The aromatherapy market - France (2024)

1.2 Strong growth forecasts for the global market

According to a new report from Market Research Futurethe global aromatherapy market is expected to reach $**.** billion by ****, with a CAGR of *.*% during the forecast period. Global market analyst Market Research Future estimates the worldwide market at $*.** billion in ****. This growth can be attributed to increased awareness of the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.

Aromatherapy market size, in billions of dollars, ****-****  

Aromatherapy is set to play an important role in alternative medicine, with a gradual shift from allopathic drugs to essential oils to achieve therapeutic values. It can be used as a complementary therapy for pain relief in burn patients, supporting market growth. Other therapeutic applications include skin issues, digestion, respiratory disorders, insomnia and immune system function.

1.3 Key figures for the national market

The aromatherapy market in pharmacies, parapharmacies and organic stores France, ****-*****, in millions of euros Source: ****

According to France Agrimer, sales of essential oils in pharmacies and parapharmacy outlets reached *** million euros in ****, an increase of almost **% on ****.

Sales of the main essential oils in pharmacies and parapharmacies France, ****, in millions of euros Source: ****

NAF code **.**Z "Manufacture of essential oils"

Essential oils belong to NAF code **.**Z "Manufacture of essential oils", this NAF code includes the manufacture of essences of natural aromatic products, the manufacture of resinoids (***), and the manufacture of compositions based on odoriferous products for perfumery or food.

Sales excluding VAT of essential oil production were worth *.** billion euros in ****, rising to *.** billion in ****. In ** years, this figure has more than doubled, with growth accelerating particularly since ****. The only year with a decline in growth was ****, with a *.*% drop on ****, but this was offset in the first half of ****, with growth of *.*% on ****.

sales trend (***) for NAF code **.**Z - "Manufacture of essential oils France, ****-****, in billions of euros Source: ****

1.4 Foreign trade in aromatherapy products

France's trade balance for essential oils: France's trade balance has been in surplus in recent years, but will be in deficit by ****, with a coverage rate of **%.

French trade balance for essential oils France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

French imports of essential oils in ****:

In ****, the main supplierssuppliers areindiaitaly, Chinachina, Indonesia and Turkey Total imports of essential oils amounted to*** million dollars. The vast majority of France's essential oil imports are orange (***).

France's main suppliers of essential oils France, ****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

French essential oil exports in ****:

In ****, France exported a total value of *** million euros worth of essential oils. Its main customers are the United States, Germany and Switzerland, with orange essential oil (***) accounting for the bulk of exports.

France's main customers in the essential oils market France, ****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

2.1 Natural medicine and alternative therapies

At institutional level, more than *,*** practitioners acknowledge that they use or support the practice of alternative medicines; among them, **% are general practitioners. The expansion of phytotherapy is part of a wider recognition of alternative medicines by the French Public Health Code, which recognizes four of them: phytotherapy, acupuncture, mesotherapy and osteopathy.

An Odoxa study shows that **% of French people have used alternative therapies to treat themselves. This percentage includes users of osteopathy (***).

Top * alternative therapies used by the French France, ****, % of total Source: ****

Overall, **% of French people have used aromatherapy and essential oils to treat themselves.

The popularity of phytotherapy in France is explained by historical incentives for its use, reimbursed at **% since **** by Social Security, before dropping to **% in ****, then to **% in February ****. Phytotherapy is no longer reimbursed by Social Security.the development of phytotherapy is also hampered by the heterogeneity of practices and plants, which hinders its recognition at institutional level. The WHO lists *** medicinal plants in ****, *** of which are authorized for sale in the French pharmacopoeia. [***]

Nevertheless, the prescription of herbal medicines remains restricted. In contrast to the *** recognized medicinal plants, only ** herbal medicines are authorized in France [***].

2.2 Typology of essential oil users

Which French people use essential oils? France, X, as % of total Source: ****

Men are more likely to use aromatherapy, as they represent **% of French people who use essential oils.

Why do you use essential oils? France, ****, in % Source: ****

Another interesting fact is that for **% of respondents, the primary reason for using essential oils is to "treat yourself naturally". Prevention (***) come in a distant second.

How did the French learn about aromatherapy? France, ****, % Source: ****

The French have discovered aromatherapy in a variety of ways, with recommendations from friends and family standing out, with **% of respondents saying they discovered aromatherapy in this way. This suggests the importance of word-of-mouth and personal experience in spreading the practice. The recommendation of a health professional comes second, but at a significantly lower level, with only **% of respondents. This still indicates a certain degree of recognition of aromatherapy by healthcare professionals, although their influence is less preponderant than that of family and friends.

Frequency of aromatherapy practice France, ****, % of respondents Source : Odoxa Some **% of respondents claim to use aromatherapy on a daily or almost daily basis, underlining the regular and frequent adoption of this practice. Furthermore, **% of those surveyed claim to use it several times a month, ...

