Seamus Hammond
The 18th century saw a thriving perfume industry, with over 300 perfumers in London between 1777 and 1786. The process of making perfume in the 18th century involved distilling the scent of flowers or using scented oils blended in an alcohol solution. The two main categories of perfume were floral and musky, with popular floral scents including rose, orange flowers, and jasmine, and musky scents often derived from animal-based products. Perfume was used not only as a fragrance but also as a medicine, with physicians using fumigations and pomanders to treat illnesses such as the plague. The perfume industry was influenced by the market, with perfumers guarding their recipes closely, and the increasing availability of ready-made perfumery and printed recipe books.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Categories | Floral and musky |
| Floral scents | Rose, orange flowers, jasmine, iris, lily |
| Musks | Base notes, animal-based |
| Uses | Odor equalizer, fashion accessory, tool of self-definition, gift, medicine |
| Medicinal uses | Prevent and cure plague, strengthen body and mind, prevent spasms, cure lethargy, treat venereal disease |
| Ingredients | Natural and synthetic aromatic ingredients, flower oils, water, alcohol, herbs, spices, resins, oils extracted from flowers by distillation |
| Advertising focus | Feelings and places evoked, rather than specific ingredients |
| Commercial availability | Yes, sold by over 300 perfumers in London between 1777 and 1786 |
| Homemade | Yes, made with water, wax, or oil infused with favorite aromas |
| Application | Applied to objects like handkerchiefs, wigs, gloves, rugs, bedding, cut flowers, jewelry, soaps |
| Gender-specific scents | No |
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What You'll Learn
- Perfume was a luxury item used to demonstrate social status
- It was also used as a medicine to cure lethargy and prevent plague
- Floral perfumes were made from flower oils or distilled waters
- Musky perfumes were often animal-based and favoured by both sexes
- The industry saw innovation with the introduction of eau de cologne
Perfume was a luxury item used to demonstrate social status
Perfume in the 18th century was a luxury item, often used to demonstrate social status. This was particularly true of female courtiers, who wore perfumes to signal their rank. The French court of Louis XIV was nicknamed "la cour parfumée" (the perfumed court) due to the abundance of fragrances applied daily to the skin, clothing, fans, and furniture.
The use of perfume to signal status was not limited to France. In 18th-century England, for example, perfume was also used as a luxury accessory. The emergence of printed recipe books, such as Simon Barbe's "The French Perfumer" and Charles Lillie's "The British Perfumer," contributed to the growing popularity of home-brewed perfumery. These books listed noble patrons of perfume, further associating perfume with high social status.
The 18th century saw continued innovation in the perfume industry, with the introduction of eau de cologne, a lighter, citrus-based fragrance that became popular across Europe. This was first crafted by Giovanni Maria Farina in 1709 and offered a refreshing alternative to heavier perfumes. The proliferation of ready-made perfumery also impacted the market, with over 300 perfumers listed in London between 1777 and 1786.
The act of perfuming oneself and one's surroundings was also a way to mask body odour in an age of inconsistent bathing practices. Perfume served as a popular odour equalizer, particularly among the merchant and noble classes. Both men and women wore perfumes, with little distinction between genders in terms of scent. For example, a man might wear rosewater, while a woman might favour a heady amber scent.
In addition to its role as a luxury item, perfume in the 18th century was also valued for its medicinal properties. It was believed to prevent and cure the plague, strengthen the body and mind, prevent spasms, and cure lethargy. Physicians like Pierre Lalouette invented fumigation machines that used perfumes to treat diseases. However, by the early 19th century, some dictionaries referred to the medicinal uses of perfumes as anachronistic, emphasising their refined and luxurious scents instead.
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It was also used as a medicine to cure lethargy and prevent plague
In the 18th century, perfume was a luxury item used by female courtiers to demonstrate their social status. It was also used as a medicine to cure lethargy and prevent plague.
Perfume in the 18th century was a sweet-smelling liquid made from natural and synthetic aromatic ingredients. The word "perfume" comes from the Latin "per fumum", meaning "through smoke". In the 18th century, the emphasis shifted from perfuming objects and places to perfuming the body.
Perfumes were believed to have medicinal properties. For example, "Royal Essence", a mixture of musk, civet, balsam of Peru, clove oil, rhodium oil, tartar salt, and cinnamon, was said to create an odoriferous water that could prevent "fainting fits". "Hungary-Water", made from rosemary, pennyroyal, and marjoram flowers mixed with conic brandy, was recommended for bathing the face and limbs to cleanse and strengthen the body.
During the Second Pandemic of the plague, people sought to protect themselves from the illness by surrounding themselves with pleasant smells. This included the use of aromatic waters like lavender, melissa, neroli, and rosemary, as well as mixtures of essential oils and hydrosols sold by merchants. The wealthy carried "plague bags" filled with dried flower petals, expensive spices, and resins.
In the 18th century, when outbreaks of the bubonic plague ceased in Western Europe, perfumes took on new medicinal roles. They were believed to strengthen the body and mind, prevent spasms, and cure lethargy. For example, in the 1770s, physician Pierre Lalouette invented a fumigation machine that used perfumes, including frankincense, nutmeg, myrrh, and juniper, to treat venereal disease.
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Floral perfumes were made from flower oils or distilled waters
Floral perfumes in the 18th century were made from flower oils or distilled waters. The two categories of perfumes in the 17th and 18th centuries were floral and musky. Floral scents were crafted from flower oils or distilled waters from blooms such as roses, orange flowers, and jasmine. These floral perfumes were often paired with other ingredients like rosemary, pennyroyal, marjoram flowers, and conic brandy. The process of distillation was used to extract the scent of these flowers, a technique that was pioneered by Tapputi, the world's first recorded chemist, in Babylonian Mesopotamia around 1200 BCE.
