Les parfums D.I.Y.

I’m very happy to tell you that IFRA saved oakmoss.

There was a proposal from the legislators to ban it and this received a lot of publicity. RIFM, IFRA’s independent research body, negotiated with the EU regulators, presenting the evidence that it was the atranol and chloroatranol in oakmoss which caused skin sensitisation, and these particular phytochemicals have no aroma. RIFM proposed removing them, so that we could keep our oakmoss and this was agreed. Now the oakmoss we use in perfumery is safer, and we can still use it.

Unfortunately this story had hardly any publicity outside the industry, so almost everyone still believes that oakmoss is banned. Glorious chypre fragrances still exist, but they are not particularly popular with the majority of perfume buyers, so that is why they are discontinued.