Catherine Ganahl, a senior perfumer at Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) which owns Ariel, has lifted the lid on how they make their products smell so good
It’s all to do with the fragrances(Image: Cris Cantón via Getty Images)
A scent expert has revealed how freshly washed laundry smells so good – and says mixing detergent is an ‘art form like composing music’. Catherine Ganahl is a senior perfumer at Procter & Gamble Company (P&G), which owns Ariel, and she’s lifted the lid on how they make products smell so good.
Fragrances in laundry detergents are blended perfumes with combinations of aroma molecules chosen to deliver a pleasant, lasting scent on treated fabrics.
They’re said to be present at carefully determined levels alongside other ingredients such as wetting agents and enzymes that break down stubborn stains. Catherine says scents are used as they’re widely considered an important signal that laundry has been washed effectively.
Fragrance also contributes to the overall consumer experience so she says Ariel carefully select and levels each perfume to deliver this benefit while meeting rigorous safety standards.
She declares the process of mixing her toolbox of 4,000 natural and synthetic ingredients as an ‘art form, like composing music’. Catherine said: “My creativity combined with a scientific background is key to crafting irresistible scents that are loved.
“Just like fashion, fragrance trends evolve and everyone has their own taste and favourite scent. Luckily, I have a toolbox of about 4,000 natural and synthetic perfume ingredients that I can combine – like composing music.
“Many of these are familiar to us, like citrus oils extracted from lemons and oranges or floral notes like lavender and ylang-ylang. Interestingly, we only need a few drops of perfume per wash, which gets diluted during the wash and spreads across your fabrics.
“After drying, most of the perfume evaporates, leaving just a fresh and clean scent with minimal contact on your skin. So next time you enjoy the fresh scent of your laundry, remember the art and science behind every wash.”
Ariel says its fragrance safety process follows the same steps endorsed by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) and the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials (RIFM).
These are two of the most recognised authorities in global fragrance safety and they determine the safe use level of each perfume ingredient in Ariel laundry products.
All other perfume components appear under the collective term ‘parfum’ on labels and their products are said to be formulated with sensitive-skinned customers in mind. You can find out more at ariel.co.uk
