Before perfumes appear on store shelves, they need to be invented, and this is a rather difficult art that requires certain knowledge. In addition, the scent of perfume must not only be invented, but also mass-produced, which also cannot be done by any person on the street: for this you need to have a good understanding of how perfume is made and have some other knowledge in the field of perfumery. A good perfumer must care not only about the quality of the aroma, but also about its durability, which together will allow him to set a higher price for it.
Each stage of perfume production requires the well-established cooperation of people from many different professions. It is no secret that the launch of each new perfume costs manufacturers several tens of millions of dollars, of which the lion's share is spent on advertising purposes, and the rest is spent on purchasing the necessary ingredients, designing the packaging of the new product and, of course, paying staff. At the same time, not every new product justifies the costs of its creation, so the production of new perfumes is always associated with a certain risk and can either make a splash in the perfume market or go unnoticed or, even worse, ruin the reputation of a trading house.
How perfumes are put into production
The first step when creating a new aromatic composition is to select the ingredients necessary for its production. First, the selected components are mixed and then dissolved in 70% alcohol of the best quality. However, few people know that in order for the mixture to reach the correct condition, it requires aging for several weeks. Sometimes a small amount of an antioxidant substance is added to the mixture, which, in case of accidental opening of the bottle, adds durability to the aroma. In fact, these processes almost completely describe how perfumers make perfume, but after this the equally important work of other specialists begins.
When the aroma composition is ready for sale, it must be filtered, resulting in a clear liquid, usually colored. Sometimes, if the liquid turns out to be colorless, perfumers specially add dyes to its composition.
The resulting masterpiece remains to be poured into pre-prepared bottles, which must be dry. Spectacular bottles are packaged in equally presentable boxes and sent to distributors for sale, and when new products appear on the shelves of boutiques, it’s time for an advertising campaign.
Recipes for making perfume
Experts believe that when selling, the cost of perfume depends 85% on the promotion of the brand and only 15% on the manipulations described above. However, the quality of the raw materials purchased for production is of great importance, since perfumes are essentially real works of art, the creation of which perfumers can be prompted by their most unexpected thoughts and fantasies. It is interesting that in former times the question of how perfume is made could only be answered by the perfumers themselves, who often kept their secrets secret even from the direct manufacturers of perfumes. Personal perfumers these days remain only in such fashion houses as Patou, Chanel and Guerlain and, perhaps, that is why few people manage to repeat or imitate the work of their unsurpassed masters.
Modern perfumers have more than three and a half thousand aromatic substances at their disposal, but only a third of this amount is used for the production of perfumes. The reasons for this can be of a very different nature: for example, economic or environmental. Manufacturers try to keep each new recipe for a perfume product as secret as possible.
What are the substances used to make perfume?
In perfumery, raw materials of plant and animal origin are used, as well as some chemical components, which not only enhance the durability of the aroma, but also give it a certain “sound”.
Perfumers include infusions and solutions of the most fragrant and aromatic parts of a plant in alcohol as plant raw materials. Many plants also contain organic components: balms and resins, which fix the smell and prolong the duration of the aromatic sensations. Animal components are musk, civet, beaver stream and amber, which, despite the fact that they do not have a pleasant smell in themselves, give the perfume animal notes that are attractive.
In addition, the answer to the question of how perfume is made will not be complete without indicating that they often also include aromatic substances of synthetic origin. Sometimes these components are obtained from plant products through chemical or physicochemical manipulations, and sometimes they are synthesized from chemical ingredients. They are woven into aromatic compositions as completely separate, independent notes and give scents a special charm, while enhancing their stability.
Since ancient times, they have been used to stimulate mental activity, and mint and lily of the valley have been used to concentrate attention.
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If any of the perfumes seems worthy of your attention, you can get more detailed information about it and its promotional price by following the appropriate link...
Hippocrates and Avicenna, ancient Greek physicians, widely used aromatherapy for medical purposes. And in the Middle Ages, herbs were used to treat the plague. Currently, the benefits of essential oils for the body have been proven by in-depth scientific research.
Along with aromatherapy, another industry has developed since ancient times - perfumery. Its first products were ancient Egyptian incense, ointments and oils, consisting of 3-4 components. Modern perfumers use more than 6 thousand ingredients when creating their unique compositions. Among them, essential oils obtained from plant materials occupy a place of honor.
The most valuable and widely used in perfumery is jasmine. The birthplace of this plant is considered to be Persia and Kashmir. Jasmine extract is usually included in only high-end perfumes. Rose flower oil is no less expensive, especially if it is produced in France or Bulgaria. The scent of lavender gives perfume a unique aroma of freshness, but the oriental notes of oriental fragrances are often due to the presence of patchouli in their composition. Almost no sweetish, rich composition is complete without orange blossom, obtained from the flowers of the orange tree. The green, woody note of perfumes is most often given by cedar oil, which is also widely used to fix the aroma. The same applies to sandalwood with its exotic scent included in many compositions. Many people know cloves as a spice, but its oil is an important ingredient for producing oriental perfumes. Cumin, mint, anise and others are also often used.
