I loved this blog post from Scentsy's David Weymouth that I wanted to share it with you. I love to hear behind the scenes info on how things are run. It is fascinating to me! I can't even imagine all the details that go unseen!!! Take it away David Weymouth:
I’m frequently asked why some Scentsy fragrances are available in almost every delivery option that we have, and others are only available in wax or room sprays. The answer is anything but simple. Let’s use Satin Sheets as an example to put this into perspective. Satin Sheets, which has been in our line since 2009, is available in the following “mediums” or options: Scentsy Bar/Brick, Room Spray, Scent Circle, Travel Tin, Scent Pak, Fragrance Foam, and Solid Perfume.
The fragrance oils used in Scentsy Bars, Room Sprays and Scent Circles are identical, and as a result, these items tend to smell identical when compared to each other. This is however, where the commonality ends. The fragrance oils used to create Satin Sheets fragrance in Travel Tins, Scent Paks, Fragrance Foam and Solid Perfume have very little in common, except for how they smell.
The two most challenging mediums to develop are Scent Paks and Solid Perfume (which has a lot in common with Fragrance Foam, but I’ll get to that later). Scent Paks contain fragranced plastic beads which are dry to the touch and happen to work great in either a Scentsy Buddy or in a gym bag. The Scentsy Buddy usage represents the greatest challenge with the Scent Pak, because the oils used have to conform to toy industry safety standards. In broad terms, this means the fragrance oils used must be GRAS, or “Generally Regarded as Safe.” Safe for what, you ask? Human consumption or food grade flavoring is the answer—not that our Scent Paks are intended to be eaten, but in the off chance that a child does somehow manage to ingest the beads, he/she won’t be hurt. Every fragrance oil we use in Scent Paks is made up of food grade flavors. This ends up restricting many ingredients commonly found in our wax. For example, wood notes don’t typically have a flavor counterpart (except for hickory), which means we have to mix non-wood note flavor ingredients together to create a wood-like fragrance note.
Scentsy Solid Perfume and Fragrance Foam have a different set of requirements that are focused on skin safe fragrance oils. In the case of Fragrance Foam, those oils must also be water soluble, which means they need to mix with water without separating (like vinegar and oil do in salad dressing). Many fragrances don’t get along well with water, and will discolor (either instantly or over time). In Solid Perfume and Fragrance Foam, we also have to consider the “ultraviolet” (UV) reactivity of the oils we use. Ultraviolet light can have a very interesting and sometimes negative effect on fragrance oils, so a significant amount of testing is required to ensure not only your safety, but also the stability of the product over time.
Travel Tins are another example of a reformulation of fragrance oils but with a technology twist. Travel Tins use a “metagel” base material that encapsulates fragrance. The fragrance oil being “encapsulated” is highly concentrated and shouldn’t liquefy the metagel (even if frozen or subjected to high heat levels). Instead, the oils have to pass through the metagel in a gaseous state. As a result, holding a Travel Tin directly up to your nose is not the best way to enjoy this fragrance medium and may result in you not recognizing the fragrance for what it is (Satin Sheets for example). However, if the Travel Tin is given some time in your car (under a seat) the end result can closely match what you recognize from warming Satin Sheets (in wax).
As you can see, the challenges associated with making fragrances match across different product lines is only part of the equation. Each base material has different regulations, usable ingredients, or inherent limitations. The good news is that we always try to develop and deliver fragrance in as many Scentsy product types as possible. That’s the not-so-simple answer to why certain fragrances aren’t available in every fragrance medium. Please let me know if you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them!
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