Malodors are chemicals that both humans and animals can detect through the olfactory sense. When a malodor touches the appropriate olfactory nerve, that nerve sends a signal to the brain, which correlates it with a signal stored in the brain. When that signal matches the stored signal, the malodor is recognized. The emission of malodors gases can undoubtedly have a negative impact on the health and life of living organisms. For example, exposure to malodors can lead to tension, depression, anger, fatigue, confusion and complete emotional disturbance. Objectionable malodors often come from many and diverse sources, including restrooms, municipal landfill sites, livestock and poultry production or food processing plants. Odor neutralizing technology is a key focus for the fragrance industry. Its strength lies in its ability to cause chemical reactions in which their molecules merge with heavier malodorous particles that linger in the air. This action leads to the eventual sinking and evaporation of the heavier molecules.

The principle of odor neutralizing technology

Odor neutralizing technology is one of the fundamental ways in the fragrance industry to resist odors. The basic principle is that odor neutralizers interact in many different ways with the odor-producing elements of the malodor molecule (which can consist of aldehydes, amines, diamines, sulfides, carboxylic acids, esters, ketones, etc.), thereby eliminating fugitive odors. Essential oils, as common compounds that performs the neutralization, have the ability to neutralize a wide range of undesirable organic odors. The neutralization caused by essential oils is a physical-chemical reaction, also known as the "van der Waals" principle. When the essential oil molecules react with the malodor molecules, the malodor molecules are converted into unscented molecules. As a result, about 70-90% of the malodor disappears. Any remaining odor is neutralized by the Zwaardemaker-principle and eventually all malodors disappear.

Benefits of odor neutralizing technology