Oils of animal origin play an equally important role in creating aroma. Their main function, moreover, is to establish harmony between the smell of perfume and the smell of human skin. Examples are musk, prepared from the glands of the musk deer - musk deer, ambergris - a special waxy substance, previously obtained only by butchering sperm whales, and civet - secretions of the glands of the civet cat that lives in North Africa.
It is known that any oil dissolves with great difficulty in water, but it dissolves well in alcohol. Due to this property, alcohols, aldehydes and esters are used in large quantities in perfumes. As many perfumers say, further development of the fragrance industry is impossible without close cooperation with the chemical industry. Without the introduction of her products, many wonderful perfumes, such as Bourjois Soir de Paris and Chanel 5, would not even see the light of day. Modern science has reached such a level of development that it can recreate the most diverse smells of nature. The cost of perfume products is reduced, and the need for a complex process for obtaining oils from natural raw materials is eliminated.
● More than 6,000 types of raw materials are used in modern perfumery. These components are not easy to obtain. For example, to extract one kilogram of rose oil, you need to collect tons of petals, and to extract iris oil, you need to tan its roots for two years.
● Aldehydes are compounds that smell like rancid fat. By itself, this smell is terrible, but in combination with other components, amazing compositions are obtained. A classic example here was, is and will be Chanel 5 perfume.
● Patou Joy was born in 1930, after the crash of the New York Stock Exchange and the onset of the Great Depression. “Joy” became a gift of consolation from Jean Patou, who decided to create a fragrance of the highest quality, regardless of the cost of raw materials. Perfumer Henri Almeras created a perfume that required 28 dozen Bulgarian roses and 10,400 jasmine flowers to produce an ounce, making it the most expensive perfume in the world.
● Extracts of substances of animal origin - amber, castoreum and musk - are used as perfume fixatives. By themselves, musk, amber and castoreum have an extremely sharp, unpleasant, but at the same time very persistent smell. Natural fixatives are exotic and expensive - to get them, you have to catch sperm whales, beavers and roe deer. For example, 1 kilogram of musk deer costs $60,000. Accordingly, such components are introduced only into very expensive perfumes.
● One perfume can contain up to 300 substances. The price of a perfume composition is traditionally associated with the number of ingredients: the more ingredients, the more expensive the perfume. For example, Chanel 5 consists of 80 aromatic components.
● The leading scent of mint and coriander is lily of the valley, and that of geranium is the scent of rose.
● In order to preserve the smell, fixatives are used: cedar oil, cloves, mint and oak moss, the main exporter of which is Russia. Canadian beaver sperm is recognized as the best fixative.
● In ancient times, fragrant mistletoe branches were credited with extraordinary witchcraft powers. It was believed that with the help of mistletoe you can find the most secret treasure. The double leaves and fruits of this plant were used to increase male potency.
● There are flowers that have no scent at all, for example, poppies. White acacia does not have its own scent, its main aroma is the aroma of orange tree flowers with the addition of a chord of almond, rose, lilac, lily of the valley and jasmine.
● The famous aroma of hay depends on one simple blade of grass, this blade of grass is a fragrant spikelet, oregano, containing an odorous substance - coumarin.
● Iris is one of the most expensive components of perfume. Its market price reaches 40,000 euros per 1 kilogram.
● Vapors of rue seeds in the East and Central Asia were considered a sure cure for the evil eye. The grains were placed on a hot frying pan and fumigated with odorous smoke for the person they wanted to protect from evil.
● According to Herotodes, houses and buildings were fumigated with fragrant juniper to protect them from lightning strikes.
● The purest, and therefore the most expensive, is rose oil produced in Bulgaria: its cost is over $5,000 per kilogram. And in order to get 1 kilogram of essential oil, about 5000 kilograms of petals are required. The fragrant harvest is harvested by hand for just 30 days a year. The best time for this is the predawn hours: with the first rays of the sun, flowers lose valuable oil. By the way, chemists, who so successfully imitate other odors, have never learned to adequately reproduce the intoxicating aroma of a rose.
● Shamans used a blossoming peach branch to drive out the spirits of illness and evil from a person.
● To obtain 500 milliliters of jasmine essential oil, it is necessary to process 2 tons of the petals of this flower using a certain technology.
Real perfumes aren't cheap. What are they made of? To create perfumes, both natural ingredients and materials of chemical origin are used. Naturally, perfumes made using raw materials of plant origin will cost more than those made from synthetic aromatic substances. So what are perfumes made of?
Perfume is the most persistent flavoring agent. They consist of:
- Essential oils – 15-30%;
- 96% alcohol;
- Distilled water;
- Dyes.
