All You Need To Know About Fragrances And Perfumes

Perfume doesn't have to be a luxury beauty purchase. Keep an arsenal of fragrance-making tools in your bathroom and refresh the scents of your home daily. This article has all the information on what makes a quality fragrance and what you should keep in mind when creating it, including how to design, make, store, and use your own special scent. The bottom line is that there is something out there for everyone who loves fragrances, but not all fragrances are created equal!

With all the choices available to us today it can be hard to decide which perfume or perfume oil will make you feel beautiful. Some scents catch your interest right away, while others just don't do it for you.

To make it easier for you to decide, I've prepared the All You Need To Know About Fragrances And Perfumes. This article will probably answer all of your questions and give you the confidence to select your favorite perfume or fragrance.

Fragrances & Perfumes: A Brief History

When perfumes were first recorded in history, they were made from flowers, herbs and fruits which were used for various purposes – like aromatherapy and improving mood. The ancients believed that the perfumed scent of flowers was healing and had a calming effect on the mind and body (according to ancient Greeks).

As time went on, the western world started to benefit from perfumes and use them in treating various illnesses and scents were then used to improve mood.

Perfumes & Fragrances – The Definition

Perfume is defined as a scented article made by distillation of essential oils. They come in many forms but can be classified into three categories. These are: liquid, cream, and ointment.

1) Liquid Perfumes: These are used without diluting them to any extent that they become unsaturated liquids. They can be applied on their own but are more often blended with carrier oils (vegetable oil), alcohol or even water.

2) Cream Perfumes: These are semi-solid and are usually applied with a brush. They are used to make body lotion or deodorant. Some scents may also be used in the production of shower gels.

3) Ointment Perfumes: These consist of a mixture of oils with waxes and fats and they may come in regular forms like vials, tubes or jars. They can be applied to the skin but can also be made into bath oils or balms.

Perfumes & Fragrances – The Benefits

This is the most important information you need to know about perfumes. There are many benefits to using perfumes but first I will explain the good things.

Aromatherapy – Many different scents have been used for medical purposes. Perfumes, for instance, have been known to give a relaxing and soothing effect on the mind and body.

Body Products – Perfume is used in body products to give a refreshing smell that is not overpowering but leaves the wearer feeling relaxed and refreshed. It's not just humans that enjoy using perfumes, animals also love them!

Bath & Body Products – Just as perfumes are used in body products so are they used in bath goods. These can range from showers and soaps to bath oils or candle melts.

Cosmetics – Perfumes can also be used in cosmetics. This is surprising because most people think that perfumes are used by women. This is a misconception because perfume has been used by both men and women throughout history. It's also been said that perfumes have for centuries been held in high regard and considered to be a symbol of wealth and status, so were often worn as a mark of desire and passion.

Perfumes & Fragrances: How They Are Made

Making perfumes is not something that happens overnight but it does start with the botany of the flowers or herbs we use to create our scents. Flowers are not the only ingredients used to make perfume. Other ingredients include violets, herbs, spices, woods, resins and grasses.

Botanicals are either refined or left in their natural state. With the exception of synthetic compounds that are used to create perfumes, most perfumes use botanicals (natural scent sources from plants) for their scents.

Perfume is made from three basic materials: the fragrance essence (the base), fixative(s) for preserving the fragrance and solvent(s) for carrying and diluting fragrances.

Perfume contains only a few ingredients: essential oils, carriers, and fixative(s).

The three basic materials for making perfumes are: Essential Oils (fragrance), Fragrance Fixatives (preservative) and Solvents (diluent)

Perfumes & Fragrances – The Ingredients & Types

These are ingredients that contain chemicals that give scents their smell: Essential Oils. Perfume essential oils are derived from plants that have been distilled in a process which takes time and is used to extract the scent. Every single plant has its own distinctive scent - this is what gives each scent its character.

The scented oils are extracted from the plants then stored in vials or bottles. Synthetic compounds are used to create perfumes today, but these are not truly natural because all naturals have some form of chemicals. You will typically find synthetic ingredients in deodorants and body sprays as they are cheaper to use than the essential oils. They do have their benefits though; they make perfumes lighter and more lasting than naturals.

Perfume Carrier Oils – These are vegetable oils which are most often used to dilute perfumes after they have been made.

Fragrance Fixatives: This ingredient is added to fixate the fragrance to hold it longer on your skin and clothing.

Solvents: These are liquids that dissolve compounds that make the perfume last longer on the skin.

Perfumes & Fragrances – The Process Of Making Perfumes

First, the flowers, resins and other ingredients are processed to produce a scent. Then these essential oils are distilled either by themselves or mixed with other raw materials (though this is not common) . In this case, they undergo various chemical processes to create different fragrances from one perfume to another. The process is as follows:

1) The preparation of raw materials for extraction of essential oil takes time because it involves evaluation of various factors like climate, soil conditions and specific plants species.

Conclusion:

Naturally fragrant oils are extracted from flowers, herbs and resins using various techniques. Synthetic compounds don't have any scent of their own but they do mimic the essence of the natural fragrance – these are known as artificial perfume.

Some of these ingredients are used in cosmetics and toiletries while others are used to make perfumes and other scented products like body sprays, deodorants and room fragrances.