The word “synthetic” doesn’t always have the best reputation. By definition, it even means "fake or unnatural" or somehow inferior. And marketing would have you believe that "pure naturals" are always superior in cosmetics and fragrance.

But in perfumery, synthetics are essential. They make modern fragrance safer, more sustainable, more stable, and far more creative than it could ever be with naturals alone.

In this episode of SPIFFY, Adam Hurly sits down with Christina Christie, Senior Perfumer at Givaudan, to unpack what synthetics actually mean inside modern perfumery and why so many of the scents we love simply wouldn’t exist without them.

Christina pulls back the curtain on how fragrances are really built, from briefs and brand storytelling to the surprising technical constraints most people never consider, like color stability, longevity, and sustainability.

The conversation moves past the natural-versus-synthetic debate and into the reality of the craft: why lab-made molecules protect natural resources, how they enhance projection and structure, and why “synthetic” doesn’t automatically mean cheaper or less sophisticated.

They also explore the future. Adam and Christina talk about scent-capture technology that can recreate living environments without harming them, AI tools that speed up formula development, and the one thing machines can never replicate.

GUEST: Christina Christie, Senior Perfumer, Fine Fragrances, at Givaudan in NYC

Givaudan: https://www.givaudan.com/
More about ScentTrek: https://fave.co/40oWm7l

More about Carto: https://fave.co/4tW35n6

🧴PRODUCT LINKS

• Les Bains Guerbois 1979 New Wave EDP: https://fave.co/4rB5KB1
• Blind Barber Glasshouse EDP: https://fave.co/4rAJzLg
• Arquiste Nocturnality: https://fave.co/4s3VrFh
• Toskavat fragrances: https://fave.co/46p58pr

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🌀SPONSOR

Thank you to episode sponsor LUXSB - Luxury Scent Box.

Visit Luxsb.com to start discovering new scents, whether you need a new signature scent or want to build out a wardrobe. These 9ml vials are the largest samples available from any fragrance discovery platform. Starting at $16.95 per month.

Disclaimer: Not available everywhere.Episode sponsors do not have influence over episode content or affiliation with episode guests.

Produced by Hady Mawajdeh, with support from André Jabur.