Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › Just exactly who is IFRA...And why do we need what appears to be over-regulation?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Just exactly who is IFRA...And why do we need what appears to be over-regulation?

post #1 of 8
3/31/12 at 5:07am
Thread Starter 
Fragrance and its application for many of us here is an enjoyable pasttime and added pleasure in our daily lives. When government intercedes and regulates in what appears to be some arbitrary manner, it exceeds the boundary for necessary safety and protection of resources. I'm sure there's some good reason for their existence. Or is there?
Reply
Reply

Features on Basenotes

Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
post #2 of 8
3/31/12 at 5:18am
IFRA is the International FRagrance Association - a trade association for the fragrance industry first formed in 1973 (though pre-cursor organisations go back to the sixties). It is, in short, the fragrance industry itself. It isnt government in any country.

The Standards that IFRA maintain, and that so often look like the bane of every perfume-lovers life, are compulsory for IFRA members and guidelines for everyone else. They are an attempt by the industry to pre-empt government regulation of the industry - it has been largely successful outside the EU and even within the EU has certainly prevented a lot of the legislative intervention that might otherwise have occurred.

I cant say Im a fan of the Standards, nor am I a member of IFRA but I do at least prefer having one set of rules to follow that apply pretty much everywhere, rather than umpteen variations throughout the world - though of course that isnt completely true either, it does help.
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 8
3/31/12 at 5:20am
Thread Starter 
Thank you Chris for your clarification.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 8
3/31/12 at 8:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris Bartlett View Post

I can’t say I’m a fan of the Standards, nor am I a member of IFRA

Just curious - is it because you are not a fan of the Standards that you are not a member?
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 8
3/31/12 at 10:00am
We've had discussions before, and many of us have a much darker views of IFRA. It isn't really just an attempt to pre-empt government action. It's hard to think government actions would have forbidden what IFRA did (citrus? jasmine? oakmoss?). Rather, it's what economists would call "cartel", that is, a way for aromachemical companies to restrict the market and exclude many natural substances they do not produce. Unfortunately all of this happened while those who could have cared (the Arnaults and Pinaults) were clueless and busy doing something else.

cacio
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 8
3/31/12 at 12:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hednic View Post

Just curious - is it because you are not a fan of the Standards that you are not a member?

The two statements are not entirely un-related but in truth IFRA membership is really aimed at manufacturers and although technically I make my own fragrances and am therefore a manufacturer it isnt aimed at little guys like me.

That said, I also like to have the freedom to make a fragrance to a commission and ignore the guidelines - if I was a member I could not do that.

I dont altogether disagree with the idea that IFRA sometimes behaves in a decidedly cartel-like fashion either. Though nor am I of the view that it is an incarnation of pure evil: it is typical of human endeavours - started with good intentions but flawed and filled with agenda and untoward consequences, unintended and otherwise.

Just to be clear though, citrus, jasmine and oakmoss are not forbidden, only restricted (quite heavily restricted in the case of jasmine and especially oakmoss, but much less so for citrus). Many substances are on IFRAs Prohibited list and in another thread Im in the process (now nearing completion - phew!) of listing all of them, along with all those restricted in some way, in any easy to reference style.
Reply
Reply
post #7 of 8
3/31/12 at 1:36pm
Good posts Chris!
Reply
Reply
post #8 of 8
3/31/12 at 2:24pm
Appreciate the info. Will follow your threads.
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: MFD Archive

Features on Basenotes

Petals Falling From The Sky - A Report From The Cote d'Azur's Bataille De Fleurs
Greatest Hits: Annick Menardo
Basenotes Reader Awards 2013 - Finalists Announced.
Basenotes › Basenotes Forums › Fragrance Discussion › Male Fragrance Discussion › MFD Archive › Just exactly who is IFRA...And why do we need what appears to be over-regulation?