Design and Optimisation of Green Scented Products

Dear Colleagues,

Natural and synthetic fragrant molecules are complex substances associated with positive emotional effects. However, the synthetic fragrant molecules used in many scented products have been associated with human allergic reactions, endocrine-disrupting properties, and negative environmental impacts linked with contaminated waterways. Concerned about these issues, consumers today prefer products scented with naturally sourced ingredients in their composition. Nevertheless, contrary to common belief, the production of many natural fragrances represents a higher negative environmental impact than the production of synthetic counterparts. In this context, innovative and sustainable ways to produce natural fragrances and greener extraction technologies have been proposed as an attempt to circumvent some of these problems, but there is still plenty of room for improvement in this regard.

Another complex and challenging issue is the performance of fragrances from scented formulations. This is because the creation of a successful scented product is not a simple procedure enclosed in pure artistic creativity; instead, it is a long, costly, and complex process, where a high number of ingredients with different physicochemical and psychophysical properties are combined, and dozens or even hundreds of combinations are tested until the desired scent is achieved. In fact, if a fragrance performs well in a certain product formulation it does not necessarily mean that it will also be successful in a different one. This justifies the need for further research in this field, developing technologies to improve and predict the performance of fragrances from complex mixtures.

Therefore, this Special Issue aims to highlight eco-friendly ingredients sourcing and extraction, innovative analytical methodologies to fingerprint the odor space of scented products, the development of sustainable scented formulations, and the sensory evaluation of consumer products. Discussions of fragrance delivery systems and technologies developed to protect and carry fragrant ingredients to the target point are encouraged.

Prof. Dr. Manuela Pintado
Guest Editor
Dr. Patrícia Costa
Co-Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.