UV rays degrade fragrances contained in transparent bottles: ingredients that are colored may fade and lose coloration (photosensitivity), or a chemical reaction may increase the coloration already present. Light can also alter fragrance.
Perfumers add chemical filters to their formulas to slow down this degradation, but sometimes to the detriment of the perfume's initial balance.
With UVltimate, a UV filtration varnish applied to the bottle to protect olfactory notes, Nexdot aims to change the game.
The company recently called on Antoine Lie, master perfumer at Atelier Français des Matières and one of the world's leading noses (Giorgio Armani, Azzaro, Burberry, Cerruti, Comme Des Garçons, Tom Ford, Givenchy, Kenzo, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Nina Ricci, Versace and Zegna...), to evaluate in real-life conditions the protection offered by UVltimate on the fragrance pyramid.
Antoine Lie analyzed five fragrances after 4, 12 and 24 hours of exposure to light, in three configurations: without protection (raw formula), with integrated chemical UV filters (traditional solution) and without additives, but with a UVltimate-treated bottle.
"On all types of perfume studied with Nexdot technology, we can conclude that their structures are less subject to loss of freshness and deterioration of note following the tests carried out. In comparison, the same perfumes containing chemical anti-UV agents suffer a far greater loss of freshness and olfactory deterioration, and in the best case, are equivalent to the samples studied with Nexdot technology. It's interesting to note that the more the fragrance structure is based on freshness and transparency, the better Nexdot technology performs compared to conventional chemical anti-UV agents.he concluded. The advantage of the Nexdot innovation is that the technology is located outside the perfume, on the bottle, so it doesn't affect it in any way. From a regulatory point of view, we know that all these additives that are added to perfume are under the microscope of the European Commission, which is beginning to think that they may be harmful to health. Nexdot technology is therefore a hopeful sign of things to come.
Developed from the properties of Quantum Dots (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2023), UVltimate prevents the degradation of olfactory molecules and colors under the effect of UV light. According to Nexdot, laboratory studies have shown that its performance surpasses all existing solutions:
- Better protection against discoloration and fragrance degradation than traditional varnishes;
- This solution represents an effective alternative to chemical UV filters, with no impact on perfume formulation;
- Industrial application is simple, and compatible with current glassmaking processes.
Invisible and non-toxic, the varnish respects the recycling of glass bottles. It thus offers a sustainable alternative, in line with perfume brands' commitment to responsible Clean Beauty. What's more, its industrial application is simplified, with no need to modify existing manufacturing processes.
