In the palette, salty notes act as odour enhancers and add contrast and vibration to a perfume. Although salt has no smell, perfumer Alienor Massenet reminds us, each perfumer has their own technique to bring out the salty notes in a composition by playing with the facets of certain ingredients. Woods such as cashmeran, spices such as Timut Pepper and turmeric, aquatic or mineral notes such as calone or fucus absolute, all have their own unique way of incorporating salt into a perfume. It could be evoking the invigorating air of sea spray, a dive in the ocean or the taste of sea water on the skin.
Today, the use of new notes brings a new energy to the creations.
Just as salt enhances flavour in cooking, salty notes in fragrances emphasize the gourmand facets of fruits, bring an addictive freshness to the, boosting the flowers at the heart of a fragrance or even blending well with green notes.
“In Asia, for example, it is not uncommon to put salt on fruits such as mango and citrus,” says Alexandra Carlin.
And the synthesis is not outdone: Filbertone and its note of roasted hazelnut with a touch of salt, Helional used in marine and water fruit compositions or for an ozonic note, or the new Flowerpool® with its aldehydic marine notes.
Although the family of gourmandise has long been established in perfumery, it is not easy to renew the genre. The salty notes appear as a way to propose new impressions, playing on textures to bring a different and restrained energy.
