Why do we love perfumes that smell clean?

Since time immemorial, cleanliness and neatness have been valued attributes in all societies, associated with health, hygiene and well-being. When it comes to perfumery, fragrances that smell clean are synonymous with freshness and comfort. Let's discover why we are so fascinated by clean-smelling perfumes.

It's 10 am in New York, 4 pm in Madrid, both good times of the day to let ourselves be carried away by the wellbeing that clean-smelling perfumes produce from the hand of perfumer Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Vice President of Perfumery at Givaudan, who welcomes us to his office through the screen. Later on, Gregorio Sola, Lifestyle Brands Perfumer at Puig, will help us to complete Roux's cultural, sociological and historical vision of these fragrances.


Talking about perfumes with a clean scent leads us to reflect on mundane yet transcendental issues: illness, death and life, and even to question the role of the perfumer in society.


Flores-Roux says that it was his own father who opened his eyes to the magic of his trade, "one of the most useful professions because it helps the human species to forget that it is going to die". Perfume, pleasant and clean smells are connected to hygiene, a vital issue for the survival of our species.

"Aldehydes are molecules that exist in nature. For example, in rose, coriander, ginger and citronella. They began to be synthesised in the 19th century and were first used in perfumes in 1910," explains the master perfumer.


These molecules have great evocative power. In isolation, they can suggest the smell of lemon peel, paraffin, linen and even the hot, metallic smell of an iron. They also evoke "the smell of unscented soap paste".


It may come as a surprise that Chanel No. 5 falls into the category of clean-smelling perfumes, but its formula, created by Ernest Beaux in 1921, has an overdose of aldehydes that made it instantly and forever an iconic fragrance.


These molecules are present in a multitude of perfumes with strong soapy top notes such as 4711 Acqua Colonia; White Linen by Estée Lauder; Neroli Portofino by Tom Ford; This is not a Blue Bottle by Histories de Parfums. In Blanche by Byredo, we recognise a clean aldehydic accord that recreates the feeling of cleanliness in a shower. And Juniper Sling by Penhaligon's combines this sensation with a note of juniper and luminous radiant citrus.

Flores-Roux goes on to explain the smells that give us a pleasant sensation of cleanliness: "From the 1950s onwards, musk molecules began to be used in large quantities in detergent and soap perfumes. They are slow evaporating and are good fixing agents, especially in textiles.


The combination of aldehydes and musks creates an initial sensation of light and freshness that gives way to another level of cleanliness that smells of leather and textiles.


Today, the chemistry of musks has evolved a lot. Some smell slightly of blackberry, others of wet earth after rain, and others are more sensual and evoke the skin, says the perfumer.


Examples include Narciso Rodriguez's For Her, not coincidentally an iconic perfume from a fashion designer who uses a lot of linen and cotton; 212's musky touches and Carolina Herrera's cosmetic, powdery Good Girl Blush; Parfums de Marly's Valaya, which evokes the intimate feel of cotton on the skin; and The Body Shop's musky, floral and woody White Musk.

The third pillar of a clean-smelling fragrance is flowers: orange blossom and lavender. Actually, more than orange blossom, we should refer to the orange tree, since in perfumery "the flower, the fruit, the leaf and the young branch" are used, Rodrigo Flores-Roux specifies.


Essential oils can be extracted from the peel, the fruit, the unripe fruit, the leaf, the green branches and the flower (even when green). All products extracted from the orange tree for perfumery contain aldehydes, says the perfumer.


"Lavender is another peculiar ingredient. It is an antiseptic. It helps to clean and disinfect because it has camphor, benzyl salicylate and other molecules like menthol that are very effective antibacterial agents. And it is also relaxing," he explains.


Lavender's virtues as a cleansing agent are well known, he continues, and it is no coincidence that it is combined with citrus notes (lemon, orange, bergamot…).


Among the floral aldehydes, there are great perfumes such as Calèche by Hermés, Madame Rochas or Ma Griffe by Carven, which are perfumes of high fashion houses. We also find aldehydes in men's perfumes such as Sauvage by Dior.

Gregorio Sola, Lifestyle Brands Perfumer at Puig, points out that today we can differentiate between two types of perfumes with a clean scent: Fresh & Clean and Soft & Clean.


"In the former, we work with transparent, luminous ingredients and aldehydic notes on chords that translate the smell of a clean, freshly washed white T-shirt. In the latter, we look for a transparent softness, a bit of clean cosmetics, in which soft flowers, such as peony, lilac and freesia, are wrapped in soft and cosmetic chords, slightly powdery, clean and comfortable to transmit that sensation of clean seduction," explains Sola.



Why are clean-smelling perfumes so popular? According to Sola, we increasingly like the sensations of lightness and nature. "The sensation of freshness, comfort and cleanliness, integrated in floral or fougère families, gives us an extra sense of naturalness, clean air and transparency," he says.


"When it comes to men's fragrances, there is a return to the 1970s, but with 21st century ingredients, combining cleansing and shaving accords with modern and innovative ingredients," he reveals.