CLEAN: How the Scent of Soap Changed the World of Fragrance

“There was no category called ‘clean’ on the fragrance wheel. And no one had brought it to the market.”

— Randi Shinder (founder of CLEAN)

Contents

Basic Information
The Founder and the Brand’s Origins
The Brand’s Commitments
By the Way…

Basic Information

Year founded: 2002 (according to the founder; the current operating company dates the brand’s beginning to 2003)
Founder: Randi Shinder
Operating company: Clean Beauty Collective Inc. (formerly Fusion Brands America)
Headquarters: New York, United States
Official website: https://www.cleanbeauty.com

The Founder and the Brand’s Origins

An Entrepreneur Raised in Montreal

Randi Shinder was born and raised in central Montreal, Canada. Her childhood surroundings naturally nurtured an interest in beauty. One grandmother carefully taught her a daily beauty routine of cleanser, toner, and moisturizer, showing her what she described as “beautiful porcelain-like skin.” Her other grandmother worked at the Canadian luxury department store Holt Renfrew. Randi has said that, as a child, she would visit its sales floor and be captivated by the beauty of the products on display.

An even stronger memory is of the Estée Lauder perfume bottles lined up on her mother’s dressing table.

“I would pick up my mother’s perfume bottles and give each one a personality. While other children reached for toys and dolls, I could spend hours with those bottles.”

— Randi Shinder

These formative childhood experiences would later shape her career.

Before Beauty: The World of Affinity and Loyalty Programs

As an adult, Randi’s first move was not into fragrance, but into digital marketing. She founded an affinity-card business that was acquired by one of Canada’s largest banks, and also established Youtopia.com, a loyalty website for teenagers. With Britney Spears as its official ambassador, the site pursued celebrity e-commerce that was advanced for its time. It is fair to say that her success in this digital business became a springboard into beauty.

The Idea of a “Just-Showered Scent”

The story of CLEAN begins with a surprisingly simple observation from daily life. Founder Randi Shinder herself did not habitually wear perfume at the time. Yet acquaintances repeatedly asked her what perfume she was wearing when she went out. She then realized that what they were smelling was simply the soap scent left after her shower.

“The story of CLEAN is simple and can be taken literally. At the time, I did not wear perfume. But I did shower. And people asked me what I was wearing. That was where the idea began.”

— Randi Shinder

This discovery gave her a conviction: the concept of clean skin fresh from the shower could open new possibilities in fragrance. Randi began blending, drawing inspiration from everyday products in her home, including her favorite shower soap, bath products, shampoo, laundry detergent, and her children’s body wash.

“CLEAN perfume was drawn from my own home environment as an embodiment of ‘clean.’ Shower soap, laundry detergent, baby shampoo. Things that gave a sense of cleanliness, crisp dryer sheets… all of it was material for CLEAN.”

— Randi Shinder

The Aftermath of the Grammys: StyleWatch Lights the Spark

While the prototype was still nearing completion, Randi’s publicist, Diane Briskin, brought her an opportunity: a place in a gifting suite at the Grammy Awards in New York. The bottles had no proper cartons, the temporary caps were leaking, and even the formula was not yet final. Randi nevertheless decided to participate.

“I learned to take risks. Jump in without waiting for everything to be perfect. Adapt afterward, and change things if they need changing.”

— Randi Shinder

The gamble paid off handsomely. Randi received a phone call while shopping for shoes at Saks during a break. Steven Cojocaru, who wrote People magazine’s StyleWatch column, told her he would feature CLEAN as the column’s lead story.

When the issue reached the shops, consumers rushed to department stores looking for CLEAN perfume. Inquiries from buyers poured in as well. The first buyer was Fred Segal in Los Angeles. Randi personally answered every email, hurried to launch a website, and handled the orders.

Recognition as Newcomer of the Year, and the Move from One Brand to a Group

After its full-scale rollout in 2003, CLEAN received a “Newcomer of the Year” award.

Building on CLEAN’s success, Randi launched Dessert Beauty in collaboration with Jessica Simpson in 2004. In 2005, she developed LipFusion, the world’s first micro-injected collagen lip plumper. According to Randi, LipFusion generated $32 million in wholesale sales at Sephora in its first nine months and was the retailer’s first brand built around a single product to exceed $50 million in sales. Fusion Brands was established to bring these brands together.

In 2006, Canadian biotechnology billionaire Eugene Melnyk, known as the owner of the Ottawa Senators, acquired 55% of Fusion Brands. Randi sold her remaining shares in 2009 and stepped down as CEO.

From Fusion Brands to Clean Beauty Collective

The brands, including CLEAN, continued under Fusion Brands America. Greg Black became president in 2015, rebuilt the business, and increased CLEAN perfume sales at least fourfold within a few years.