2.3 Perception of natural treatments (aromatherapy, phytotherapy, etc.)

French people's perception of alternative healthcare therapies France, ****, % of Source: ****

In ****, the French have a rather good image of alternative therapies, and the figures above confirm this trend. Indeed, the majority of respondents (***) say they have a fairly good image of alternative therapies. And **% say they have a very good image. These two positive views therefore represent **% of respondents, suggesting widespread acceptance of these approaches as a complement or alternative to conventional medicine.

On the other hand, **% of respondents report having a rather poor image of alternative therapies, indicating a degree of mistrust or skepticism towards them. However, it should be noted that only a minority, **%, claim to have a very poor image of these practices.

Do you think herbal products are good for your health? France, ****, in Odoxa

When it comes to health benefits, over **% of French people believe that phytotherapy products (***) have health benefits, with **% fully convinced.

In what ways do alternative therapies compensate for the difficulties of the French healthcare system? France, ****, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, %, % Source: ****

A majority of respondents consider that alternative therapies play a role in compensating for difficulties in the healthcare system. In particular, **% believe they help overcome the difficulty of obtaining appointments with doctors, while **% think they ...

3.1 Sector organization

The aromatherapy sector is part of the essential oils sector, and more specifically the health sector. Most aromatherapy products are then sold wholesale to traders, who pass them on to distributors before they reach end-users.

Upstream from the aromatherapy industry

The actions taken by the FranceAgriMer association, in application of the policy of the French Ministry of Agriculture, have strengthened the economic organization of the industry.

By ****, around **% of lavender and lavandin essential oil production will come from structured, organized producer groups . These producer groups and cooperatives enable us to monitor and structure markets to ensure their sustainability.

The downstream aromatherapy industry

In terms of distribution to pharmacies, it is interesting to note that ** essential oils are subject to a pharmacy monopoly (***) properties. [***]

3.2 Focus on the essential oils manufacturing sector

In ****, there were more than *** flavour and essential oil manufacturing companies in France, employing an average of almost *,*** people[***]. The essential oil manufacturing market in France varies widely from region to region.

Number of essential oil manufacturing establishments in France France, ****-****, in number of establishments Source: ****

Looking at the data on the map, we can see that the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region has the highest number of establishments linked to this activity, with a total of **. Next comes the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region with ** establishments, followed by Occitanie with **. These three regions account for **% of all flavor and essential oil manufacturing establishments. The Bretagne, Centre-Val de Loire, Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Île-de-France regions also have a significant number of establishments, albeit fewer than the first three regions mentioned. On the other hand, certain regions such as Corsica, Grand Est, Hauts-de-France and Bourgogne-Franche-Comté have a relatively low number of establishments, with only * to * establishments in each region.

This distribution may be the result of a variety of factors, such as the availability of raw materials, the region's industrial history, local economic policies and so on.

Number of employees working in the essential oils sector France, ****-****, in number of employees Source: ****

However, the French ...

3.3 Trends in pharmacies, parapharmacy and organic stores

Growth in sales of essential oils in pharmacies, parapharmacy and organic stores France, ****-****, in millions of euros Source: ****

Sales of essential oils are much higher in pharmacies and par apharmacy outlets, with sales of *** million euros, representing **% of total sales of essential oils. Sales in organic stores are expected to decline between **** and ****, while sales in pharmacies and parapharmacy outlets fall in ****, then rise again in ****.

Breakdown of essential oil brand sales in pharmacies and parapharmacies France, ****, in Source: ****

Sales are fairly concentrated around the top * brands: Puressentiel, Pranarom and Phytosun aroms, which account for **% of sales in parapharmacies and pharmacies.

Online parapharmacies are launching more and more new products on their websites, expanding their ranges and creating click & collect services (***). A merger between Belgian site Pharmasimple and France's Enova Santé is also set to see the light of day, boosting the sector's competitive intensity. At the end of ****, the two pharmaceutical giants GSK and Pfizer merged their OTC and parapharmacy businesses[***]. The joint venture is mainly owned by GSK.  

Breakdown France, ****, % of sales Source: ****

Sales in organic stores are also concentrated around three brands: Herbes et traditions, Florame and Dr Valnet, which together account for **% of sales.

3.4 Puressentiel: French leader and major global player

According to the founders of this company created in ****, Puressentiel has a **.*% market share in pharmacies and parapharmacies [***]. The company generates **% of its sales in the " natural health" sector, ahead of essential oils (***).

Breakdown of X sales France, x Source: ****

For the year ****, Puressentiel achieved sales of *** million euros, up nearly **% on ****.

The company does not yet have an e-commerce platform; its *** references are sold on distributor sites such as Amazon or Boots in England. Its online sales represent around *% of the company's turnover.

The two founders, Marco Pacchioni and above all his wife Isabelle, finally set up a subsidiary in Portugal that same year. The latter is the daughter of a naturopath and herbalist, and has written several books on the subject of aromatherapy, including Le Guide de Poche de l'aromathérapie and Aromatherapia [***]

Puressentiel bestsellers include a spray for headaches and an ointment for joints and muscles.

