Institute For The Future

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet--and be as healthy?

A recent New York Times article describes the process by which perfume makers are rapidly developing and patenting new smell molecules, which are known as "captives." Thesaron, the brand name for a captive developed by Takasago in Japan, "has the fruity/rosy note of a very expensive class of molecules called rose ketones, but it costs far less and can be used in unlimited amounts."

 

 

 

 

What does this have to do with health? Well, it turns out that rose ketones are problematic because they set off allergic reactions at high doses. One of the benefits of Thesaron is that it doesn't trigger asthma attacks.

 

Captives also promote the sustainability of natural resources, which may be in short supply. For example, Takasago’s captive Hindanol smells like sandalwood, which has become very expensive (around $1,700 per kilogram). India’s sandalwood forests have been so decimated that further harvesting has been banned. Captives provide other ecological benefits: they do not require costly and polluting fertilizers or cause farmers to deplete the soil. And because captives can smell stronger than their natural counterparts, perfumers can use fewer chemicals to get the same power.