It is this composition that allows the aroma of perfume to unfold gradually. When applied, we feel the top notes of the composition. Over time, the smell changes, revealing the “heart notes” of the perfume. After which the aroma changes again, and we feel the final “chords” of the perfume - the trailing notes. A perfume can contain up to 300 components, which together create a unique aroma.
Perfume raw materials
To obtain an interesting composition, perfumers use various raw materials. Currently, more than 6 thousand items are used. Not only flower petals are used, but also roots, stems, herbs, fruits, buds, and mosses. And how many of them do you need? For example, to obtain 500 ml of jasmine essential oil, you need to process two tons of the petals of this flower. To obtain the same amount of rose oil you will need 2500 kg of rose petals. The most expensive component of perfume is iris. Its cost reaches 40,000 euros per 1 kg. But progress does not stand still. Chemists have long learned to synthesize oils from more accessible components. These substances are called aldehydes. This doesn't make the smell any worse, but the price is lower.
Animal oils play one of the important roles in creating perfumes. Their task is not only to add an interesting note to the composition, but also to achieve harmony between the smells of human skin and perfume. There are four such components:
- Ambergris is a hardened fragrant product formed in the intestines of the sperm whale.
- Castoreum - secreted by the endocrine glands of beavers.
- Musk is an odorous secretion obtained from the glands of the male musk deer (roe deer family).
- Civet is a substance secreted by the glands of some animals from the civet family, civets.
Unfortunately, the animal does not always remain alive, so one cannot help but appreciate the contribution of chemists who search for and find substances that can replace these components.
Chanel
Some people are interested in the composition of Chanel No. 5 perfume. I would like to note that the creation of this composition would not have been possible without chemical synthesis. The basis of perfumes is dominated by aldehydes - chemically synthesized components. Top notes are pink pepper, iris, hyacinth, pineapple and patchouli. The heart of the composition is citruses and jasmine. Well, the final chords are vanilla, white musk, vitiver and patchouli.
And finally, I would like to note that real perfumes “last” on the skin for 5 hours or more, and on clothes for up to 30 hours. The same scent “reveals” differently on different people. And if you liked any of your friend’s perfumes, don’t rush to take the same one for yourself. First, spray a little on your wrist and sniff after a while, maybe it’s not your scent.
Raw materials of animal origin
How would you respond if you learned that an adorable little beaver can be used to obtain your favorite scent, or that you owe the greater aroma of perfume to the pouch on the abdominal cavity of a musk deer? Rest assured, the use of these products, which existed only a few years ago, is now strictly controlled and brought into line with the problem of species survival. However, they deserve attention in order to evaluate the contribution of synthetic fragrances and understand their role in fragrance composition.
Ambergris
The sperm whale expels a hardened, fragrant product formed in the intestines called ambergris. It should not be confused with the odorless fossilized resin used in some jewelry. Collected by fishermen at sea, or by passers-by on beaches, ambergris disappears from the classical production cycle and is a rare product used in expensive perfumes.
Castoreum
The endocrine glands of the beaver secrete an oily substance, castoreum, with which the beaver impregnates the fur to protect it. The characteristic scent of castoreum is used in chypre compositions with notes of leather and tobacco.
Castoreum is an odorous secretion of the beaver's two internal glands; it is an oily, shiny substance with which the animal lubricates its fur to protect it from external irritants. The beaver is common in North America, Canada and Russia. The weight of the bags is about one hundred grams, and the size depends on the age of the animal. Castoreum is an excellent fixative in perfume compositions. It is used as an alcoholic infusion of crushed bags, or directly as a resinoid or absolute. Castoreum creates a warm, animalic note, close to the smell of leather, and perfumers use it in oriental, chypre compositions, as well as in men's perfumes.
Musk
The glands of the male musk deer contain grains of musk. Used as an infusion, musk gives the perfume a sensual note.
In perfumery, musk is an odorous secretion obtained from the glands of the male musk deer. The gland looks like a round or oval sac with a diameter of 3 to 8 cm, located under the skin in the abdomen. Musk deer, the owner of musk, is a ruminant animal of the roe deer family. It is found on the high plateaus of Asia (in the Himalayas, Central Asia). The animal, similar to an ordinary small roe deer weighing 10 kg, marks its territory with an odorous secretion. To protect the species, hunting was prohibited, and the export of musk was strictly regulated. Previously, in order to obtain musk deer glands, it was necessary to kill it. Then they tried to breed them, but in captivity the secretion stopped. The most harmless method was to cage the animal during the mating season, when musk is released, euthanize it, scrape out the bags and release it. To obtain 1 kg of musk, approximately 40 bags are required. Musk beans extracted from the bag are a substance with a strong ammonia, suffocating odor, similar in appearance to ground coffee. After maturing in the form of an alcoholic infusion, the smell acquires an animalistic sensual note, giving the perfume fullness. Musk was very popular in Greek and Roman Antiquity, and then during the Renaissance, when, along with amber and incense, it was a favorite product of perfumers; today it is practically no longer used. Perfumers have replaced natural musk with synthetic musks, which are much less expensive.
