Givaudan - Albert Vieille

20/03/2024

01/08/2023

Between August and September, Tonka Beans are collected from Dipterix odorata, a Brazilian tree, also called "Cumaru", that produces almond-shaped fruits. Beans are hand-picked once they fall on the ground, then opened to extract the beans and dried-out to enable Coumarin - the natural molecule that gives Tonka its typical odour - to develop.

Our local partner in Brazil coordinates almost 500 bean collectors, ensuring fair remuneration and supporting more than 15,000 people in 30 villages of the Calha Norte region. Through our collaboration with local actors, we aim to preserve the natural ecosystem by fighting deforestation and ensuring traceability, while helping to maintain the community’s sustainable and traditional collection process.

13/07/2023

🌿 A wide range of Cistus ingredients 🌿

From twigs, we produce a diverse array of products in our Spanish facility: essential oil, essence, absolute and SEV absolute. Cistus gum, called Labdanum, is transformed into absolute and resinoid. Each product has its own olfactory characteristics and expresses in its own unique way the warm and resinous scent of cistus. Cistus and Labdanum has traditionally been used in perfumery and fragrance applications, or for its aromatherapy properties.

Cistus Essential oil has a rising freshness in the top with sweet and aromatic notes of artemisia, slightly ambery and leathery. On the other hand, Cistus SEV Absolute is more ambery, honeyed and leathery, a little animalic, differing from other extracts by its smoky and liquorish notes. As for Labdanum clear Absolute, it is the closest to the cistus natural scent, developing resinous rising notes and more subtle leathery and animalic notes.

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11/07/2023

Responsible sourcing : Nurturing wild Cistus

Managing and controlling Cistus can be challenging, as wild ingredients require both experience and attentiveness at every step. To ensure the regeneration of the plant and preserve its ecosystem, we collaborate with the local environmental agency to implement rigorous control measures and adopt sustainable harvesting practices.

Our Cistus is hand-picked once its branch's height is tall enough to grow again from one year to another. Through rotation of the harvesting areas and creation of plowing strips, we facilitate the regeneration of cistus, enabling the emergence of new cistus branches.

With the management of the cistus harvest areas, we also actively contribute to preventing wildfires and safeguarding the ecosystem.

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07/07/2023

Each summer, Cistus exudes a sticky resin along its leaves and branches that marks the start of harvesting. This year's harvest started in June and should continue until October.
Even though Spain experienced a period of difficult drought in the beginning of the year, light rainfall in June has helped improve the situation to secure a stable yield.

The current extreme heat posed a challenge to the harvesting management. Therefore, we implemented measures to prevent human and environmental risks and ensure compliance with new local laws.

Our harvesters venture across the hills of the Sierra Norte to reach the dense cistus groves that cover 8,000 hectares. They cut off and hand-pick the young shoots when they are covered in resin, using a sickle. Once cut, the branches are gathered into 25 kg bundles and transported to our Spanish facility, located at the edge of the collection area, to reveal the raw beauty of cistus.

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29/06/2023

We are proud to inform you that on June 22nd we took part in the III Think Tank organised by the Academia del Perfume in Madrid to discuss "The value of scents and their positive impact in Spain". During this event, perfumers, scientists, producers and experts of the sector defended the importance of this industry in Spain, the potential of the crops and the positive impact on rural Spain.

Our colleague María Lavao, Sourcing project manager for Givaudan | Albert Vieille, shared a round table to talk about Cistus. We were able to share with the attendees how the collection of this wild raw material has evolved, through the development and implementation of planning and monitoring projects with cartographic and remote sensing tools, which also allow us to study the variability of quality depending on the different meteorological and soil agents.
Givaudan | Albert Vieille has been working with Cistus since 1991 at our factory in the Sierra del Norte Natural Park, located in the middle of wild cistus fields.

We are thankful to the Academia del Perfume for inviting us and giving us the chance to share our commitment to obtain ingredients in the most sustainable way possible. Two outstanding examples of this are our exclusive Cistus and Labdanum ingredients.

