The Art of Perfumery: Creating Fragrances and Aromas

Perfumery is the art and science of creating fragrances and perfumes using a blend of essential oils, aroma compounds, and fixatives.

Perfumery FAQ

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What is the purpose of a perfume?

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.

What is a perfume called?

It is sometimes called "eau de perfume" or "millésime." [citation needed] Parfum de toilette is a less common term, most popular in the 1980s, that is generally analogous to eau de parfum. Eau de toilette (EdT): 5–15% aromatic compounds (typically ~10%). This is the staple for most masculine perfumes.

Is a perfume a family?

Many fragrances contain aspects of different families. Even a perfume designated as "single flower" will have subtle undertones of other aromatics. There are hardly any true unitary-scent perfumes consisting of a single aromatic material. The family classification is a starting point to describe a perfume, but does not fully characterize it.

Who invented perfume?

The art of perfumery was apparently known to the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Egyptians, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. References to perfumery materials and even perfume formulas are found in the Bible. Raw materials used in perfumery include natural products, of plant or animal origin, and synthetic materials.

How is Perfume made?

The perfume's fragrance oils are then blended with ethyl alcohol and water, aged in tanks for several weeks and filtered through processing equipment to, respectively, allow the perfume ingredients in the mixture to stabilize and to remove any sediment and particles before the solution can be filled into the perfume bottles.

What are the different types of perfume?

Fragrances designed for men are generally classified as citrus, spice, leather, lavender, fern, or woody. Perfumes are usually alcoholic solutions. The solutions, generally known as perfumes but also called extraits, extracts, or handkerchief perfumes, contain about 10–25 percent perfume concentrates.