In October 2018, on its 15th anniversary, Fusion Brands America changed its name to Clean Beauty Collective Inc. This was more than a rebranding: it was a redefinition aimed at embodying the brand’s values, “Simple, Trusted, Conscious,” throughout the business. In its February 2019 announcement, the company described CLEAN CLASSIC and CLEAN RESERVE as its two main collections and reported a presence in more than 30 countries, including through Sephora. In 2022, it launched exclusively in at least 300 Sephora China locations and ranked among the retailer’s top ten fragrance brands that year. The company’s 2023 announcement also described it as Sephora’s number-one clean fragrance brand in North America. Greg Black was promoted to CEO in April 2023.

The Brand’s Commitments

Three Promises: Simple, Trusted, Conscious

CLEAN sets out three promises: Simple, Trusted, and Conscious. These words condense the brand’s entire worldview.

Its fragrance design emphasizes a linear structure. In perfumery, “linear” means that the scent does not change greatly from the top notes through the drydown. The aim is to maintain a relatively consistent impression, making these fragrances suitable for layering. This design philosophy explains CLEAN’s close connection with the culture of fragrance layering.

A Formula Philosophy That Began with Soap

At the heart of CLEAN’s scents is inspiration from soap, a simple bar of soap. Signature fragrances such as Warm Cotton and Shower Fresh evoke freshly washed linen or skin after a shower, designed to appeal to universal memories of cleanliness that anyone can experience in daily life.

The perfume formulas are free of phthalates, parabens, and gluten, and are not tested on animals. CLEAN RESERVE uses corn-derived alcohol, and its cellophane wrapping is also made from plant-based materials.

Bottles and Packaging: The Aesthetics of Minimalism

No public information identifying a particular designer or design awards for CLEAN’s bottles could be confirmed. However, the clear glass and simple forms consistently used by the brand embody a minimalist philosophy in which the packaging does not make a stronger statement than the scent. CLEAN RESERVE uses wood from certified, sustainably managed forests in Spain for its bottle caps.

A Commitment to Sustainability

When CLEAN RESERVE uses the phrase “farm-to-fragrance,” it applies the food industry’s farm-to-table philosophy to perfume. The following specific initiatives have been identified.

Vetiver from Haiti: Vetiver is sourced through longstanding partnerships with Haitian farmers. CLEAN RESERVE also supports the provision of safe drinking water to this farming community.
Styrax from the Pech People of Honduras: The styrax resin used in Sel Santal is sourced from forest farmers belonging to the indigenous Pech people of Honduras. This trade also contributes to protecting their land and supporting local schools.
Ambrette from El Salvador: The ambrette in Sparkling Sugar is sustainably sourced from farmers in El Salvador and also helps fund educational programs.
Manufacturing facilities: The 2018 Avant Garden announcement described the manufacturing facility used for that collection as powered entirely by solar energy.

The Fragrance Lineup

CLEAN CLASSIC

CLEAN CLASSIC carries forward the first CLEAN fragrance, created in 2003 from the idea of soap. When the original collection was reorganized as CLEAN CLASSIC in 2019, the first scent was also reinterpreted and released as The Original. Its bright opening, floral bouquet, and creamy musk preserve that memory of soap.

Warm Cotton and Fresh Laundry imagine different settings for the scent of freshly washed fabric. Warm Cotton takes its inspiration from cotton sheets just out of the dryer. Citrus and bright flowers sit above amber and musk, suggesting warmth lingering in the cloth. Fresh Laundry, by contrast, evokes washing drying beneath a blue sky. Citrus mingles with freshly cut grass before leading to delicate flowers and musk.

Shower Fresh expresses the refreshment of a relaxing shower through lemon, mandarin, soft flowers, and musk. Skin shifts attention from the bathroom and laundry to the body itself. Lotus, vanilla, white musk, and cashmere woods suggest the intimacy of an embrace.

Earlier releases include Air, introduced in 2015. Freesia and peony are layered with white amber and musk to evoke a hot-air balloon traveling above the Himalayas. The subject of cleanliness moves from everyday objects to distant air. In the United States, sales pages also use CLEAN est. 2003 for this family, while it is presented as CLEAN CLASSIC in Japan.

CLEAN RESERVE

Launched in 2015, CLEAN RESERVE began with the idea of a reserve of materials selected by perfumers. Working with Takasago, Mane, and Firmenich, the collection also considers where ingredients come from and the people who produce them. Its farm-to-fragrance initiatives describe the sourcing of individual materials, including support for vetiver farmers in Haiti.

Some names also appear in CLASSIC, but the RESERVE fragrances use different formulas. RESERVE Warm Cotton moves from a crisp opening of aldehydes, ginger, and a watery accord toward warm cotton musk. Benzoin from Laos brings resinous sweetness beneath the freshly washed fabric. RESERVE Skin centers on the creamy sweetness of Madagascan vanilla and musk that stays close to the skin.

Sel Santal leads from mandarin, nutmeg, and a salted-fig accord into sandalwood. Salt and spice introduce a smoky wood texture rounded by amber. Acqua Neroli imagines the clear blue Mediterranean, moving from citrus through white flowers centered on neroli to watery musk. Rain evokes the air after a shower of rain through cucumber’s watery character, musk, and the earthy traces of vetiver and patchouli.

