For years we’ve all called that classic mask scent ‘vanilla’. I recently received a packaged Scream Stalker costume, and was hit with the most potent nostalgic aroma. However, I noticed it’s a bit different than the vanilla or 'vanillin' (artificial vanilla) extracts I've experimented with. Years ago, I tried to mimic the scent by making a perfume using both extracts. While it was familiar, it just wasn’t ‘it’.
After some research, I learned that industrial PVC softeners called ‘phthalates’ were used to make plastics soft and flexible. They also added a sweet candy-like scent. Other collector communities fondly remember the chemical additive said to have a ‘vanilla’ scent as well in watch straps, dolls, and other PVC products. A question rose in the late 2000s whether phthalates were toxic. A large push to ban them from commercial use began in California, but by 2017, the US and EU banned the used of phthalates in many products. This perfectly aligns with the year Fun World masks stopped smelling like ‘vanilla’. A member of our community was able to reach out to a factory who produces PVC products to learn more about the casting process. They said the additive that gave masks a vanilla scent has indeed been banned.
I don’t want alarm everyone into thinking their masks are toxic, but it is an interesting read I suggest looking into. I’ve owned masks of many scents- some almost grape or bubble gum. To my knowledge, the earliest cotton shrouded ghosts did not have the vanilla smell, and are interestingly less flexible.
If true, we may never smell that classic scent on new products again!
I would like to note that the smell may be a combination of the chemicals that make up soft PVC and a vanillin based additive, as mentioned by former Fun World employee Brigitte Sleiertin-Linden:
"Vanillin was added to the vinyl of the vintage masks to improve the smell. I'd guess vanillin extract alone smells different since it's pure, the vinyl probably adds it's own scent to the mixture when combined."
