The Fragrance Guide: Choosing Your Signature Scent

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives and solvents, usually in liquid form, used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living spaces an agreeable scent. The word 'perfume' comes from the Latin 'per fumum', meaning 'through smoke'. The art of perfumery was refined by the Romans and the Muslims, and the world's first recorded chemist was a perfume maker called Tapputi, who lived in Mesopotamia around 1200 BCE.

Perfumes are classified into different groups based on their concentration of aromatic compounds. These include parfum or extrait, eau de parfum, eau de toilette, eau de cologne, and eau fraiche. The top, middle, and base notes of a fragrance may have separate primary scents and supporting ingredients.

Perfumes can also be categorised according to their scent families, such as floral, fruity, green, herbaceous, woody, amber, animalic, and musk.

Perfumes are typically applied to the body's pulse points, including the wrists, neck, behind the ears, elbows, and behind the knees. They can also be put into hair, as the movement helps diffuse the scent.

What are perfumes made of?

The word 'perfume' is derived from the Latin 'perfumare', meaning 'to smoke through'. Perfumes were originally made to emulate nature's pleasant aromas.

In ancient times, all fragrances came from the earth. Civilisations used aromatic flowers and different types of wood to infuse body lotions and water. They also burned incense made from spices like cinnamon and myrrh, and extracted oils from plants.

Today, perfumes are made by collecting ingredients, extracting oils, blending, ageing, and quality control.

Ingredients

Perfumes are made by extracting scented oils from natural ingredients. These include various plants, fruits, woods, and even animal secretions. Other resources used in the manufacturing process include alcohol, coal, tars, and petrochemicals.

For scents that don't occur in nature or don't produce essential oils, synthetic chemicals are used to emulate the scent.

Extraction Methods

There are several methods used to extract oils from natural ingredients:

• Solvent extraction: Flowers are placed in large rotating tanks and covered with benzene or petroleum ether, which extracts the essential oils. This leaves a waxy substance containing the oil, which is then placed in ethyl alcohol. The oil dissolves in the alcohol, which is then burned off, leaving a highly concentrated perfume oil.
• Steam distillation: Natural materials are placed in a still and heated. The resulting substance is then passed through tubes, cooled, and liquefied.
• Boiling: Oils can be extracted by boiling flower petals in water.
• Expression: One of the oldest forms of extraction, this method involves pressing the plant, either mechanically or manually, until all the oils are extracted. It is often used for extracting citrus oils.
• Enfleurage: Large glass sheets are coated with grease and flowers or other plant materials are spread across them. The sheets are then placed in tiers between wooden frames. The flowers are replaced by hand until the grease absorbs the fragrance.
• Maceration: A similar process to enfleurage, but warmed fats are used to soak up the fragrance instead of grease. The fats are then dissolved in alcohol to obtain the essential oils.

Blending

Once the essential oils are extracted and collected, they are blended together according to a formula predetermined by a master in the perfume industry, often referred to as a 'nose'. These formulas often include hundreds of different ingredients.

Aging

High-quality and pure perfumes are often aged for months or even years after blending to ensure that the proper scent has been created. Aging allows different scents, or notes, to blend together.

Quality Control

Quality control is a vital aspect of the perfume manufacturing process. It ensures that the finished perfume doesn't contain any harmful or undesirable products, protecting the brand's reputation and, more importantly, public health.

How are perfumes made?

The process of making perfume can be broadly divided into the following steps: collection of ingredients, extraction of oils, blending, ageing, and quality control.

Collection of Ingredients

Perfume ingredients can be derived from plants and animals, or they can be synthetic. Natural perfume ingredients include flowers, grasses, spices, fruits, wood, roots, resins, balsams, leaves, gums, and animal secretions. Synthetic aromatic chemicals are created in laboratories by perfume chemists.

Extraction of Oils

There are several methods to extract oils from natural ingredients, including steam distillation, boiling, solvent extraction, enfleurage, maceration, and expression. In steam distillation, steam passing through the plant material turns the essential oil into gas, which is then passed through tubes, cooled, and liquefied. Solvent extraction involves placing flowers in large rotating tanks and pouring benzene or petroleum ether over them, which extracts the essential oils. In enfleurage, flowers are spread out on grease-coated glass sheets, carefully placed in tiers between wooden frames, and pressed into the grease. Maceration is similar to enfleurage, but warmed fats are used to soak up the flower fragrance. Expression is the oldest and easiest method of oil extraction, where the plant material is pressed, squeezed, or compressed to extract the oils.

Blending

Once the essential oils are extracted and collected, they are blended according to a specific formula. This process can take years and involve hundreds of different ingredients. The ratio of alcohol to scent determines the perfume's strength and worth.

Ageing

Ageing occurs after the perfume concentrate has been diluted in alcohol, and it can take up to a month. The perfume is kept undisturbed in a cool, dark area for several months to a year. This allows the alcohol and essential oils to permanently bond and the scent to strengthen.

