Understanding of the residual odour of fatty esters used as emollient in cosmetic products

Objective Fatty esters are known for their versatility, but in addition to their performance as emollients, emulsifiers, solubilizers, or dispersing agents, they have to meet more and more criteria to be used in cosmetic products. Thus, their olfactory characteristics are expected to be as neutral as possible. However, despite a step of deodorization during the synthesis of fatty esters, a residual odour is currently still perceived at the end of the process. Methods In this study, a specific analytical methodology combining sensory with chemical analyses was implemented to characterize the residual odour of two fatty esters and to determine its origin. Ethyl oleate and isononyl isononanoate were selected and underwent a sensory analysis to evaluate their odour intensity and odour profile. Volatile compounds released by these esters were assessed by GC–MS after solid‐phase microextraction and among them, odouractive compounds were brought into light using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry and olfactometry analyses. Results On the isononyl isononanoate chromatogram, only peaks corresponding to the different isomeric ester forms were evidenced while around 70 volatile compounds were detected in the ethyl oleate headspace, including esters, aldehydes, hydrocarbons, and ketones. Isononyl alcohol used as raw material in the synthesis was proven to be responsible for isononyl isononanoate final odour. As for ethyl oleate, of the 23 odour‐active compounds perceived, 14 have been identified; they are mainly esters and saturated as well as unsaturated aldehydes. Conclusion A novel measurement approach was presented to analyse trace odours of fatty esters and the results will be useful to control their deodorization by targeting appropriate strategies with the aim to either avoid the formation or remove the identified odorant compounds. This study may be further expanded by investigating the impact of deodorization on odour‐active compounds for a complete understanding of their contribution to the fatty ester global odour. Résumé OBJECTIF Les esters gras sont connus pour leur polyvalence, mais en plus de leurs performances en tant qu’émollients, émulsifiants, solubilisants ou agents dispersants, ils doivent répondre à de plus en plus de critères pour être utilisés dans les produits cosmétiques. Ainsi, une odeur la plus neutre possible est recherchée par les formulateurs. Cependant, malgré une étape de désodorisation lors de la synthèse, une faible od