Information AboutPerfume |
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Perfume is a mixture of fragrant Essential Oil s and Aroma Compound s, Fixative s, and Solvent s used to give the human body, objects, and living spaces a pleasant smell. The amount and type of solvent mix with the fragrance oil dictates whether a perfume is considered a perfume extract, Eau De Parfum , Eau de toilette, or Eau De Cologne . , 1992; ''Angel'', Thierry Mugler , 1994; ''Shalimar'', Guerlain , 1925; ''Beyond Paradise'', Estée Lauder , 2003; ''No. 5'', Chanel , 1921 (Pre-1950 bottle); ''Cabochard'', Parfums Grès , 1959 (original bottle); ''Bellodgia'', Caron , 1927; ''Arpège'', Lanvin , 1927 (original bottle); ''Nombre Noir'', Shiseido , 1981; ''Mitsouko'', Guerlain , 1919; ''Pour Un Homme'', Caron , 1934.]] DESCRIPTION OF A PERFUME It is impossible to describe a perfume according to its components because the formulas are kept Secret . Even if the formulas are known, the ingredients are often too numerous to provide a useful classification. Cognoscenti can, however, generally get a handle on the principle ingredients. On the other hand, it is possible to group perfumes into olfactive families and describe them through the notes that appear as they slowly evaporate. Perfumes can also be classified according to their Concentration . Olfactive families Fragrances can be classified into several olfactive families, by the themes, or ''accords'', of these fragrances.
Fragrance Notes A mixture of alcohol and water is used as the solvent for the aromatics. On application, Body Heat causes the solvent to quickly disperse, leaving the fragrance to evaporate gradually over several hours. The rate of evaporation ( Vapor Pressure ) and the Odor Strength of the compound partly determine the tenacity of the compound and determine its perfume note classification.
Concentration and composition Perfumes oils, or the "juice" of a perfume composition, are diluted with a suitable solvent to make the perfume more usable. This is done because undiluted oils (natural or synthetic) contain high concentrations of volatile components that will likely result in allergic reactions and possibly injury when applied directly to skin or clothing. Although dilutions of the perfume oil can be done using solvents such as Jojoba , fractionated Coconut Oil , and Wax , the most common solvents for perfume oil dilution is Ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and water. The percent of perfume oil by volume in a perfume is listed as follows:
As the percentage of aromatic compounds decreases, the intensity and longevity of the scent decrease. It should be noted that different perfumeries or perfume houses assign different amounts of oils to each of their perfumes. As such, although the oil concentration of a perfume in ''eau de parfum'' (EDP) dilution will necessarily be higher than the same perfume in ''eau de toilette'' (EDT) form, the same trends may not necessarily apply to different perfume compositions much less across different perfume houses. To complicate matters more, some fragrances with the same ''product name'' but having a different ''concentration name'' may not only different in their dillutions, but actually use different perfume oil mixtures altogether. For instance, in order to make the EDT version of a fragrance brighter and fresher then its EDP, the EDT oil may be "tweaked" to contain slightly more top notes or less base notes. In some cases, words such as "''extrême''" or "''concentrée''" appended to frangrance names might indicate completely different frangrances that relates only because of a similar perfume ''accord''. An instance of this would be Chanel‘s ''Pour Monsieur'' and ''Pour Monsieur Concentrée''. NATURAL AND SYNTHETIC AROMATICS Plant sources Plants have long been used in perfumery as a source of essential oils and aroma compounds. These aromatics are usually Secondary Metabolites produced by plants as protection against Herbivore s, infections, as well as to attract Pollinator s. Plants are by far the largest source of fragrant compounds used in perfumery. The sources of these compounds may be derived from various parts of a plant. A plant can offer more than one source of aromatics, for instance the aerial portions and seeds of Coriander have remarkably different odors from each other. Orange leaves, blossoms, and fruit zest are the respective sources of Petit Grain , Neroli , and orange oils.
