IFF Unveils PuraVita

International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. says it has set a “new benchmark for fragrance sustainability” with the release of the first-ever Cradle to Cradle Certified fragrance, PuraVita. 

The fragrance—which has notes of green apple, wood, apricot and vanilla—is a proof of concept for an innovative approach to sustainable fragrance creation.  PuraVita is a model for what can be achieved when perfumers pair creativity with sustainable design principles, according to the company, which broke the news at the Sustainable Cosmetics Summit in New York City on May 12.
 
“Our new PuraVita fragrance is a clear demonstration of how we are building on our legacy of pioneering firsts, infused with a sustainable mindset, to inspire new possibilities in R&D and product creation,” said Andreas Fibig, chairman and CEO of IFF. 
 
Kip Cleverley, head of global sustainability for IFF, presented PuraVita during a discussion headlined by Ken Alston, president, consulting and education services, McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry (MBDC). 
 
To create PuraVita, IFF partnered with William McDonough and his team at MBDC.  McDonough is a leader in the field of sustainable design and the co-author, with chemist Dr. Michael Braungart, of Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. 
 
“IFF's announcement of their new Cradle to Cradle Certified fragrance marks a very personal and deeply considered moment in the history of products that touch us and appeal to our senses.  It is literally the moment to celebrate the sweet smell of success,” said William McDonough.
     
The Cradle to Cradle Certified Product Standard guides designers and manufacturers through a continual improvement process that looks at a product through five categories — material health, material reutilization, renewable energy and carbon management, water stewardship, and social fairness. A product receives an achievement level in each category — Basic, Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum — with the lowest achievement level representing the product’s overall mark.
 
PuraVita is Cradle to Cradle Certified at the Gold level and IFF has earned a Platinum level Material Health Certificate for the fragrance.
 
“PuraVita is a breakthrough in fragrance creation for IFF and for the industry at-large,” said Nicolas Mirzayantz, group president, fragrances. “With our strategic vision, ambition, and desire to make a difference, our perfumers and research teams are satisfying the unmet needs of consumers around the world.”  
 
“With the introduction of its new fragrance, IFF is pioneering a whole new category of Certified products,” said Lewis Perkins, President of Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute.  “More than a groundbreaking step for Cradle to Cradle Certified products, the fragrance demonstrates the innovation that occurs when these principles and a vision for moving beyond sustainability converge.”