“In a fragrance it’s not the sum of its ingredients that count, it’s the emotion procured,” says Behave founder Stéphane Piquart from the outset. Behave is a company specialized in sourcing natural raw materials, respectful of the environment, agriculture and the 
entire fragrance sector, down to the consumer. “As long as brands won’t want to create something rare, consumers won’t have the pleasure and desire for fragrance.”

He learned his job with all the fragrance players, but it’s Jean-François Laporte, founder of l’Artisan Parfumeur, who showed him the ropes. Today, Stéphane Piquart offers ambergris, an endangered species, at €10,000 per kg, or sandalwood, replanted in Australia, at €600 per kg, two fixatives that make it possible to “encapsulate” the most volatile notes to release them throughout the day. If he doesn’t hesitate to give figures, it’s because he’s analyzed them to try to understand. “In 10 years, a kilo of concentrate went from €125 to €25 and there is at least 10 centimes’ worth of natural ingredients in a bottle.” So less expensive, more effective, less noxious ingredients for the planet must be found. With new distillation systems that keep us from burning 1,000 tons of wood to distill one ton of ylang-ylang. With a trans-formation process of green vanilla bean that makes it possible to obtain a 30% rate of vanilline.

With the reference system of new materials from elsewhere. But the myrrh of Namibia, “more incense and benzoin than that of Somalia,” costs more than €35,000 to test and register. “Who’s going to pay such a sum and take the risk?” wonders Mr. Piquart, who paid twice as much for it to growers, to preserve the settled way of life of a tribe in Namibia, through an NGO. He is also interested in a bush that secrets an interesting fragrant wax, called bushman candle. And he is pursuing his crusade for more quality and fewer launches, for risk-taking and commitment from brands, for the acceptance of the fragrance difference of nature that’s necessarily changing, and for patience to win out over hurriedness.

Sabine Chabbert

Beyond Beauty MAG #28

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