36
Interviews with both German and French perfumers revealed that only a small number of perfume
companies in Europe, primarily in France, work with very old, traditional, recipes which may contain
musk, amber and civet.
Information from perfume manufacturers in Germany, France and Switzerland
About 30 companies in Germany are involved in the manufacture of perfume oils and scents. Of these,
15 companies were surveyed by TRAFFIC Europe-Germany. Thirteen companies, including the major
manufacturers in Germany, indicated that they had used no natural musk, or virtually none, in their
products for many years or even decades (personnel of perfume-producing companies, pers. comm.,
March 1998). At least four of the 13 companies have large production sites outside Germany, e.g. in
France and Switzerland, and operate on a worldwide scale, but these four large perfume oil and scent
manufacturers reported not to have used any natural musk in their products since at least 1990. Only two
companies of the 13 stated that they occasionally use small amounts (a few grammes per year) of natural
musk. According to one manufacturer, other medium-sized manufacturing companies in Germany, apart
from those surveyed, no longer use natural musk either.
France has the most traditional perfume industry in Europe. There may be more than a hundred perfume
houses, large and small, working in this sector, creating all kinds of new and classic fragrances. Assuming
that the musk imported to France was used primarily in the European perfume industry, the share of musk
used in perfumes by France constituted between 5% and 15% of the unprocessed musk in trade globally
from 1978 to 1996.
Information from literature (Green and Taylor, 1986), as well as from personnel in the German perfume
industry (pers. comm., April 1998), indicates that only the most traditional and expensive perfume houses
may still use amounts of the order of some hundreds of grammes, ranging in some cases to some
kilogrammes, of natural musk per year. In July 1998, nine of the biggest and/or notable classic French
perfume houses were asked if they still used natural musk in their products. Of the nine, four have so far
not responded; one replied that natural musk was not used in their products any more; another failed to
respond to the question asked; and a further three responded that they were still using natural musk in a
few traditional fragrances, but with a predicted decline in use over the next few years. Nevertheless, the
use of natural musk in the French perfume industry is still estimated to amount to some kilogrammes per
year (perfume producing company personnel, in litt., 1998). The reasons for the decline in use of natural
musk in the French perfume industry are given opposite (see paragraph beginning “The following
reasons”
.
..). Green and Taylor (1986) also reported that natural musk was used by the perfume industry
in only a small number of classic and expensive perfumes in France. These included, for example,
Chanel’s No 5, Desprez’s Bal à Versailles, Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleu, Rochas’s Madame Rochas and
Shiseido’s Suzuro
.
The perfume oil and scent-manufacturing sector is not as large in Switzerland as in neighbouring France
and Germany. Two large companies manufacturing perfume oils and scents in Switzerland were asked
about the use of natural musk in their products. Both companies reported that they had not used natural
musk for at least 10 years (personnel of perfume producing companies, pers. comm., April 1998). One
Swiss manufacturer declared that the sector uses less and less natural musk in perfumes.
In February 1998, TRAFFIC Europe-Germany visited Beauty World in Frankfurt, Europe‘s largest trade
fair for cosmetics and perfumes, hosting 500 exhibitors from 25 countries. TRAFFIC Europe-Germany
interviewed 28 of the 62 exhibitors representing the perfume and cosmetics sectors, including exhibitors
from Germany, France and Belgium (and also the USA). Most indicated that they did not know the
composition of their products. Only one French exhibitor said that his company’s products contained
genuine musk. However, he was unable to say whether the musk originated from musk deer or from other
plant or animal species.
37
The following reasons were given to explain why
German, French and Swiss perfume and scent manufac-
turers today no longer use natural musk (personnel of
perfume producing companies, pers. comm., April
1998):
Û
Natural musk is very expensive, costing up to
US$50-55/g to perfume companies. Synthetic
musk is substantially cheaper. Perfumes
would be prohibitively expensive if they
contained natural musk and as the struggle for
market share is very intense in the perfume and
cosmetics sector, companies must offer their
products at competitive prices. The price of
perfume products in the moderate and
inexpensive categories in Germany and other
European countries virtually precludes their
containing natural musk.
Û
Some manufacturers mentioned animal
welfare and species conservation reasons for
refraining from using natural musk. Clients
in Europe are increasingly sensitive about
these issues and manufacturing companies
may often respond to such consumer sensi-
tivities by dropping the use of relevant ingre-
dients, for example, animal substances.
Û
Natural musk is very difficult to obtain and
the supply on the international market is not
sufficiently stable for manufacturers of
perfume oils and scents.
Û
Natural musk is of inconsistent quality.
Û
A further reason mentioned by one manufacturing company for ceasing to use natural musk
alluded to related technical difficulties in manufacturing.
Perfume oil and scent manufacturers were asked whether natural musk may again be used by the industry
in the future, especially since synthetic musk is associated with health risks (see Synthetic musk). All the
respondents believed that the use of natural musk in the perfume industry will continue to diminish
(personnel of perfume producing companies, pers. comms, April 1998). The development and use of new
synthetic musk compounds is regarded as highly promising for the perfume industry and more likely to
happen than a renewed increase in the use of natural musk.
Information from European, German and French associations of perfume-manufacturers
Three international associations of scent manufacturing companies of the European perfume and
cosmetics industry were consulted about the use of musk. They also reported that natural musk has only
restricted use in perfume manufactured in Europe, because of the high price and the difficulty in procuring
natural musk (personnel of scent-manufacturing company associations, pers. comm., March 1998). None
Early eighteenth century south German
rock-crystal phial in gilt mounting
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edit:
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