From Grasse to globe: Sozio tailors scents to Asian preferences

Local fragrances that reflect the culture of its target markets are charting the direction for French Fragrance House Sozio as it strengthens its global reach. The fragrance company, which was founded in Grasse in the south of France in 1758 – making it one of the pioneers in the fine fragrances industry – produces fragrant compounds for different applications and industrial sectors, including perfumery, cosmetics, home fragrance and detergents.

The company has been operating in Asia for the past two decades, combining its centuries of experience in the perfumery creation field and growing market knowledge to adapt its fragrances to the culture, trends and changing needs of the region’s consumers. A testament to this is the scent based on the calamansi fruit (Philippine lime or calamondin) that the company showcased in Cosmobeauté Philippines, the premier B2B trade show in the country encompassing the beauty, wellness and personal care industries held June 4 to 6, 2025.

At Cosmobeauté Philippines, Sozio's Dessert Bar reimagined the fragrant flavors of champorado (chocolate porridge) in a candle, calamansi (calamandon) juice in a refreshing diffuser, purple yam dessert in a face cream, and many other natural food scents. 

Laurette Boyer, Regional Marketing Manager APAC at J&E Sozio Asia Ltd, said that to better make a mark in the local market, the company thought of creating a scent that is close to the culture and local experience. “Filipinos loved our fragrances. The concept for one of our scents revolves around the popular Filipino drink, the calamansi juice,” she added.

The scent reflects not only the local culture but also the creativity and potential of Sozio perfumers in developing new and specific fragrances, said Juan Raphael Sta. Ana, Sales & marketing manager. “In the Philippines, there are lots of raw materials to explore. We have the pili nut, the coconut, and the ylang-ylang.

From left, Juan Raphael Sta. Ana, Sales & Marketing Manager, Sozio Philippines,  Laurette Boyer, Regional Marketing Manager APAC at J&E Sozio Asia Ltd, and Jenn Quema, Country Director, Sozio Philippines

Natural and high-quality ingredients

Besides creativity and technical expertise, Sozio underscores its commitment to naturalness, quality and traceability. The company uses synthetics ingredients but also pure and natural essential oils and absolutes. These are not chemically modified nor altered but are instead extracted from plant materials that are cultivated. The company works closely with producers to ensure the sustainability of the ecosystem it relies on for its products.

Sozio adheres to internal and industrial standards, ensuring products comply in terms of organoleptic characteristics encompassing colour, appearance and odour. Sozio products must also meet standards for chemical composition and physical profile. Even storage of ingredients follow strict protocols to avoid cross-contamination or spoilage.

In Asia, Sozio is an active member of CAFFCI, CHCIA, and GOA. Sozio’s creative team also collaborate with trend consultants and experts.

In the Philippines, where Sozio has established a representative office in 2019, the company focuses on fine fragrances as well as personal care and other products such as diffusers, detergents, etc.

“We work with manufacturers and brand owners, providing them with the pure oils that they then use for different applications. We partner with a distributor who handles all the warehousing and logistics since we have only a representative office here now,” Sta. Ana shared.  

Across 11 creation centers and 8 production facilities – Noyant et Chartres, France; Wellingborough, UK; New Jersey, US; Guangzhou, China; Jakarta, Indonesia; Alger, Algeria; and Mumbai, India – Sozio has a production capacity of 10,000 tonnes a year. Its acquisition of Synarome in 2021, a leading producer of specialties for the fragrance industry, has enabled the company to broaden its offerings in the ingredients segment. To know more about Sozio, visit their website, Home - Sozio.