Can Palm-base Oleochemicals Support The Future of Fragrances?
Kevin Liu Perdana × Laden Mering
Introduction
Fragrance is often associated with beauty, luxury, memories, and personal identity. Fragrances can help other people too: a single scent can remind someone of a place, a person, or an unforgettable moment. As students who are interested in chemistry and fragrance science, we have always been curious about what happens behind the scenes of a perfume bottle. Most people focus on the scent itself, but we became interested in the ingredients that make fragrances possible.
As we explored this topic, we realized that perfume is much more than pleasant smelling ingredients. It is a combination of chemistry, formulation, and engineering. Every fragrance depends on carriers, solvents, stabilizers, alcohols, and many other supporting materials that determine how it performs on the skin and how long it lasts. This made us ask an important question: Can these supporting ingredients be produced more sustainably?
One possible answer lies in palm-based oleochemicals.
Palm-based oleochemicals are chemical products derived from palm oil. Through chemical processing, these natural oils can be converted into fatty acids, fatty alcohols, glycerin, esters, surfactants, and many other useful materials. Although these ingredients usually do not provide the fragrance itself, they play an important role in helping perfumes, cosmetics, soaps, lotions, shampoos, and other personal care products perform effectively.
One thing that surprised us during our research was that the fragrance industry depends just as much on these supporting ingredients as it does on aromatic molecules. A beautiful scent alone is not enough. A perfume must remain stable, blend well with other ingredients, evaporate at the right speed, and create a pleasant experience for the user. Without the chemistry behind these supporting materials, many fragrance products would not perform as intended.
Understanding Palm-Based Oleochemicals for Fragrance
Palm-based esters can improve texture and skin feel, while fatty alcohols help stabilize creams and lotions. Glycerin helps retain moisture, and oleochemical-based surfactants allow fragrance ingredients to mix more effectively in products such as shampoos and body washes. Although consumers rarely notice these ingredients, they are essential to creating products that are safe, stable, and enjoyable to use.
Another reason we find palm-based oleochemicals interesting is their renewable origin. Unlike petrochemical-based materials that come from fossil resources, palm-based oleochemicals are produced from agricultural crops. If cultivated responsibly, they can contribute to a more sustainable chemical industry while reducing dependence on fossil-derived feedstocks.
However, sustainability should never be assumed simply because a material comes from plants. Palm oil production has faced criticism due to deforestation, biodiversity loss, peatland conversion, greenhouse gas emissions, and social conflicts. These challenges remind us that sustainability is not determined by the raw material alone but by how it is produced and managed throughout the supply chain.
Conclusion
We believe the future of fragrance will depend on more than one solution. Palm-based oleochemicals have significant potential, but they should work alongside biotechnology, green chemistry, renewable feedstocks, circular economy principles, and continuous innovation.
Rather than replacing one dependency with another, the goal should be to create a more
resilient and responsible chemical industry. For countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, this also presents an opportunity to move beyond exporting raw palm oil by producing higher-value oleochemical ingredients for global cosmetic, personal care, and fragrance industries. Investing in research, innovation, and sustainable production could strengthen both economic development and environmental responsibility.
Working on this topic has changed the way we think about perfume. We no longer see fragrance as only an artistic expression or a luxury product. Instead, we see it as an example of how chemistry, engineering, agriculture, and sustainability are closely connected.
In our opinion, the best fragrances of the future will not only smell beautiful. They will also reflect responsible science, ethical sourcing, and a commitment to protecting both people and the planet. Every bottle of perfume should tell two stories: one through its scent, and another through the sustainable chemistry that made it possible.
References
Anastas, P. T., & Warner, J. C. (1998). Green Chemistry: Theory and Practice. Oxford University Press.
FOSFA International. (n.d.). Oleochemicals Series. Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations.
International Fragrance Association. (n.d.). Innovation and Sustainability. IFRA.
Meijaard, E., Brooks, T. M., Carlson, K. M., Slade, E. M., Garcia-Ulloa, J., Gaveau, D. L. A., et al. (2018). Oil Palm and Biodiversity: A Situation Analysis by the IUCN Oil Palm Task Force. International Union for Conservation of Nature.
Plevova, K., Antoniotti, S., Frix, A., & Antoniotti, S. (2026). A holistic vision for a sustainable fragrance industry. RSC Sustainability, 4, 21–27. DOI: 10.1039/D5SU00680E
Rahmawati, Z., Santoso, L., Wan Abdullah, W. N., Hamid, A., Jamari, N. L. A., Sugiarso, D., Ni’mah, Y. L., & Widati, A. A. (2024). Biomass as an alternative feedstock to oleochemicals. RSC Advances, 14, 28827–28843. DOI: 10.1039/D4RA04481A
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil. (2025). RSPO Principles and Criteria for the Production of Sustainable Palm Oil and Palm Oil Products 2024: Version 4-0. RSPO.
Sell, C. S. (Ed.). (2006). The Chemistry of Fragrances: From Perfumer to Consumer (2nd ed.). Royal Society of Chemistry.
Surburg, H., & Panten, J. (2016). Common Fragrance and Flavor Materials: Preparation, Properties and Uses (6th ed.). Wiley-VCH.
World Wide Fund for Nature. (n.d.). 8 Things to Know About Palm Oil. WWF UK.
Tulisan yg keren dan menambah wawasan.