3.5 Focus on aromatherapists

An aromatherapist is a practitioner who uses essential oils for therapeutic purposes. The aromatherapist possesses expertise in the wide variety of essential oils available (***) and passes this on to his or her client. Essential oils are highly concentrated and, if misused, can act like a poison, causing symptoms ranging from skin and/or mucous membrane irritation and diarrhea to disturbances of consciousness and convulsions. [***]

Essential oils are used in a variety of ways, including inhalation, massage (***) or topically, depending on the client's specific needs. The reasons for consultation are diverse: stress, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, skin problems, joint or muscle pain, digestion, etc.

During an aromatherapy session, the choice of "treatment" is not the same between two patients with the same symptoms. In order to provide personalized care, an aromatherapy consultation lasts around ** minutes. [***]

According to April's complementary health insurance, an aromatherapy session costs between ** and ** euros, rising to ** euros in larger cities. to this must be added the cost of essential oil prescriptions. As an alternative medicine, this consultation is not reimbursed by the health insurance system, but more and more mutual insurance companies are including reimbursements for alternative medicine due to growing demand.

In France, aromatherapists often have other complementary ...

4.1 Sales trends by bottle

Manufacturers of aromatherapy products generally present their concentrates in liquid form, in bottles of varying sizes. According to a France AgriMer based on OpenHealth data, by far the best-selling flakes are **mL containers (***) bottles.

Top-selling aromatherapy bottles France, ****, % of sales Source: ****

4.2 Prices vary widely from one essential oil to another

The expert website Ooreka has analyzed the average price of essential oils on the market:

Source: ****

We are interested in the average prices of the most popular essential oils sold in pharmacies, in order to highlight the wide disparities. Prices vary widely from one EO to another, depending on the concentration of essential oil in the plant, the fragility of the plant and the complexity of the extraction process.rapidly changing consumer demand trends can also cause prices to vary from one year to the next. As essential oil production is a slow, meticulous process, supply cannot adapt to rapid variations in demand. As a result of scarcity, the price of some products rises significantly.

5.1 Current control

A essential oil is defined as a "volatile odorant substance produced by certain plants and extractable in liquid form" obtained by distillation. As such, it contains no fatty substances.

All essential oils must have a specific function. Distributors are obliged to be transparent, and to inform consumers about directions for use and precautions. It is therefore the purpose stated by the manufacturer that determines the applicable regulations. [***]

You can't choose an essential oil without knowing how to use it. According to the same source, essential oils can be dangerous because they contain active chemical elements. The European Union has therefore classified those recognized as hazardous substances, and requires clear labelling to promote transparency for consumers.

Furthermore, it is strictly forbidden to use an essential oil as a medicine: "any claim suggesting that an essential oil sold over the counter could prevent or treat a pathology is also prohibited".

Therapeutic" claims (***) are reserved for pharmaceutical specialties.

5.2 Oils reserved for sale in pharmacies

Essential oils dispensed only in pharmacies must comply with national or European pharmaceutical quality standards. These standards specify the exact names of the essential oils.

These fifteen essential oils are identified as having a negative benefit/risk ratio. They are only available in the pharmaceutical circuit because of their neurotoxic, irritant, phototoxic or carcinogenic properties:

"Grande absinthe (***) Petite absinthe (***) Common wormwood (***) White wormwood (***) Artemisia arborescens (***) Eastern white cedar (***) korean cedar (***), also known as "leaf cedar" Hyssop (***) Sage (***) Tansy (***) Sassafras (***) Sabine (***) Rue (***) Worm-eating goosefoot (***) Mustard (***)".

Source: ****

5.3 Essential oils are subject to REACH and CLP regulations

According to the European Chemicals Agency (***) regulations, and are considered as substances. In application of article *.* of the REACH regulation and article *.* of the CLP regulation, a substance is : "a chemical element and its compounds, in the natural state or obtained by a manufacturing process, including any additive necessary to preserve its stability and any impurity resulting from the process used, but excluding any solvent which can be separated without affecting the stability of the substance or changing its composition".

The REACH regulation came into force in ****, with the aim of securing the production and use of chemical substances in the EU. The aim is to list, assess and monitor chemical substances manufactured, imported and sold on the European market. It is therefore necessary for essential oil producers who manufacture more than one tonne per year to register their essential oils on the European Chemicals Agency (***) website.

The CLP Regulation stipulates that a supplier must assign a classification and label to a substance or mixture before placing it on the market, if the substance is considered to be hazardous or if the mixture contains one or more hazardous substances above a certain threshold. It is entirely up to the European marketer ...

6.1 Segmentation

• Puressentiel France
• Perrigo group (Omega Pharma)
• Pranarôm (Inula Groupe)
• Firmenich
• Argeville
• Nactis Flavours
• Symrise
• Biolandes
• Florame
• Olisma
• La Distillerie Bleu Provence
• Herbes et Traditions
• Le Comptoir Aroma
• Florihana
• Bioflore
• Biofloral
• Olisma