International Flavors & Fragrances Inc. has been announced as the 2011 winner of the FiFi Technological Breakthrough of the Year Award, for its unique encapsulation technology. IFF applied this technology to “Redken Nature’s Rescue Radiant Sea Spray” – Time Touch Hair Fragrance.

“We are thrilled to win this important FiFi Award for Technological Breakthrough,” says Nicolas Mirzayantz, IFF’s group president, fragrances. “IFF has a proud history of innovation, positioning us as an industry leader as we develop new and original concepts using cutting-edge technology. We believe our time-touch technology, which delivers a new experience to consumers equivalent to fragrance-on-demand, is a ground-breaking fragrance delivery system that will revolutionize the hair care market.”

Mirzayantz continues, “The consumer has a myriad of choices in personal care products and we work closely with our customers to differentiate their brands and their product offerings in an increasingly demanding and competitive marketplace. We thank the team at L’Oreal and Redken for their confidence in us to successfully apply time-touch technology for the first time in a hair care product.”

This new capsule technology is a delivery system usable in hair care products in which individual fragrance droplets are coated with a protective polymeric shell, allowing the wearer to activate the release of the scent, providing control over both timing and intensity of the experience. Microscopic fragrance reservoirs in the product protect the scent from releasing immediately upon application to hair. The capsules remain stable until activated by brushing, touching or motion, which allows the fragrance to diffuse into the environment for the enjoyment of both the wearer and those nearby. Since each application of the product contains millions of capsules, the effect can be generated multiple times based on the desire of the wearer.

Redken Nature’s Rescue Radiant Sea Spray is a hair care product that provides a long-lasting fragrance experience on hair, allowing wearers to be re-vitalized throughout the day. While similar approaches have been used successfully in laundry products, the successful application of this technology into the personal care arena offers enormous possibility for the fragrance industry. Its longer-lasting, wearer-activated qualities will enhance consumer value and the relevance of fragrance as it is extended to other fragrance applications, providing unique scent performance over time.