Why Perfumes Get Discontinued
Explaining the corporate and regulatory forces that kill beloved scents.
Why Perfumes Get Discontinued
It is a common tragedy: you fall in love with a fragrance, only to find it discontinued a year later. Why does this happen?
1. The Raw Material Supply Chain
If a natural crop fails or becomes economically unviable (e.g., Mysore sandalwood shortages or vanilla crop disasters), a brand may choose to discontinue a fragrance rather than reformulate it poorly.
2. Regulatory Compliance (IFRA)
If a fragrance relies heavily on an ingredient that is newly banned or severely limited, reformulating it may destroy its identity. Brands often choose to vault the fragrance instead.
3. Corporate Consolidation
When large cosmetics conglomerates buy niche houses, they often delete slow-selling or high-ingredient-cost formulas to focus on mass-market blockbusters.