LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT & CEO
The Fragrance
Ecosystem
Advancing the industry by listening to and
respecting the importance of all parties
• California SB 574—Through active listening,
education, and leadership, Fragrance Creators
significantly improved SB 574, a California bill that
6 | FRAGRANCENOTES.ORG | Issue 2, 2019
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This is the perfect time of year to visit Washington,
D.C. As the weather begins to cool and crowds of
tourists fade, we locals reemerge to check in on the
monuments and wander in our lush and dense parks
before the crisp chill of fall settles in. In my walks
along the shady path of Rock Creek Parkway, I am
often reminded of the interconnectedness of nature.
Vibrant greenery, striking blooms, and thick-barreled
trees catch the eye, but beneath the surface a vast
ecosystem supports this new and ongoing growth. In
fact, something as seemingly insignificant as fungi
supports several functions that are critical to the survival
of the forest, among them symbiosis—an often mutually
beneficial interaction between two connected organisms.
The fungi provides minerals and water to the tree from
the earth’s soil, and in turn the tree supplies it with
much-needed carbohydrates. Those sage, sturdy old
trees couldn’t stand without this crucial exchange.
There are so many things we humans can learn from
nature, but this illustration of working together to
advance a shared goal—and ensure survival—is
particularly instructive.
And it’s a familiar concept to us at Fragrance Creators
Association because actively listening, collaborating,
and leading when necessary are at the center of all we
do. These elements are key not just to our success, but
that of the broader fragrance industry. Through our
commitment to coming to the table with an open mind
and listening ear, we lead more fragrance-related policy
and advocacy than ever before. Over the past four years,
we have progressed from an organization called upon for
technical information to one that is directly influencing
policy that is relevant to the fragrance industry.
Specifically, Fragrance Creators directly led (and will
continue to lead) in the following areas:
Through our commitment
to coming to the table with
an open mind and listening
ear, we lead more fragrance-
related policy and advocacy
than ever before.
would require companies to disclose intentionally added
flavor and fragrance ingredients in cosmetics—if present on a
designated list—to the California Safe Cosmetics Database.
• California Air Resources Board VOC—Fragrance Creators
is leading strategy to shape the California Air Resource
Board’s (CARB’s) rulemaking process with regard to
volatile organic compounds (VOCs). By actively engaging,
collaborating, and presenting science-based evidence, we are
responding to CARB’s questions and needs and are influencing
how it considers fragrance in its rulemaking.
• Fragrance and Ingredient Communication—Fragrance
Creators is owning the fragrance narrative and leading
efforts to support members and engage consumers in the
face of growing calls for transparency. We are currently
developing The Fragrance Conservatory, a highly visual,
interactive website to house credible, consumer friendly,
and contextualized information about fragrance creation,
sustainability, and safety, as well as content on ingredients
subject to disclosure under California’s Cleaning Product
Right to Know Act (SB 258). This open-access tool will be
available around the globe to help fragrance creators demystify