Today on Chemistry Cachet, we are sharing the science behind air fresheners plus why we even use them!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It is the holiday season which means Thanksgiving and Christmas are upon us.

When you think of the holidays, what pops up in your memory? Probably many things, but I bet a certain smell is one of them. Have you noticed that scents trigger a memory so quickly and vividly?

This is the inspiration to our post today.

We are talking air fresheners, scents, and the special importance behind a home that smells good.

Let’s get started!

The Science Behind Air Fresheners Plus Why We Use Them

In September, I was asked to be a part of the “Clearing the Air Summit” with the Alliance for Consumer Education. I was a moderator in one of the sessions, and I learned so much fascinating information! I knew I had to share this with our readers today.

You can actually rewatch the summit here if you are interested.

Anyways, I wanted to make sure to bring our readers the most accurate information for this post, so I interviewed a scientist from P&G. Steve Horenziak has spent more than 16 years studying the sources and chemistry of malodor, fragrance chemistry, olfaction, indoor air quality and sensory methodologies. Steve leads formula development for P&G’s Air Care portfolio, holds numerous patents, and has been part of many successful market launches.  He is a scientist who knows his stuff!

I did an interview with him to answer the top questions readers have asked me over the years.

Why do we care about air quality? Because sometimes there are bad odors in the air!

What causes bad odors?

Bad odors cause annoyances and bad memories, and some bad odor sources can be something more substantial in the air. Steve says there are compounds in the air causing some of the more well-known bad odors. Reduced sulfur compounds, small molecules containing nitrogen, bacterial breakdowns (like in the garbage), fat oxidation, small chain fatty acids (like body odor), and smoke odors which can contain thousands of compounds.

Those bad odors you are smelling in the air are actually molecules floating around, some worse than others.

What is the definition of malodor?  Is it the same as a bad smell or is it something more serious?

During the Clearing the Air summit, I kept hearing the term malodor being used. I asked Steve more about this.

Malodor is a a term for an odor that causes annoyance, worry, or even a bad memory. Malodors are harmful to your holistic health. Not directly causing damage, but it causes harm through worry and stress.

For instance, if you walk into your home and smell smoke, this can cause alarm and stress. Is there a fire? Smells trigger so many important things for us!

Why are scents so important to our well-being?

Smells can impact our mental health causing stress and worry. It can cause harm to social well-being. For instance, if your home has a bad odor, this will impact what people think when they come over to your house. I think we have all been in that situation…you go over to a friend’s home, and it has a strange or bad odor. It changes the way you think about the house.

What about when a hotel smells bad? This can cause economic worry. I have been in a hotel before that smelled really strange or gross. It changed my opinion about the entire hotel chain. This is how scents play an important role in our lives, sometimes without even realizing it!

How does an air freshener work?

Air fresheners improve the air quality. It can make your home more inviting, but it can also remove malodor molecules due to the various air care technologies.

Steve explained a few different air freshener mechanisms that are common in some simple science terms we can all understand. One popular mechanism is to capture the malodor molecule. This would be things like the ingredient cylcodextrin found in Febreze products. Cyclodextrin has many uses, but trapping the molecule is what makes it so effective in air care products.

One of our popular posts on Chemistry Cachet is about using zeolite for pet odors or other household smells. It also utilizes the trapping of odors.

Another way is through neutralizing the pH of the odor which will change molecules to a salt form. An example of this would be like squeezing lemon on fish. Many air fresheners use a buffering system to neutralize bad scents.

The next type of mechanism would be to react with the molecules, like with amine based odors (body odors) which can react with a perfume ingredient to form a large molecule.

Lastly, oxidation is another mechanism to remove bad odors. This is a very in-depth process, and can be used many different ways. Here are some details on oxidation for odor removal.

So, air fresheners do more than just mask an odor?

All air fresheners are different, and depending on brands or types, you will notice that some air care products do a great job removing the odor. Some only mask it! This is when you get an even worse scent in the air. Air freshener mixed with a foul odor can make the air quality worse! You want to make sure to use a product that removes the odor not just masks it.

When it comes to scents, why are synthetic ingredients used over natural ingredients in air care products?

This question is one of the most asked questions from readers when it comes to store-bought products in general. I asked Steve about this because I know this is an important topic to readers. Synthetic is used over natural for a few reasons: safety, sustainability, and cost. Natural is more difficult to ensure safety because it can have a lot of variation and people have allergies. 

I know this to be true because my mom has asthma! She cannot be around essential oils very well, especially anything floral or evergreen. It has made her have an asthma attack! She does not have this issue if synthetic ingredients are used! She goes into peoples homes or stores, especially during the holiday season, and doesn’t have to worry about having asthma if synthetic scents are in the air. It is the natural ones that cause issues! I know this is true with many people.

With synthetic you know exactly what it is, how much is used, and every detail. Good smells from rare plants can’t be cultivated because it would use too much agriculture resources. If companies used real lavender in their products, it would deplete all the lavender crops! It is not sustainable to use natural ingredients like this.

Cost is also a factor. If companies used real rose scents in their products, it can also drive the cost up. Instead of paying a few dollars for an air freshener, it could make it expensive! Real rose oils are sometimes $75 for a tiny bottle.

Not all natural ingredients are expensive, things like lemon, lime, orange, or anything else in high numbers is not more expensive. It can even be cheaper! You will find many natural citrus scents in products because it is very affordable and sustainable. It just depends on what makes the product  best for the consumer.

How can consumers learn more about the fragrances in their air care?

After participating in the Clearing The Air summit, I learned many myth busters. One of them was you can’t know what ingredients are in your air care products especially the fragrance. I asked Steve about this too. He said most companies are publishing ingredients in their fragrances. Anything over 100ppm can be found online at smartlabel.org. Most manufacturers also have all the details on ingredients on their website too.

I also learned about The Research Institute for Fragrance Material. You can learn so much about fragrance, safety, science based research, and more interesting things on their website! For those readers who want to learn more about it, this is a great resource to check out.

Why aren’t there more fragrance free products in air care?

This seems like a strange question, but I have had readers ask this! Steve said they make a product without scent for laundry called Febreze Fabric Free. It utilizes the same odor capturing technology without any fragrance. I asked him if they made any other products without scents? He said not really because people don’t buy them.

It goes back to that mental aspect of scents. We want our homes to smell good, and when you spray a product, you want a good smell in your home.

In Conclusion

This Christmas season, stop and think about all those wonderful smells. I am sure they will spark some special memory for you too.

Remember all the science that is going on behind the scenes with the aromas in the air. Air fresheners are used because people want their homes and environments to smell good! We want to remember special moments, but we also want people to feel welcome in our homes. Malodor causes stress, anxiety, and even embarrassment. This is exactly why their is a market for air care products.

Now we know some basic science on how air fresheners work and why we use them in our homes.

I hope you found this interesting today! Enjoy the holiday season!

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