Animal sources
Synthetic sources Synthetic aromatics are created through organic synthesis from various chemical compounds that are obtained from Petroleum distillates, Pine resins, or other relatively cheap organic feedstock. Synthetics can provide fragrances which are not found in nature. For instance, Calone , a compound of synthetic origin, imparts a fresh ozonous metallic marine scent that is widely used in contemporary perfumes. Synthetic aromatics are often used as an alternate source of compounds that are not easily obtained from natural sources. For example, Linalool and Coumarin are both naturally occurring compounds that can be cheaply synthesized from Terpenes . Orchid scents (typically '' Salicylates '') are usually not obtained directly from the plant itself but are instead synthetically created to match the fragrant compounds found in various orchids. The majority of the world's synthetic aromatics are created by relatively few companies. They include:
Each of these companies patent several processes for the production of aromatic synthetics annually. ''See Aroma Compound '' OBTAINING NATURAL ODORANTS Before perfumes can be composed, the odorants used in various perfume compositions must first be obtained. Synthetic odorants are produced through Organic Synthesis and purified. Odorants from natural sources require the use of various methods to extract the aromatics from the raw materials. The results of the extraction are either essential oils, absolutes, concretes, or butters, depending on the amount of Wax es in the extracted product. All these techniques will to a certain extent, distort the odour of the aromatic compounds obtained from the raw materials. This is due to the use of heat, harsh solvents, or through exposure to oxygen in the extraction process which will denature the aromatic compounds, which either change their odour character or renders them odourless.
FRAGRANT EXTRACTS Although fragrant extracts are known to the general public as the generic term " Essential Oil s", a more specific language is used in the fragrance industry to describe the source, purity, and technique used to obtain a particular fragrant extract. Of these extracts, only ''absolutes'', ''essential oils'', and ''tinctures'' are directly used to formulate perfumes.
COMPOSING PERFUMES Perfume compositions are an important part of many industries ranging from the luxury goods sectors, food services industries, to manufacturers of various household chemicals. The purpose of using perfume or fragrance compositions in these industries is to affect customers through their sense of Smell and entice them into purchasing the perfume or perfumed product. As such there is significant interest in producing a perfume formulation that people will find aesthetically pleasing. The Nose The job of composing perfumes that will sell is left up to an expert on perfume composition, more commonly known in the fragrance industry as the ''Nose''. The nose is effectively an artist who is trained in depth on the concepts of fragrance aesthetics and who is capable of conveying abstract concepts and moods with their fragrance compositions. At the most rudimentary level, a nose must not only have a keen knowledge of a large variety of fragrance ingredients and their smells, and be able to distinguish each of the fragrance ingredients whether alone or in combination with other frangrances. As well, they must know how each ingredient reveals itself through time with other ingredients. The composition of a perfume typically begins with a ''brief'' by the nose's employer or an outside customer. The customers to the nose or the nose's employers, are typically fashion houses or large Corporation s of various industries. Each brief will contain the specifications for the desired perfume, and will describe in often poetic or abstract terms what the perfume should smell like or what feelings it should evoke in those who smell it, along with a maximum per Litre price of the perfume oil concentrate. This allowance, along with the intended application of the perfume will determine what aromatics and fragrance ingrediants can/will be used in the perfume composition. The nose will then go through the process of blending multiple perfume mixtures and will attempt to capture the desired feelings specified in the brief. After presenting the perfume mixtures to the customers, the perfumer may "win" the brief with their approval, and proceed to sell the formulation to the customer, often with modifications of the composition of the perfume. This process typically spans over several months to several years. The perfume composition will then be either used enhance another product as a ''functional fragrance'' ( Shampoo s, Make-up , Detergent s, Car interiors, etc.), or marketed and sold directly to the public as a ''fine fragrance''. Alternatively, the nose may simply be inspired to create a perfume and produce something that later becomes marketable or successfully wins a brief. This usually happens in smaller or independent perfume houses. Technique Perfume oils usually contain tens to hundreds of ingredients. Included in the perfume are fixatives, which bind the various fragrances together, such as Balsam s, Ambergris , and secretions from the scent glands of the Civet cat and Musk Deer (undiluted, these have unpleasant smells but