The story of FragraGenomics

As a perfume connoisseur, I’ve explored countless fragrances. But I always noticed something curious — only a few perfumes truly worked on my skin, even if I loved them on the blotter or on someone else.

I began to wonder: Why do perfumes behave differently from person to person?

Digging deeper, I came across a striking fact — nearly half of all perfume users are not fully satisfied with how their fragrance performs. The common explanations pointed to factors like skin pH, oiliness, or moisture. But as someone immersed in the microbial world, I knew something more fundamental connects all these factors — the skin microbiome.

The skin microbiome influences pH. It affects moisture. It metabolizes molecules. In other words, it plays a pivotal role — directly and indirectly — in how a perfume evolves on your skin.

As a researcher and doctor working with microbiomes, I saw an untapped opportunity. When I delved into the scientific literature, I found a wealth of information on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), bacterial enzymes, and skin microbial pathways. The pieces were there — but they hadn't yet been brought together for fragrance personalization.

At the same time, I noticed that the perfume industry itself is beginning to explore microbiome-aware formulations — with terms like "microbiome-friendly fragrances" entering mainstream product lines. It's clear that the world of perfumery is on the verge of a transformation — one that acknowledges and works with the biology of the skin.

That’s how FragraGenomics was born.

We’re here to be part of that exciting shift — to explore how fragrance selection can be enhanced using insights from the skin microbiome. Not to replace the art of perfumery, but to enrich it with science. To help individuals find perfumes that work with their unique skin chemistry. And to offer the industry a new frontier of understanding.

This is the beginning of a new era in fragrance — personalised, microbiome-aware, and more meaningful.

-Fragrance meets science, from the desk of Dr. Abdul Ghafur