Civet
The civet lives in Ethiopia. It has a sac near the gonads, which produces an ointment-like substance with a strong animal odor used in perfumery.
Sivet is the secretion of the endocrine glands of a small animal of the civet family weighing about 20 kg. The animals live in the southwestern provinces of Ethiopia, where they are increasingly being bred. Near the gonads they have a crescent-shaped sac, from which a secretion is released - a beige or brown, ointment-like soft mass with a very strong odor: it is obtained by scraping the sac. When mixed with other components of perfume compositions, the substance loses the sharpness of the smell and gives the perfume shades of animal warmth and sensuality.
Raw materials of plant origin
Of course, flowers are most often used in perfumery, but it is not limited to them. Some parts of plants in everyday life intended for other purposes do not go unnoticed by perfumers.
FLOWERS, PETALS, BUDS AND BUDS
Today the connection between flowers and perfume is obvious to everyone, but the use of the floral world in perfumery did not begin immediately. People had to show miracles of imagination and courage to replicate the “spirit of the plant” in a bottle in all its enchanting versatility.
Rose
For more than three thousand years, fragrance connoisseurs have chosen the rose among all flowers. Homer mentions rose oil, obtained by soaking the petals in olive oil, with which Aphrodite anointed Hector's body. Islamic perfumery pioneered the distillation of rose petals from Damascus. The Persian city of Shiraz has been famous since the 8th century for its rose water, which was exported until the 17th century. to Europe, India and China. In addition to culinary specialists and pharmacists, rose water was also valued by Western perfumers from the Renaissance to the 19th century. The Persian sultans outdid everyone by stuffing their mattresses with precious petals. Of the hundreds of known rose species, two botanical varieties are used in perfumery: Rosa centifolia, which is called May or Provence, native to Grasse and Morocco, and Rosa damascena, grown in Bulgaria and Turkey. From the rose centifolia in Grasse, a concrete is obtained by treating the petals with extraction with volatile solvents, then the absolute oil. Centifolia from Morocco and Turkish damascena are treated with both solvents and steam, the latter method allowing the essential oil to be extracted. As for the Bulgarian rose damascena, it only undergoes steam treatment. Picking roses is a very delicate matter. The worst enemy in this case is the sun, because... In hot weather the aroma is stronger, but not as delicate. That's why roses are picked at dawn, flower by flower, as quickly as possible. The largest amount of volatile substances in the flower accumulates around half past eight in the morning. An experienced worker gains from 5 to 8 kg of petals per hour, and the most active ones gain up to 50 kg per day. If this figure seems too high, then you need to know that to obtain one kilogram of essential rose oil you will need 5 tons of flowers! From what is collected per hour, a little more than 1 gram of essential oil is obtained. The oil is made up of almost 300 compounds, some of which are difficult to identify. This may explain the fact that, despite the success of synthesis, it has not yet been possible to completely copy this complex natural mixture. But we will not complain, because in addition to the beautiful plantations planted with roses and delighting our eyes, our sense of smell feels delightful fragrances, such as, for example, the Joy perfume of Jean Patou or the wonderful Paris of Yves Saint Laurent.
Rosa centifolia or May rose, one of two types of roses, is used in perfumery.
Every year, several kilograms of absolute oil, the most expensive in perfumery, are obtained from it.
In Grasse, the May rose is harvested once a year for three weeks.
Harvesting it is reminiscent of harvesting grapes: there are some productive years and some not so good ones.
Jasmine
Floral, warm, animalic, spicy, fruity: the list of jasmine scents is endless.
In Grasse, where all the flowers have their own name,
Jasmine is simply called "flower".
A species used in perfumery, jasmin grandiflorum. Probably native to Central Asia and Persia, this tree appeared in Grasse around 1560 thanks to Spanish sailors.
Today, only a few plantations of less than 10 hectares remain in Grasse; Even such well-known companies as Patou and Chanel have difficulty negotiating with farmers who specifically grow jasmine for their compositions.
Jasmine also grows in Egypt, Italy, Morocco and India, where manual labor is cheaper. Jasmine is a summer flower and blooms from August to October. If jasmine production is small today, at the beginning of the century it was 200 tons per year and even reached almost 2 thousand tons between 1930 and 1940. When you know that you need 8 thousand flowers to produce 1 kg of jasmine, you can hardly imagine how much labor and seedlings are required to grow them. Like roses, jasmine is collected before sunrise for fear that dew and heat will spoil the precious white flowers. Flowers are picked one by one. A good picker picks about 700 grams of jasmine per hour. Then, as soon as possible, the flowers are sent to the factory, they are processed by extraction. 750 kg of flowers are required for 1 kg of absolute oil. In the thirties, some perfumes contained up to 10% absolute jasmine oil, today this figure has decreased: at best its content is 1-2%. Of all the white flowers, jasmine is the most widely used in perfumery. According to perfume creators, there cannot be a famous perfume without jasmine. Thanks to him, such classic fragrances as the timeless Chanel?5, Joy Patou, Agrede Lanvin, Fleur de fleurs Nina Ricci or First, Van Cleef appeared.
