the story behind the scent — Laundry Day
22 May 2024
Dreamed up on a dreary day in Paris, Laundry Day was created to uplift and reawaken.
“Laundry Day is a metaphor for all that is possible in the change of seasons.”
Laundry Day was dreamed up on a dark Parisian day, when our Founder tasked our Master Perfumer with bottling the optimism and energy of spring. The brief was to capture that first day of the season when you throw open your windows, inhale the aroma of freshly cut grass and take joy in the ritual of hanging your sheets on the line, knowing they’ll dry crisp and fresh. Laundry Day is a metaphor for all that is possible in the change of seasons.
There’s something deeply uplifting about springtime and the reawakening it signifies. We wanted to encapsulate that feeling in a bottle so the energy and freshness of spring can be evoked year round – no matter what season you’re in.
Cutting edge advancements in biotech and natural fragrance have made this scent possible. We use a plant derived biotech molecule, hexenol cis-3, to give the aroma of freshly cut grass and that quintessential spring feeling. The fresh laundry vibe is thanks to a natural aldehyde, the biotech molecule aldehyde c12. The zesty passionfruit accord is an upcycled molecule extracted from the skins of passionfruit – a beautiful byproduct ingredient from the juice industry.
Growing innovation in natural science and biotechnology gives us more tools in our toolbox and more options around sustainability and supply chain. Biotech allows chemists to obtain molecules from natural sources such as plant sugars, bacteria, yeast and fungi, and culture them in a lab environment, resulting in ingredients that are more consistent and less volatile than their natural counterparts (essential oils), while being just as stable as their synthetic counterparts, yet made from renewable resources and readily biodegradable.
Abel Founder Frances Shoemack shares, “When I first started out a decade ago, I didn’t imagine we’d be able to source a natural aldehyde – one of the first high-profile synthetic molecules. Biotech innovation is significantly broadening our materials palette, allowing us to compete with synthetic scents on attributes like longevity in a way that we otherwise couldn’t.”
“With its blend of verdant, sunny citrus, alongside zesty freshly mowed grass, biotech aldehyde, passionfruit, lime and vetiver, Laundry Day reflects the energy that comes with a change in season.” — VIVA
