The Global Scent: Exploring Cologne-Making Origins

Colognes are made all over the world, but the name originates from Cologne, Germany, where the original Eau de Cologne was created by Giovanni Maria Farina in 1709. The term cologne has since become a generic term for perfumes marketed toward men, and less concentrated, more affordable versions of popular perfumes. Colognes are typically created by extracting oils from natural ingredients, such as plants, fruits, woods, and animal secretions, and blending them according to a specific formula.

Cologne's origins

Colognes, like perfumes, have been used for centuries. The word "perfume" is derived from the Latin "per fumum", meaning "through smoke". The use of scented oils and perfumes can be traced back to ancient civilisations such as the Egyptians, who infused body lotions and water with aromatic flowers and different types of wood, and burned incense made from spices.

The art of making perfume spread from ancient Greece to Rome and then to the Orient and Far East. It eventually reached Europe in the 13th century via the Crusaders, who brought back perfume samples from Palestine and introduced them to England, Italy and France.

The original Eau de Cologne, from which the word "cologne" is derived, was created in 1709 by Giovanni Maria Farina, an Italian perfume maker who had settled in the German city of Cologne. He named his fragrance Eau de Cologne, meaning "Water from Cologne", in honour of his new hometown. Farina's formula has been produced in Cologne since 1709 and remains a secret to this day.

Eau de Cologne is a spirit-citrus perfume with a mixture of citrus oils, including oils of lemon, orange, tangerine, clementine, bergamot, lime, grapefruit, blood orange, bitter orange, and neroli. It can also contain oils of lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, petitgrain (orange leaf), jasmine, olive, oleaster, and tobacco.

In modern times, the term "cologne" has become a generic term for perfumes marketed toward men, particularly in American English.

Cologne's ingredients

Colognes are scented formulations that typically contain a concentration of 2–5% essential oils, blended with alcohol and water. The original Eau de Cologne, created in 1709, contained a mixture of citrus oils, including lemon, orange, tangerine, clementine, bergamot, lime, grapefruit, blood orange, bitter orange, and neroli. It may also contain other oils such as lavender, rosemary, thyme, oregano, petitgrain, jasmine, olive, and tobacco.

Today, colognes are often made with a combination of natural and synthetic ingredients. Natural ingredients include various plants, fruits, woods, and even animal secretions. Synthetic ingredients are used to recreate natural scents or to create original fragrances not found in nature.

Natural Ingredients:

• Frankincense
• Ambergris
• Musk
• Amber
• Bergamot
• Lavender
• Clary Sage
• Jasmine
• Sandalwood
• Rose
• Myrrh
• Oakmoss
• Patchouli
• Vanilla
• Tobacco

Synthetic Ingredients:

• Aliphatic aldehydes
• Lily of the Valley
• Musk
• Ambroxan
• Calone
• Cashmeran
• Iso E Super
• Hedione
• Coumarin
• Benzoin

Cologne's extraction methods

Colognes are perfumes, and there are several methods used to extract the fragrant compounds and essential oils from raw materials. The extraction method depends on the characteristics of the raw material and the desired effect of the perfumer. Here is an overview of some of the most common extraction techniques:

Solvent Extraction

Solvent extraction is the most common and economically important technique for extracting aromatics in the modern perfume industry. This method involves submerging and agitating raw materials in a solvent, such as hexane or dimethyl ether, that can dissolve the desired aromatic compounds. The solvent is then removed through vacuum processing and can be reused. This technique is often used for woody and fibrous plant materials and all aromatics from animal sources. It can also be used to extract odorants that are too volatile for distillation or easily denatured by heat.

Steam Distillation

Steam distillation has been known for millennia but was perfected in the 10th century by the Arabic doctor and philosopher Avicenna. In this method, raw materials are placed on a grille suspended over boiling water. The steam passes through the raw materials, opening up the oil 'cells' and carrying the oil out of the still. The steam then turns back into a liquid, and the oil and water separate. The resulting oil is known as an essential oil, while the scented water is called floral water. Steam distillation is often used for materials with thin-walled cells containing oils, such as leaves and flowers.

Expression

Expression is the oldest and simplest method of extraction and is typically used for extracting citrus oils. In this process, the fruit or plant is manually or mechanically pressed until all the oil is extracted. This method is economically feasible for citrus fruits due to the large quantity of oil present in the peels and the relatively low cost of growing and harvesting the raw materials.

Enfleurage

Enfleurage is a costly and labour-intensive method invented by the French perfumer Piver in 1750. It involves spreading flowers or plant material on grease-coated glass sheets, which are then carefully placed in tiers between wooden frames. The flowers are left until they have yielded their entire odour, and the process is repeated with fresh flowers until the grease becomes saturated with oil. This saturated grease, known as 'pomade', is then washed with alcohol to extract the fragrant oil.