26/06/2023

New Ambrette Absolute : be inspired by its unique complexity and texture !

Our Ambrette seeds (Hibiscus abelmoschus) are responsibly sourced and collected by a network of small producers supported by an economic plan and trained in seeding, harvesting and herbicide free cultivation. With our expertise in natural ingredients, we transform Ambrette seeds into an exceptional premium absolute at our production facility in Spain, where the seeds are distilled into essential oil to draw the fragrant molecules, which are further subjected to molecular distillation to enhance Ambrette’s fruity and musky notes.

Our Ambrette Absolute stands out with its fleeting nutty notes, silky and fruity undertones, evolving into a powdery floral note of orris as it dries. With its vibrant musky notes and hints of naturally present ambrettolide (~12%), it acts from the head to the base bringing texture and a long-lasting effect to the fragrance.

"Ambrette absolute is so different from other ingredients. It is complex, emotional, and offers more than just a beautiful scent, it gives the pleasure of a more tangible texture that makes it unique” - Givaudan’s Perfumer

21/06/2023

🌼 Unveiling the savoir-faire behind our latest Vanilla Absolute 🌼

Vanilla pods are sent near the picturesque city of Seville at Albert Vieille’s Spanish production site, specialised in the transformation of 100% pure and natural ingredients. Our skilled team combines traditional craftsmanship with modern techniques to reveal the powerful yet sophisticated scent of this premium Natural.

Once the transformation is complete, our Givaudan's perfumery experts control and validate the Vanilla Absolute quality from its expected sweet, woody, creamy and spicy notes to its leather, caramel and to***co facets.

19/06/2023

Do you know how Vanilla is cultivated in Madagascar?

Vanilla planifolia is native to Mexico, where the flowers are naturally pollinated by Melipona bees. After pollination, the orchid vine produces a fruit, the precious vanilla pods.
As these bees cannot be found in Madagascar, pollinating the flowers requires human intervention. This delicate process is done by hand, using only a stick and a flick of the thumb.

The green pods are hand-picked after the flowering season when glucovanillin, the precursor of vanillin, is at its peak. They are briefly scalded in water which releases enzymes crucial to the olfactory development of vanilla.
Before cooling takes place, the vanilla beans are wrapped warm in blankets and stored in dark airtight boxes. Under the action of heat and humidity, the enzymes transform the glucovanillin into vanillin.

As part of the drying process, they are placed under direct sun exposure, before being wrapped and placed in the shade to keep as much heat as possible. The last step brings the humidity in the beans down to 20-25%, as they are left to dry in the shade for several weeks. Finally, they are sorted according to their quality and size.

14/06/2023

Learn more about our engagement with the communities who collect Vanilla Planifolia !

Givaudan Foundation actively supports communities in Madagascar through life-changing projects around education, food security and health improvement.

So far, 5000 children have benefited from the construction of 30 schools in the northern part of Madagascar, two health centers and 70 wells were either built or restored and we have helped reduce health risks for 10000 people. We aim to improve food security with training and to promote income diversification to provide a higher quality of life for these communities.

07/06/2023

🌿 Discover our new natural specialties 🌿

Our Vanilla absolute is rich, sweet, creamy, woody and spicy, with facets of leather, caramel and to***co.

Mysterious and exotic, it brings warmth, sensuality and long-lastingness to the fragrance.
This powerful ingredient startles us by its duality between childhood memories and sensuality.

Our Ambrette Absolute revolves around earthy facets, fleeting nutty notes with silky and fruity undertones with nuances of liquor. It evolves into a powdery floral note of orris as it dries

With musky notes, it acts from the head to the base bringing texture and a long-lasting effect to the fragrance.

29/03/2023

Visit us at Booth L50 at In-Cosmetics, taking place from March 28th to 30th in Barcelona.

Come and explore Givaudan | Albert Vieille's 100% Pure & Natural Ingredients through personal care applications and aromatherapy blends covering five wellness categories : PureAir, PureSkin, PureCalm, PureMood and PureHeal.