Quality Control

Quality control is essential to ensure that the finished perfume does not contain any harmful or banned products. It protects the brand's reputation and public health.

How do perfumes work?

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents, usually in liquid form. It is used to give the human body, animals, food, objects, and living spaces a pleasant scent.

Perfumes are typically applied to the skin, where they interact with our sense of smell. Our sense of smell is triggered by molecules that make up scents, which vibrate at specific frequencies. These molecules are composed of atoms bonded together by elastic bonds, and they vibrate at frequencies that are then translated into electrical signals that are sent to the brain.

When perfume is applied to the skin, it is important to spread it rather than rubbing it in vigorously, as the heat generated can cause the top notes to evaporate, thus weakening the overall smell. The top notes are the initial scent that forms the first impression of the perfume, usually lasting 5-30 minutes after application. The middle notes, or heart notes, emerge after the top notes dissipate, masking any unpleasant initial impression of the base notes and providing the main body of the scent. The base notes add depth and solidity to a perfume, and they are usually not perceived until 30 minutes after application or during the dry-down period.

The process of applying perfume and the subsequent evaporation of the fragrance compounds is aided by the presence of alcohol in the perfume solution. The alcohol helps to spread out the smells so that you can distinguish them. Without the dilution of alcohol, you would encounter a jumble of smells. The alcohol also helps to preserve the perfume, as it prevents corrosion by oxidation, which is the process that turns uncorked wine into vinegar.

The specific ingredients and methods used to create perfumes can vary, and the exact formulas are often kept secret. However, the general process involves the collection of raw materials, extraction of fragrant compounds, blending of various ingredients, and ageing of the final product.

The use of perfume can enhance one's self-appeal and self-confidence, and it has been linked to improved mood, reduced anxiety and stress, enhanced cognitive function, and improved sleep. However, it is important to note that fragrances can also cause adverse effects, particularly for individuals with sensitive skin or allergies.

How should perfumes be stored?

Storing perfume correctly is essential to prevent it from going bad and to ensure it lives longer than a few months. Here are some tips on how to store your fragrances to keep them as fresh as possible.

Firstly, it is important to keep perfume in a dark place, away from direct sunlight, as light can break down the chemical makeup of the fragrance and can even melt plastic bottles. The ideal storage spots are a closet, cupboard, drawer, or cabinet. Perfume should also be kept away from extreme temperatures, so avoid placing it on a windowsill or near a heater. The ideal temperature for perfume is between 12 and 22 degrees Celsius, or 60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Perfume should also be stored in a dry place, as water damage and humidity can destroy a fragrance. The bathroom is the worst place to store perfume due to the heat and steam from showers causing fluctuations in temperature and humidity levels. Instead, opt for a bedroom or hallway closet, or a drawer. If you live in a humid environment, consider storing your perfume in a room with a dehumidifier.

To further protect your perfume from heat and sunlight, you can keep it in its original box. The cardboard will provide extra protection from light and heat and will also help to keep the perfume fresh for longer. You can also store perfume in the refrigerator, as the cool, dark, and consistent temperature will prevent oxidation and chemical degradation. However, very cold fridges can damage perfume, so avoid doing this if your drinks, fruits, and vegetables tend to freeze.

Other tips for storing perfume include keeping the bottle sealed when it is not in use, as oxygen is perfume's worst enemy and will cause the fragrance to evaporate. Avoid shaking the bottle before use, as this will introduce unwanted oxidation via bubbles. Keep the perfume in its original bottle, as decorative bottles are often not airtight and will cause the scent to spoil. Finally, store perfume in a safe place away from fragile items, as you don't want a fragile bottle to fall and shatter!

What are the different types of perfume?

There are several different types of perfume, which are classified based on their concentration of aromatic compounds.

The main types are:

• Parfum or Extrait (P): This has a high concentration of 15-40% aromatic compounds, with the typical amount being ~20%. It is usually heavier and oilier than other types of perfume and tends to be used sparingly. The scent can last for up to 24 hours.
• Eau de Parfum (EdP) or Parfum de Toilette (PdT): This contains 10-20% aromatic compounds, typically ~15%. It has a greater concentration of alcohol and water, making it lighter and less expensive than parfum. It usually lasts for around 4-5 hours.
• Eau de Toilette (EdT): This has a lower concentration of 5-15% aromatic compounds and a high concentration of alcohol. It dissipates quickly and typically lasts for 2-3 hours. It is often used for daywear.
• Eau de Cologne (EdC): This type of perfume has a very light formulation with a low fragrance concentration of 3-8%. It is primarily used as an aftershave or splash-on fragrance for males and usually lasts for about 2 hours.
• Eau Fraiche: With a fragrance concentration of 3% or less, this is the lightest type of perfume. It is diluted with water rather than alcohol or oil and is commonly used in mists, splashes, and veils.

In addition to these main types, there are other classifications based on the scent of the perfume, such as floral, fruity, green, herbaceous, woody, amber, animalic, and musk.

Frequently asked questions