Maceration

Maceration is similar to enfleurage, but warmed fats are used to soak up the flower fragrance. The fats are then dissolved in alcohol, and the essential oils are derived from this mixture. Maceration is often used for materials that contain too little volatile oil to undergo expression or have chemical components that are too delicate for distillation.

Supercritical Fluid Extraction

Supercritical fluid extraction is a relatively new technique that often employs supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) as the extraction solvent. When carbon dioxide is put under high pressure at slightly above room temperature, it forms a supercritical fluid. This fluid can be used to extract hydrophobic aromatics from plant material. This method results in an essence that closely resembles the original odour of the raw material.

These extraction methods are used to obtain the fragrant compounds and essential oils that are the key components of colognes and perfumes. Each method has its advantages and disadvantages, and the choice of technique depends on the specific raw materials and desired outcome.

Cologne's production process

Colognes are made through a combination of art and science. The process of creating a fragrance involves a lot of work and time, from the collection of ingredients to the extraction of oils, blending, aging, and quality control.

Collection of Ingredients

The first step in the manufacturing process is gathering the plant and animal-based perfume ingredients. These ingredients range from various plants and fruits to animal secretions.

Extraction of Oils

Once the ingredients are gathered, the extraction of oils can begin. There are six main methods of extracting plant oils: steam distillation, boiling, solvent extraction, enfleurage, maceration, and expression.

• Steam Distillation: This method involves passing steam through the plant material, turning the essential oil into gas. The gas is then passed through tubes, cooled, and liquefied.
• Boiling: Oils can be extracted by boiling flower petals in water.
• Solvent Extraction: Flowers are placed in large rotating tanks and covered with benzene or petroleum ether to extract the essential oils. This process leaves a waxy substance containing the oil, which is then placed in ethyl alcohol.
• Enfleurage: Flowers or plant material are spread on grease-coated glass sheets and carefully placed in tiers between wooden frames. The glass sheets are covered with purified, odorless vegetable or animal fat. The petals are pressed into the grease and left for a few weeks, then removed and replaced with fresh petals. This process is repeated until the grease absorbs the fragrance.
• Maceration: Similar to enfleurage, but warmed fats are used to soak up the flower fragrance. The essential oils are then derived from the grease and fats that are dissolved in alcohol.
• Expression: The oldest and simplest method, involving pressing, squeezing, or compressing peels of citrus fruits such as lemons and oranges to extract the oils.

Blending

After the essential oils are extracted and collected, they are blended according to a specific formula created by a master perfumer, or "nose." These formulas can take years to develop and may include hundreds of different ingredients.

Aging

After blending, the perfume is left undisturbed in a cool, dark area for several months to a year. This allows the alcohol and essential oils to permanently bond and the different scents, or notes, to blend together.

Quality Control

Quality control ensures that the finished perfume does not contain any harmful or banned substances, protecting both the brand's reputation and public health.

Cologne's marketing and sales

Colognes are typically associated with men's fragrances, with scents that are earthy, woody, or spicy, including notes of tobacco, leather, and musk. The marketing and sales strategies for colognes are tailored to appeal to the target male audience and differentiate the products from women's perfumes, which traditionally feature fruit, flower, and vanilla notes.

When it comes to marketing colognes, brands often emphasise the masculinity of the fragrances through advertising campaigns and packaging design. This includes using colours like dark blues, greys, and blacks, as well as employing masculine imagery and models in their promotions. The language used in the descriptions of colognes also plays a role, with words like "intense," "bold," and "powerful" being commonly associated with men's fragrances. Additionally, brands may highlight the natural or synthetic ingredients used to create the unique scent profiles of their colognes, such as pine, cedar, or sandalwood.

The sales strategies for colognes often involve creating a range of products within a fragrance family, including not only the cologne but also accompanying aftershaves, deodorants, shower gels, and other grooming products. These additional products provide an opportunity for brands to increase their revenue and create a comprehensive grooming experience for their customers.

The placement of colognes within physical stores is also an important aspect of their sales strategy. Typically, colognes are displayed in dedicated sections, often separated by brand or fragrance family. This allows customers to easily navigate the available options and compare different scents. Visual merchandising plays a crucial role, with attractive displays, testers, and point-of-sale materials enhancing the shopping experience and encouraging purchases.

Online sales of colognes have also become increasingly important, with many brands and retailers offering convenient purchasing options through their websites and online marketplaces. This includes providing detailed product descriptions, customer reviews, and recommendations based on a customer's previous purchases or browsing history. Social media and influencer marketing have also become integral to the sales and marketing of colognes, with brands leveraging these platforms to reach their target audience and build brand awareness.

In terms of pricing, colognes are generally positioned as affordable luxury items, with prices varying depending on the brand, ingredients used, and the amount of perfume oil or concentrate included in the formulation. The concentration of the fragrance directly impacts the price, with higher concentrations, such as eau de parfum, commanding a higher price point compared to lighter options like eau de toilette or eau de cologne.

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