Dr. Fanny Grau on
Upcycled Ingredients in Our Formulas
At Abel, upcycling ingredients is increasingly woven into our formulas. By using real, renewable materials in new ways, we’re able to craft more complex scents while reducing waste and embracing circularity in our fragrance formations.
Leading this innovation is Dr. Fanny Grau, our French perfumer, with a PhD in chemistry and extensive expertise in raw materials.
We spoke with Fanny about the technology behind upcycling, why it matters, and how it’s being used across several Abel scents. From passionfruit to cocoa and cherries, each upcycled ingredient is sourced through a unique process — whether from food industry by-products or wastewater once destined for disposal.
“Our children need us to create beauty by upcycling what the Earth offers beyond our essential needs” shares Fanny.
What is upcycling in perfumery?
Upcycling in fragrance means reclaiming ingredients from overlooked or discarded materials — pulp, husks or rinsing water — and giving them new life in scent. One of the most important technologies enabling this shift is SymTrap®.
SymTrap® is an innovative technology — an extraction method that captures aroma molecules from the parts of fruits or plants usually discarded in the food industry. It works at ambient temperature and without the use of petrochemical solvents, making it both environmentally responsible and creatively liberating.
“This sustainable and eco-friendly approach offers perfumers natural, upcycled ingredients and access to new olfactory profiles previously unattainable through traditional extraction methods such as hydrodistillation, solvent extraction, enfleurage, or maceration.” says Fanny.
We use upcycled ingredients throughout our full fragrance collection, all of which are clearly specified in the ingredients list.
Abel Scents Featuring Upcycled Ingredients
Laundry Day — The vibrant passionfruit note in Laundry Day is created using upcycled passionfruit sourced from the juice industry. After passionfruit is processed, the rinsing water — normally discarded — is collected. Using SymTrap® technology, scent molecules still present in this water are extracted and transformed into a bright, juicy note that gives Laundry Day it's tangy, uplifting signature.
The Apartment — A warm, rich fragrance grounded in two upcycled notes: Cocoa husks, a by-product left behind after the roasting process in chocolate production, are distilled to extract their rich, roasted aroma—bringing warmth and depth to The Apartment. Complementing this is the upcycled cherry note, offering a tart and juicy layer — also captured from wastewater in the juice industry.
Under the expertise of Dr. Fanny Grau, we’re expanding the boundaries of natural perfumery — crafting high-performance, low-impact scents.