Rose was one of the most common ingredients in floral perfumes, as described by Pliny the Elder as "a flower that grows everywhere." Rose fragrances are light and can be used to weaken other compound perfumes with stronger odours. Other common floral ingredients included iris, lily, spikenard, saffron, cardamom, and marjoram, while common resins included myrrh and frankincense. Floral perfumes were also made from various other flowers, as evidenced by the ancient Greeks and Romans, who extracted perfumes from diverse sources such as woods, seeds, roots, saps, and gums.
The process of making floral perfumes in the 18th century involved the use of oils and essences, which were obtained from chemists who specialised in distilling large quantities of these substances. These oils and essences were then combined with other ingredients and boiled gently to dissolve, after which the sediments were strained away. This manufacturing process was not the only method used by the ancient Greeks, who also created perfumes in the form of unguents, solids, and powders.
In addition to its scent, perfume in the 18th century served multiple purposes, including medical treatments. For example, fumigations were used to purify the air in houses, and pomanders were balls of perfume believed to protect against the plague. Perfume was also used as a fashion accessory and a tool for self-definition, with certain perfumes associated with specific feelings and places.
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Musky perfumes were often animal-based and favoured by both sexes
The 18th century saw a variety of uses and meanings for perfume. It was considered a luxury item, a fashion accessory, and a tool for self-definition and social status. Perfume was also used for medicinal purposes, such as curing lethargy and treating venereal diseases.
During this time, perfumes could be categorised as either floral or musky. While floral scents were made from flower oils or distilled waters of blooms like roses, orange flowers, and jasmine, musky perfumes were often animal-based. These animal-based perfumes were favoured by both sexes because they blended well with the natural human scent, which has a musky note. This was especially useful in an age of inconsistent bathing practices.
Musk is a class of aromatic substances commonly used as base notes in perfumery. They are typically derived from glandular secretions of animals such as the musk deer, muskrat, musk duck, musk ox, musk shrew, musk beetle, musk turtle, and several other animals. The name "musk" originates from the Late Greek "moskhos", derived from the Persian "mushk" and Sanskrit "muṣka", meaning "testicle", as the deer gland was believed to resemble a scrotum.
Natural musk was extensively used in perfumery until the late 19th century when ethical and economic factors led to the adoption of synthetic musk. Today, the trade quantity of natural musk is controlled by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), but illegal poaching and trading still occur.
Some plants, like Angelica archangelica or Abelmoschus moschatus, also produce musky-smelling compounds that are used in perfumery as substitutes for animal musk or to alter the smell of musk mixtures. These plant sources include the musk flower (Mimulus moschatus) of western North America, the muskwood (Olearia argophylla) of Australia, and the musk seeds (Abelmoschus moschatus) from India.
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The industry saw innovation with the introduction of eau de cologne
The perfume industry in the 18th century was characterised by innovation, with the introduction of eau de cologne being a significant development. Eau de Cologne, which translates to "water from Cologne", was invented in 1709 by Italian perfumer Giovanni Maria Farina for the royal courts of Europe. The fragrance was inspired by the scent of an Italian spring morning, specifically mountain daffodils and orange blossoms after the rain. Farina named his creation after his new hometown of Cologne, Germany, and it quickly gained popularity across the continent.
Eau de Cologne is a lighter fragrance blend of 2%–5% perfume oils in alcohol and water. The original formula, which has been produced in Cologne since 1709, remains a closely guarded secret. The success of Eau de Cologne prompted other businessmen to sell their fragrances under the same name, contributing to its widespread fame. One famous variation, known as Original Eau de Cologne 4711, was developed by Wilhelm Mülhens and has been produced since at least 1799, making it one of the oldest fragrances still in production.
The introduction of Eau de Cologne marked a shift in the perfume industry, as it was originally intended solely as a perfume. However, it soon took on multiple uses and meanings. In the 18th century, perfume was often associated with medicine, and Eau de Cologne was believed to have therapeutic properties. It was thought to cure headaches when inhaled and even protect against the bubonic plague by repelling fleas when ingested or applied to the skin.
The emergence of Eau de Cologne also influenced the marketing and branding of perfumes. While earlier advertising focused on specific ingredients, there was a shift towards emphasising the feelings and places evoked by the fragrances. This evolution laid the groundwork for the modern perfumery culture, where scents are often abstract and aimed at evoking emotions rather than solely conveying the sensory properties of their ingredients.
In addition to its medicinal and olfactory aspects, Eau de Cologne played a role in social customs. In the Ottoman Empire, rose water was traditionally offered to guests, but this practice evolved into offering cologne. This tradition continues in modern-day Turkey, where hosts often present cologne to their visitors. Eau de Cologne's versatility and cultural significance contributed to its enduring popularity and impact on the perfume industry.
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Frequently asked questions
In the 18th century, perfumes typically fell into two categories: floral and musky. Floral perfumes were made from oils or waters distilled from flowers such as roses, orange blossoms, and jasmine. Musky perfumes were often animal-based and were popular with both men and women because they blended well with body odour. Perfumes were also made from aromatic plants grown in the Grasse region of France.
There were water-based perfumes for a subtle scent, alcohol-based perfumes for a stronger scent, as well as oil-based and wax-based perfumes.
Perfume was used as a fashion accessory to demonstrate social status, as a tool of self-definition, and as a convenient gift. Perfume was also used for medicinal purposes, such as preventing and curing the plague, strengthening the body and mind, preventing spasms, and curing lethargy.