Jasmine is harvested at dawn. This is such a fragile flower
that only 700 grams are collected per hour.
And one kilogram of jasmine requires about 8 thousand flowers!
Tuberose
A flower with an intoxicating scent, Polianthes tuberosa or tuberose is native to Mexico. It was brought to France in the 17th century for breeding in Grasse. Tuberose was especially liked by the court of the Sun King, when beauties decorated their bodices with it. Today, most of the produce comes from the state of Karnataka in southeastern India, where it blooms all year round. Its scent is strong, warm, with balsamic undertones. In perfumery it is used for oriental compositions, such as, for example, Poison by Christian Dior.
Tuberose blooms all year round in Karnataka, a state in southeastern India.
However, flowers collected in July-August have
the most complete range of aromas.
Narcissus
A mountain flower with an unforgettable aroma, growing in the meadows of the Jura, the Alps and the Massif Central. In France there are about a dozen species of daffodil (jonquil). Narcissus poeticus is used in perfumery, a rather rare species that blooms in May. Leaves, stems and flowers are treated with extraction using solvents. The resulting absolute oil is reminiscent of the aroma of the flower, with a slightly greener note due to the processing of the stem. This is a very expensive product: for 1 kg of flowers they pay 10 francs, and for 1 kg of absolute oil you need 1200 kg of flowers. The smell of the resulting oil is very intense.
Narcissus, used in perfumery, grows at an altitude of thousands of meters
above sea level. An absolute oil is obtained from the flower and stem, which
goes very well with green notes and animal scents.
Mimosa
The homeland of mimosa is Australia, but it has taken root well in France. From the end of January to the beginning of March it covers the massifs of the Maritime Alps and the Var, to which it gives a beautiful summer color. In fact, golden balls do not consist of petals, but of stamens, which explains their fragility. It is impossible to save mimosa cut more than 24 hours ago. Flowers and leaves are processed to produce an absolute oil, reminiscent of the aroma of the flower itself, soft and “tickling”. This flower is loved by the Anglo-Saxons, but it has never been used to create the main notes in compositions.
This is a winter flower without petals. The smell of mimosa is extremely rarely used
as the main note in perfume. Her absolute oil with warm, powdery and
floral range of aromas is included in compositions with a floral scent.
Orange blossom (Flerd "orange)
This is a flower of chastity; according to the Grasse tradition, garlands from it are given to newlyweds who get married during its flowering, in April-May. This is a Citrus aurantium amara flower, i.e. bitter orange, a tree native to southern China introduced to the Mediterranean during Roman times. By distilling the flowers, an essential oil is obtained, which is called neroli. The water remaining after this treatment is the famous orange water. You can also obtain absolute oil from orange flowers by extraction with solvents. The oil yield is too small: from a ton of flowers barely 1 kg of neroli is obtained. The leaves and branches of bitter orange are also processed and the essential oil is obtained , which is called petitgrain, and after processing (squeezing) the orange peel, an oil called bigarade is obtained.
An essential oil called neroli is obtained from bitter orange flowers.
named after the Duchess Orcini de neroli, who admired this smell in the 16th century.
Neroli is a product with a clean, fresh scent, with little warm
and animal shades, the basis of many colognes.
Lavender
Inextricably linked with Provence, but also with the smell of cleanliness emanating from laundry products, lavender is no longer in fashion for perfumery. An unfair fate for lavender, a plant with an interesting range of aromas. It is mistakenly believed that the beauty of the August hills of the Luberon and the plateaus of Manosque is the merit of lavender, in fact it is its hybrid: lavandin. Real lavender, used in perfumery, is lower, with a thinner stem, its cost is higher. It grows in the Alps at an altitude of over a thousand meters, but is especially common in Great Britain. At the beginning of the century, the British created two beautiful creations using the lavender note; these are English Iavender, Atkinson (1910), which was the first eau de toilette for men, and Old English Lavender, Yardley (1913), an absolutely essential addition to British tweeds. They were later succeeded by Caron's Pour un homme (1934). Today it is obvious that perfumers would no longer dare to produce perfumes with the characteristic aroma of lavender, invariably associated with the smell of washed clothes, but lavender is used in eau de toilettes for men as an initial scent note that gives freshness to the composition.
