Exclusive: Amouage Is The First Beauty Brand to Join Aura Blockchain Consortium

Amouage is looking to blockchain to provide traceability for its luxury fragrances.

The perfume house on Monday announced its entry into the Aura Blockchain Consortium, established by ​​LVMH, Prada Group, OTB and Richemont’s Cartier as an alliance to leverage blockchain technology for greater traceability and transparency in luxury goods. Since 2021, the group has logged more than 50 million products from dozens of brands on its private blockchain, creating digital identities — known as digital product passports, or DPPs — for each item which consumers and regulators can access for information such as the product’s provenance.

Amouage said its DPPs will be accessible via a QR code on the fragrance’s packaging. Customers will get a unique certificate of ownership, as well as access to exclusive benefits such as personalised beauty routines and invites to community events. The brand, which has introduced refillable bottles, is also planning a programme to encourage refills, where the QR code could be scanned at a boutique or refill point and the DPP would be updated with details such as when, where and how the refill took place.

Founded in Oman in 1983, Amouage is the first beauty player to join the consortium, as well as the first brand from the Middle East. In February, L’Oréal took a long-term minority stake in the fragrance house. As of this month, all new products from Amouage will be integrated into Aura’s blockchain, and by the end of the month, it will have added existing items produced in or before this year as well, the company said.

“​​This announcement represents several important milestones for Aura Blockchain Consortium, with a particular focus on venturing into a new vertical, and establishing a strong new footing in the Middle East luxury industry,” Lorenzo Bertelli, chairman of the Aura Blockchain Consortium and head of corporate social responsibility for Prada Group, said in a statement.

Beauty brands have been slower to adopt DPPs than fashion, but much like fashion, the beauty industry is encountering increased scrutiny over issues like the sourcing, sustainability and authenticity of its products. Some brands are starting to look for blockchain-based solutions. Earlier this year, French beauty brand Ulé, part of the Shiseido group, partnered with technology provider Arianee to create DPPs for its C-Bright Serum.

Starting in 2027, the EU will also begin to require many products to be enabled with a DPP as part of a broader push towards sustainability and corporate transparency, prompting companies to begin preparations.

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