients not only for legal and ethical reasons, as in the case of musk, but also for creative and environmental ones.
The advent of synthetic production in the world of perfumery has greatly expanded the range of alternatives in terms of scent and creation. The qualities of natural raw materials vary according to the environment, climate and extraction, and some are becoming increasingly scarce.
For certain raw materials, synthetic production thus allows perfumers to spare natural resources, which are sometimes extremely vulnerable, and to avoid the impact of unpredictable climate events and, more broadly, the environment. Safeguarding against potential shortages is also an interesting aspect of synthetic production because if natural ingredients are not produced in large enough quantities, perfumers must reformulate their fragrance without the missing ingredient and find as close a substitute as possible.
Among other things synthetic production has made it possible to isolate certain olfactory molecules which offer features that cannot be found as such in nature, and this is one of the keys to olfactory creativity.
Finally, it should be noted that natural ingredients contain hundreds of molecules that by their very nature maximise the risk of allergies. Synthetic molecules present fewer risks since they are identified. People with allergies are not denied the joy of wearing perfume daily.
It is not a question of promoting synthetic production, but simply of informing customers about reasoned, useful and sometimes even protective use.
In all cases, we take care to obtain high quality natural or synthetic raw materials from sustainable and environmentally friendly sourcing.
It is important to mention that the perfume industry is governed by very strict legislation which is amended annually and with which all laboratories must comply. The health of consumers is, and will remain, the highest priority.