Lavender, very popular at the beginning of the century, is almost never used anymore.
in perfumes due to its widespread use in detergents and air fresheners.
ROOTS AND RHIZOOMS
While extraction of some flowers and plants is not possible, their roots make excellent oils. Perfumers use them in many combinations.
Iris
Of the known 300 species of iris, perfumers are interested in only two: Iris pallida and Iris florentina, grown mainly in Morocco and the Florence region. Their rhizomes are used in perfumery. The smell of the oil differs from the smell of the flower and has a characteristic feature: after processing the rhizomes, it resembles the aroma of violets. Three years must be counted from the time of planting rhizomes to harvesting. It takes another three years to dry it and reach its fullest aroma. The roots are crushed, dipped in water and distilled. From one ton of iris, 2 kg of extremely expensive essential oil is obtained. The aroma of this wonderful product is subtle and very strong. It creates a long-lasting floral and woody note reminiscent of our great-grandmothers' rice powder. When people talk about iris scent, they mean the smell of oil from iris rhizomes.
Iris rhizomes are of interest for perfumery.
The best are grown in Florence, where they are dried.
Among other plants whose rhizomes are used, we highlight ginseng (Zingiber officinale), grown in China, India, Liberia and Jamaica. It is used mainly in cooking, while in perfumery the oil obtained by distillation is used. Lovage (Levisticum officinale) is a tall herb that was cultivated by the Romans. From its roots, after distillation, an oil with a strong and warm scent is obtained, which works wonders in woody, oriental and spicy compositions. Perfumers also used valerian roots (Valeriana officinalis) and castus roots exported from Kashmir, which after distillation produce an oil with a pronounced animalic odor, but then the law prohibited its use. Finally, vetiver, whose botanical name is Andropogon squarrosus - but the Indians call it Kus Kus, is a cereal plant grown mainly in Haiti, India, Indonesia and Reunion Island. Its roots, when distilled, yield an essential oil, which is not only used in perfumes, but also to obtain vetiveryl acetate.
Vetiver appeared on Reunion Island in 1850. Since then it has become
one of the noble crops called Bourbon vetiver.
LEAVES, HERBS AND STEMMS
Geranium
Of the 250 varieties of geranium, perfumery chose only three, grown on the high plains of Reunion Island and on the banks of the Nile Delta in Egypt. Geranium essential oil, obtained after steam distillation, gives the compositions a very pleasant floral shade. The peculiarity of this oil is that it contains chemical compounds that can be found in rose essential oil, and gives the compositions a note of rose.
Geranium leaves, not flowers, are used in perfumery.
On Reunion Island and in Egypt the most
the best varieties of geraniums, different from those
that decorate our gardens
Patchouli
The famous "flower power" hippie scent of the 70s comes from patchouli oil, which is derived from the dried leaves of Pogostemon cablin, grown in Indonesia. Patchouli has a very unusual smell, camphorous, earthy and woody at the same time.
Violet
Violet leaves (Viola odorata) are used. Extraction with solvents produces an absolute oil with a floral scent and a strong green note. Violet was used very extensively at the beginning of modern perfumery (Vera Violetta, Roger and Galle, 1892, Violette pourpre, Ubigan, 1907). Currently, it is often used as a fixative for other components.
Myrtle
The branches of Myrtus communis produce an essential oil that, when used in small quantities, creates an aromatic note in compositions. This Mediterranean tree, which was once dedicated to Venus, was a symbol of happy lovers. The Romans added myrtle branches and fruits to wine for flavoring, and used the leaves in baths.
Other plants include wormwood, a wild herb that produces an essential oil with a herbaceous odor; basil (French basil and exotic basil); cypress, tarragon, eucalyptus, dill, laurel, marjoram, mate (a small tree in South America, the leaves of which are chewed by Indians); mint, oregano, parsley, pine, sage and clary sage, tobacco, thyme, verbena.
Basil from Provence- one of two varieties of basil,
used in perfumery.
Clary sage ( Salvia sclarea) produces essential and absolute oils,
successfully used in men's compositions.
BRANCHES, BARK, MOSSES AND LICHENS
Long used for smudging, these products play an important role in modern perfumery when used in woody and chypre scented compositions.
Cinnamon
A popular spice since the 16th century, with all the recognized aromas of warm wines and confectionery, cinnamon is used in perfumery in the form of essential oil. The species used is called Ceylon cinnamon tree (Cinnamomum ceylanicum), which grows on the island of Ceylon, Malaysia and the Seychelles. The persistent and warm aroma of cinnamon oil is indispensable for oriental perfumes.
Sandalwood
Amazone, Hermes, Jicky, Guerlain, Metal, Paco Rabanne... The list of perfumes using sandalwood oil is long. Santalum album tree and roots are steam distilled to produce an essential oil with a warm and mellow scent. The best essential oil is considered to be from Karnataka, India. Sandalwood trees are currently protected, so sandalwood is not officially cultivated.