in alcoholic solution they act as preserving agents). The mixture is normally aged for one year. HISTORY OF PERFUME AND PERFUMERY Perfumery , or the art of making perfumes, began in ancient Egypt but was developed and further refined by the Romans and the Arab s. Although perfume and perfumery also existed in East Asia, much of its fragrances are Incense based. Islamic Islamic cultures contributed significantly in the development of western perfumery in both perfecting the extraction of fragrances through steam distillation and introducing novel raw ingrediants. Both of the raw ingredients and distillation technology significantly influenced western perfumery and Scientific developments, specifically Chemistry . As traders, Islamic cultures such as the Arabs and Persians had wider access to different spices, herbals, and other frangrance material. In addition to trading them, many of these exotic materials were cultivated by the muslims such that they can be successfully grown outside of their native climates. Two examples of this include jasmine, which is native to South and Southeast Asia, and various citrus, which are native to East Asia. Both of these ingrediants are still highly important in modern perfumery. In Islamic culture, perfume usage has been documented as far back as the 6th century and its usage is considered a religious duty. The Prophet Muhammad said, "The taking of a bath on Friday is compulsory for every male Muslim who has attained the age of puberty and (also) the cleaning of his teeth with Siwak (type of twig used as a toothbrush), and the using of perfume if it is available." (Recorded in Sahih Bukhari ) Western Knowledge of perfumery came to Europe as early as the 14th Century due partially to muslim influences as well as knowledge from the Ancient Romans. During the Renaissance period, perfumes were used primarily by royalty and the wealthy to mask bodily odors resulting from the sanitary practices of the day. Partly due to this patronage, the western perfumery industry was created. By the 18th Century , aromatic plants were being grown in the Grasse region of France to provide the growing perfume industry with raw materials. Even today, France remains the centre of the European perfume design and Trade . Perfumers were also known to create poisons; for instance, a French duchess was murdered when a perfume/poison was rubbed into her gloves and was slowly absorbed into her skin. HEALTH AND ETHICAL ISSUES Use of Aromatics In some cases, an excessive use of perfumes may cause Allergic reactions of the skin. For instance, Acetophenone , Ethyl Acetate and Acetone while present in many perfumes, are also known or potential respiratory Allergen s. It is important to note that there is no benefit from creating a perfume exclusively from natural materials. There are several reasons for this:
Natural Musk Musk was traditionally taken from the male musk deer ''Moschus moschiferus''. This requires the killing of the animal in the process. Although the musk pod is produced only by a young male deer in Oestrus musk hunters usually did not discriminate between the age and sex of the deers. Due to the high demand of musk and indiscriminate hunting, populations were severely depleted. As a result, the deer is now protected by law and international trade of musk from ''Moschus moschiferus'' is prohibited: "''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''." {Link without Title} Due to its legality, rarity, high price, and ethical reasons, it is the policy of many perfume companies to use synthetic musk in place of natural musk for ethical reasons. Numerous synthetic musks of high quality are readily available. approved safe by IFRA . PRESERVING PERFUME Fragrance compounds in perfumes will denature and breakdown if improperly stored in the presence of:
Proper preservation of perfumes involve keeping them away from sources of heat and store them where they will not be exposed to light. An open bottle will keep its aroma intact for up to a year, as long as it is full or nearly so, but as the level goes down, the presence oxygen in the air that is contained in the bottle will alter the perfume's smell character, eventually distorting them. As such perfumes are best preserved when kept in light-tight Aluminium bottles or in their original packaging when not in use, and refrigerated at a relatively low temperatures between 3-7 degrees celsius. Although it is difficult to completely remove oxygen from the headspace of a stored flask of fragrance, opting for spray despensers instead of rollers and "open" bottles will minimize oxygen exposure. Sprays also have the advantage of isolating fragrance inside a bottle and preventing it from mixing with dust, skin, and detritus, which will degrade and alter the quality of a perfume. LISTS OF PERFUMES Famous perfumes classified by year of creation
Celebrity endorsed perfumes In recent years, celebrities have signed contracts with perfume houses to associate their name with a signature scent, as a self-promotion campaign. The scents are then marketed; the association with the celebrity's name usually being the selling point of the campaign. Such products generally do not have the longevity of classic fragrances. Celebrity Scents
Promotional scents associated with fictional characters
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