The original lineup also forms part of RESERVE’s story. At its 2015 introduction, nine fragrances combined Reserve Blends of Rain, Skin, and Warm Cotton with six new creations. Amber Saffron paired bright red-fruit and floral notes with musk, amber, and saffron. Smoked Vetiver included verbena, bamboo, and pear nuances alongside its smoky sweetness. These two fragrances describe the collection at launch, rather than its current availability.

A more recent development is Skin [Intense], which gives the close-to-the-skin scent a fuller sweetness. This limited-edition parfum combines caramelized sugar, vanilla, soft flowers, sandalwood, and musk.

Avant Garden

One experimental branch of RESERVE was Avant Garden, launched with six fragrances in 2018. An imaginary secret garden inspired unexpected pairings, with each encounter becoming the fragrance’s name.

Galbanum & Rain, for example, sets galbanum and incense within damp air, adding the shade of moss and woods. White Amber & Warm Cotton layers amber over familiar cotton freshness, building fullness with aldehydes, flowers, wood, and musk. Firmenich created the former and Takasago the latter; Mane also contributed to other fragrances in the collection.

Indulgence Collection by Reserve

The Indulgence Collection, offered on the US website, brings combinations of fruit, confectionery, leather, and tea to the fore. Its seven-fragrance discovery set ranges from musk-centered Hypnotic Musk to Santal Seduction, which combines spice and sandalwood.

Forbidden Pear pairs juicy pear with glossy patent leather, layered with cedar and musk. Pistachio Addiction is a gourmand combination of pistachio and marshmallow with flowers and creamy woods. Black Tea Elixir leads from black tea and plum into the dark woody textures of cedar and patchouli. Smoked Leather combines saffron and leather, while Midnight Vanilla brings together Chantilly cream and vanilla. These seven fragrances describe the US range, which may differ from the products available in Japan.

CLEAN RESERVE H2EAU

Introduced in 2023, H2EAU set out to create fragrances inspired by water using water-based formulas. HYDRO-TEC microemulsion technology keeps the fragrance materials and water mixed. Takasago’s Alpa Shah, who worked on the development, explained that water evaporates more slowly than alcohol, limiting the diffusion of scent. The team adjusted both the materials in the formula and the dedicated pump to shape the fragrance’s opening when sprayed. The technology was proposed in 2019, followed by work on stability and preservation before launch. A water-based formula does not mean that no one’s skin can react to it.

The fragrances were created by Takasago’s Catherine Selig and Steven Claisse. Selig’s Brilliant Peony begins with the image of smelling peonies beside an Italian lake. She described combining them with Italian bergamot to keep the floral scent fresh and dewy. Beyond amplifying the flower, the composition seeks to retain the moist air around it.

Selig’s Water Lotus takes waterside flowers in morning light as its subject, combining water lilies in cucumber water with lily of the valley, peony, sheer amber, and musk. Nectarine Petal links the sweetness of spring nectarines with chamomile and peach blossom, while Waterfall translates falling spray into a watery fragrance with apple blossom and watermelon. Flowers and fruit are placed within landscapes shaped by water.

Claisse’s Golden Citrus evokes a citrus orchard beneath a summer sky. Mandarin, bergamot, and a watery accord meet orange blossom, neroli, and musk. Emerald Oasis moves from grapefruit and bergamot to vetiver, soft woods, orange blossom, and musk. The eight fragrances at launch also included Claisse’s Musk Noir and Selig’s Amber Cashmere.

The Pleasure of Layering

Layering is a way of combining finished fragrances, rather than a separate product line. RESERVE’s suggestions include Warm Rain, which pairs Warm Cotton with Rain, and Sparkling Rain, which adds Sparkling Sugar to Rain. One adds the green freshness of rain to freshly washed fabric; the other brings peach-like sweetness to rain’s coolness. The everyday scene expressed by a single fragrance can be adjusted to personal taste.

H2EAU has its own pairings: Golden Citrus with Nectarine Petal becomes Golden Petal, while Water Lotus with Waterfall becomes Lotus Waterfall. Try each fragrance alone first, decide which qualities you would like to add, and then layer small amounts.

By the Way…

The Founder’s “Nose”: In an interview, Randi Shinder said, “I had an exceptional sense of smell from childhood. When I came home from school, I knew what we were having for dinner the moment I walked through the door.” It must surely have been a gift for the beauty industry.

The Grammy Showcase: The bar of soap used in CLEAN’s original formula is reportedly still displayed in an illuminated case in a perfumer’s waiting room.

A Canadian Founder, an American Brand: Randi launched CLEAN in 2002 as an Ottawa-based entrepreneur born in Montreal, Canada. The brand is based in New York and operates globally, but it is interesting to note that its founder is Canadian.

A Pioneer of the Term “Clean Beauty”: Today, “clean beauty” has become standard terminology throughout the industry, but CLEAN was already embodying the concept in 2003. When Fusion Brands changed its name to Clean Beauty Collective in 2018, then-president Greg Black said that clean beauty, once a distinctive differentiator, had become a commodity, candidly acknowledging the complicated position of a pioneer.

References