Sandalwood has been highly valued in India since Antiquity.
It is used as a wood for religious fumigation, used
in carpentry and in perfumery after distillation.
Oak moss (Evernia prunastri), which is collected in winter and early spring in temperate regions, and tree moss (Evernia purfurcea) make it possible to obtain absolute oils by solvent extraction, constant components of compositions with the scent of chypre and greenery (Miss Dior, Dior; Quartz, Molino and Kouros, Yves Saint Laurent).
Made from oak moss obtain absolute oil,
necessary in chypre combinations.
Of the remaining raw materials used in this category, we note pink tree. Its oil, obtained by distilling the wood of Aniba rosaedora, a tree native to Brazil, Peru and Guyana, is very important, like birch oil, for leather scented compositions. Finally, thuja and cedar oils are components of some wood combinations.
Birch essential oil has a very strong
leather scent used in compositions of the same name.
RESINS, GUM AND BALSAM
Unfamiliar to most people, but highly valued by perfumers, resins, gums, gum-resins and balms are all natural or damaged secretions of some plants. These products differ in solubility, and resins, unlike gum, have odorous properties.
Benzoin resin siamese
This resin is obtained by cutting the trunk of Styrax tonkinensis, a low-growing tree native to Laos and Vietnam. From it, solvent extraction produces a product called a resinoid, used by perfumers to round out the scent of a composition.
Benzoin resin siamese
Labdanum
This gum-resin is formed from the secretions of the leaves of the cistus tree, Cistus Iadaniferus, a shrub native to the Mediterranean basin. Its absolute oil is very valuable for combinations of chypre and amber compositions.
Cistus leaves produce a resin called labdanum.
Incense
Boswellia carterii or saera is a shrub that grows wild in the southern Arabian Peninsula and Somalia. The oil obtained by distillation is used as the initial note of compositions, to which it imparts a spicy note. The resinoid obtained by extraction has a heavier odor and is used as the main note in oriental and woody compositions.
Galbanum
This gum resin is extracted from a cut in the trunk of Ferula galbaniflua, a herbaceous plant found mainly in Iran. After treatment with water vapor or solvents, galbanum has a green scent, which was excellent in Fidji, Guy Laroche and Vent Vert, Balmain.
Myrrh
One of the gifts of the Magi, myrrh is a resin secreted by the bush Commiphora myrrha. The essential oil or resinoid obtained from the resin has an aroma reminiscent of the smell of a forest thicket. In perfumery it is used in combinations of chypre and fern.
Let us also recall elemi, obtained from the gum resin secreted by elemi manila, a large tree growing in the Philippines, opoponax (or opoponax), the essential oil and resinoid of which resemble myrrh and are included in the composition of the famous Shalimar, Guerlain; Tolu balsam, extracted from a tree growing in Bolivia or Venezuela, the sweet shade of the smell of which fits well with oriental compositions. It should be remembered that myrrh, frankincense, galbanum and opopanax were still included in the incense of the Egyptians.
Opoponax resin (or opoponax).
FRUITS AND ZEST
Due to their water content, the fruit has too weak an aroma to be used in perfumery. Only citrus fruits are used, their peel contains fragrant oils, and the fruits are dried. Perfumers classify lemons, tangerines, oranges, etc. as “citrus fruits,” the notes of which are present in all colognes and refreshing waters.
Lemon
Essential oil is obtained by pressing the peel of the fruit of Citrus limon, grown in Italy, Florida, South America and Cote d'Ivoire. The oil is used as the initial note of compositions and thanks to it the effect of freshness is achieved.
Orange
The peels of the fruits of bitter orange (Citrus aurantium amara) and sweet orange (Citrus aurantium dulcis) are used to obtain essential oils that give an excellent effect in refreshing waters and colognes.
Mandarin
Originally from China, where its fruit was offered to tangerines, Citrus reticulata produces essential oil by squeezing the peel.
Tangerine fruit (Citrus reticulata).
Grapefruit
Grapefruit essential oil is obtained from Citrus paradisi and is produced in Israel and the USA. Recently used in perfumery, it often plays an important role in citrus scent combinations.
Let us also mention bergamot, obtained from Citrus bergamia, its essential oil evaporates very easily and gives a lift to the perfume. Let's also remember about cedrate, from the fruits of Citrus medica, widely used in the 18th and 19th centuries, but forgotten by modern perfumers; and about lime or green lemon (Citrus aurantifolia), its oil is used in men's eau de toilettes, sports scents, and also in Coca-Cola!
Anise and star anise
Anise essential oil is obtained by steam distillation of small dried fruits of the European herb Pimpinella anisum. As for star anise, its essential oil is made by distilling the star-shaped fruit of Illicium verum, a huge tree native to Vietnam and southern China. This scent is used in refreshing compositions.
