Perfume

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils, a fixative, and alcohol used to give various objects (usually parts of the human body) a long-lasting and pleasant smell.

The essential oils are obtained by distillation of flowers, plants, and grasses, such as orange blossom and roses. Jasmin Absolute or Concrete is obtained by a process called enfleurage. This is basically extraction by absorbtion of aroma materials into wax and then extracting the odorous oil with alcohol. Aromatic chemicals are also used. Fixatives, which bind the various fragrances together, include balsams, ambergris, and secretions from the scent glands of civets and musk deer (undiluted these have unpleasant smells but in alcoholic solution they act as preserving agents). The amount of alcohol added depends on whether perfumes, Eaux de toilette, or Eaux de Cologne are required. The mixture is normally aged for 1 year

Different types of Perfumes:

Perfume extract:Most concentrated form-15-40% concentrates

Eau de parfum:7-15% concentrate

Eau de toilette:1-6% concentrate only

Eau de cologne:concentration same as eau de toilette, but predominantly citrus flavoured

On application, body heat causes the alcohol to evaporate quickly, leaving the fragrant substances on the skin to evaporate gradually over several hours.

The art of making perfume began in ancient Egypt, was developed by the Romans and the Arabs, and came to Europe in the Renaissance period. By the 14th century flowers were being grown for perfume in France, which remains the centre of the European perfume design and trade.

In some cases, an excessive use of perfumes may cause allergic reactions of the skin (specifically, acetophenone is a well-known allergen present in many perfumes).

Natural & Synthetic Aromatics in Perfumery

It is important to note that there is no benefit from creating a perfume exclusively from natural materials. There are several reasons for this; v Many natural aroma materials are in fact inherently toxic and are either banned or restricted by IFRA. These naturals have been replaced by safer artificial or synthetic materials. v No modern perfume will perform successfully without one or more MUSK aromas. Musk was traditionally taken from the male musk deer (Moschus moschiferus ). This required the slaughter of the animal and in practise musk hunters did not discriminate between male and female, old and young. They killed them all, only to obtain the musk pod which was solely produced by the young male deer, and only when in season.

"Musk deer are protected under national legislation in many countries where they are found. The musk deer populations of Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan are included in Appendix I of CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. This means that these musk deer and their derivatives are banned from international commercial trade."

It is the policy of many perfume companies to use synthetic musk in place of natural musk for ethical reasons. Many Synthetic Musks are available nowadays and those that we use are all approved safe by IFRA. http://www.ifraorg.org/GuideLines.asp v There are many new synthetic aromas that bare no olfactory relationship to any natural material and yet modern perfumery depends on these new odours for the infinite variety of perfumes available today. Many synthetics have very beautiful aromas not available in Nature. v The COST of many natural materials limits their use in affordable perfumes. A fragrance composed only of expensive natural materials could be prohibitive. Synthetic aromatics make possible perfumes at reasonable prices. v In the distillation of Natural Essential oils any pesticides, herbicides, or fungicides that have been applied while the plant is growing may be concentrated into the essential oil making the oil toxic. Unless the essential oil is distilled from a Certified Organic origin, it may be very dangerous.

See also: incense, aromatherapy, pheromone, Base_note, Top note

---

Perfume is also a book by Patrick Süskind. See Perfume (book)