Nutmeg
Known to botanists as Myristica fragrans, nutmeg grows on an evergreen tree, the nutmeg tree. When picked fresh, the fruit is similar in size to an apricot. Its peel has a red fibrous structure. The nut itself has a tart, bitter taste. Both components are used in perfumery: the spicy scent of the oil is necessary for men's compositions and modern colognes.
Nuts found in the fruits of Myristica fragrans (nutmeg).
Vanilla
Originally from Mexico, vanilla in the 18th century. was introduced to the Indian Ocean region, Madagascar, Reunion and the Camoros Islands. Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is a climbing plant from the orchid family with white-greenish or yellowish flowers and slightly flattened pods. The pods contain black seeds inside, and their inner walls are lined with hairs that secrete a yellow, viscous substance with a warm, sweet balsamic aroma. This oil has a strong odor and fixative properties, it is found in many compositions, in particular in Guerlain perfumes.
Vanilla pods (Vanilla planifolia).
Let's remember about the buds of the clove, which are actually the pedicels of the clove tree, which grows in Malaysia, Madagascar and Zanzibar. Combining clove essential oil, which has a spicy and herbaceous scent, with rose oil produces the aroma of cloves, which is very important in perfumery. When it comes to juniper berries, you only need to smell the gin deeply to understand their aroma. They produce an oil with a pine, fruity and forest aroma.
Finally, the berries of Pimenta officinalis, when distilled, produce an oil with a spicy, balsamic scent, which perfumers use in small doses for oriental combinations or for floral compositions such as carnation.
SEEDS AND GRAINS
Cardamom
The seeds of Elettaria cardamonum, a plant native to India, Ceylon, Indonesia and Central America, are used to produce an essential oil with a slightly fruity scent that adds lift to compositions.
Cardamom seeds.
Coriander
Coriander essential oil is obtained by steam distilling the seeds of Coriandrum sativum, an herb grown in the Ukraine, Hungary and North Africa. It has a spicy aroma with a hint of chocolate.
Cumin
These are the dried seeds of Cuminum cyminum, an herb native to the Mediterranean and India, which are steam distilled to produce an essential oil used in fern and woody combinations in small quantities because. its herbaceous, spicy anise scent is very strong.
Fenugreek
This herb, native to India and Asia Minor, played an important role in ancient and Islamic perfumery. Resinoid is obtained by extracting its seeds. Its smell, when disused, is similar to that of walnut and celery.
Tonka bean
Perfumery uses the seeds contained in the fruits of Dipterix odorata, a large tree that grows in Guiana and Brazil. Extraction produces an absolute oil used to create the main note in amber, tobacco and oriental combinations.
Tonka beans.
Pepper
It is the fruit of the climbing shrub Piper nigrum, its berries are green at first and are harvested after they turn red. Then they turn brown. Pepper oil is used in men's compositions.
Synthetic raw materials
Without aldehydes?5 Chanel would never have seen the light of day, and without hedione Edmond Rudnicka would not have created Eau Sauvage! This may come as a surprise to some, as well as everything that has been said regarding the use of synthetic products in perfumery. If the desire to recreate what nature created in such harmony and with such patience might seem presumptuous, it was nevertheless wisdom that guided the actions of chemists in the 19th century. Who today knows the names of Perkin, Timan, Baur, Darzan, Ruzicka, Buvo or Blanc? However, it was these people who gave life to modern spirits. After all, before work in the field of aroma chemistry, perfumes consisted of natural components, representing almost their own aromas, mixed by the perfumer with his creative imagination. The price of the perfume thus obtained did not at all contribute to its distribution; and, apart from a few extracts and colognes, perfume remained a luxury item for the privileged classes.
Since 1830, several chemists, not being perfumers, began experiments with natural scented substances. It was primarily a matter of isolating the compounds that seemed most interesting from essential oils. Thus, geraniol with the scent of rose was obtained from citronella oil by fractional distillation; and menthol was extracted from peppermint oil by crystallization. These substances are called isolates.
As a result of the first stage of research, it was necessary to state that many odorous components of natural products could not be isolated either due to their insignificant quantities, or because it would be too expensive, as in the case of vanillin from vanilla pods. Thanks to synthesis, chemists have created such substances based on individual components obtained from essential oils. Terpenes isolated from pine oil were the source of, for example, terpineol, used in the scent of lilac.
An essential oil or resinoid is obtained from many varieties of pine.
used in the perfume industry.
These results prompted scientists to attempt to obtain fragrant substances based not on plants, but on fossil raw materials, such as oil or coal. They succeeded in this thanks to the success of the synthesis: from benzene, through a series of transformations, phenylethyl alcohol with a delicate aroma of rose was obtained; and from toluene - benzyl acetate with the scent of jasmine; salicylic acid was the starting product for the synthesis of coumarin, a new compound that opened the way