Perfume
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents 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.
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.
Floral: Fragrances that are dominated by the scent of one or more types of flowers. When only one flower is used, it is called a soliflore (as in Dior's Diorissimo, with jasmine).
Chypre: Fragrances build on a similar base consisting of bergamot, oakmoss and labdanum. This family of fragrances is named after a perfume by François Coty by the same name. Meaning Cyprus in French, the term alludes to where this base was inspired. This fragrance family is characterized by a scent reminiscent of apricot and custard.
Aldehydic: Fragrances that incorporate the family of chemicals known as aldehydes. Chanel No 5 was the first aldehydic perfume (created by the royal Russian perfumer Ernest Beaux in 1921). Others include Je Reviens and Arpege. Aldehydic perfumes have the characteristic "piquant" note produced by materials like Aldehyde C12 MNA.
Fougère: Fragrances built on a base of lavender, coumarin and oakmoss. Many men's fragrances belong to this family of fragrances, which is characterized by its sharp herbaceous and woody scent.
Leather: A family of fragrances which features the scents honey, tobacco, wood, and wood tars in its middle or base notes and a scent that alludes to leather.
Woody: Fragrances that are dominated by the woody scents, typically of sandalwood and cedar. Patchouli, with its camphoraceous smell, is commonly found in these perfumes.
Orientals or ambers: A large fragrance class featuring the scents of vanilla and animal scents together with flowers and woods. Can be enhanced by camphorous oils and incense resins, which bring to mind Victorian era imagery of the Middle East and Far East.
Citrus: An old fragrance family that until recently consisted mainly of "freshening" Eau de colognes due to the low tenacity of citrus scents. Development of newer fragrance compounds has allowed for the creation of primarily citrus 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.
Top notes: Scents that are perceived immediately on application of a perfume. Top notes create the scents that form a person's initial impression of a perfume. Because of this, they are very important in the selling of a perfume. The scents of this note class are usually described as "fresh," "assertive" or "sharp." The compounds that contribute to top notes are strong in scent, very volatile, and evaporate quickly. Citrus and ginger scents are common top notes.
Heart notes or Middle notes: The scent of a perfume that emerges after the top notes dissipate. The heart note compounds form the "heart" or main body of a perfume and act to mask the often unpleasant initial impression of base notes, which become more pleasant with time. Not surprisingly, the scent of heart note compounds is usually more mellow and "rounded." Scents from this note class appear anywhere from 2 minutes to 1 hour after the application of a perfume. Lavender and rose scents are typical heart notes. Top notes and heart notes are sometimes described together as Head notes.
Base notes: The scent of a perfume that appears after the departure of the top notes. The base and middle notes together are the main theme of a perfume. Base notes bring depth and solidness to a perfume. Compounds of this class are often the fixatives used to hold and boost the strength of the lighter top and heart notes. The compounds of this class of scents are typically rich and "deep" and are usually not perceived until 30 minutes after the application of the perfume or during the period of perfume dry-down. Musk, vetiver and scents of plant resins are commonly used as base notes.
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:
Perfume extract: 20%-40% aromatic compounds
Eau de parfum: 10-30% aromatic compounds
Eau de toilette: 5-20% aromatic compounds
Eau de cologne: 2-3% aromatic compounds
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 herbivores, infections, as well as to attract pollinators. 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.
Flowers and Blossoms: Undoubtedly the largest source of aromatics. Includes the flowers of several species of rose and jasmine, as well as osmanthus, mimosa, tuberose, as well as the blossoms of citrus and ylang-ylang trees. Although not traditionally thought of as a flower, the unopened flower buds of the clove are also commonly used. Orchid flowers are not commercially used to produce essential oils or absolutes.
Leaves and Twigs: Commonly used for perfumery are lavender leaf, patchouli, sage, violets, rosemary, and citrus leaves. Sometimes leaves are valued for the "green" smell they bring to perfumes, examples of this include hay and tomato leaf.
Roots, rhizomes and bulbs: Commonly used terrestrial portions in perfumery include iris rhizomes, vetiver roots, various rhizomes of the ginger family.
Seeds: Commonly used seeds include tonka bean, coriander, caraway, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, and anise.
Fruits: Fresh fruits such as apples, strawberries, cherries unfortunately do not yield the expected odors when extracted; if such fragrance notes are found in a perfume, they are synthetic. Notable exceptions include litsea cubeba, vanilla, and juniper berry. The most commonly used fruits yield their aromatics from the rind; they include citrus such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit.
Woods: Highly important in providing the base notes to a perfume, wood oils and distillates are indispensable in perfumery. Commonly used woods include sandalwood, rosewood, agarwood, birch, cedar, juniper, and pine.
Bark: Commonly used barks includes cinnamon and cascarilla. The fragrant oil in sassafras root bark is also used either directly or purified for its main constituent, safrole, which is used in the synthesis of other fragrant compounds such as helional.
Resins: Valued since antiquity, resins have been widely used in incense and perfumery. Highly fragrant and antiseptic resins and resin-containing perfumes have been used by many cultures as medicines for a large variety of ailments. Commonly used resins in perfumery include labdanum, frankincense/olibanum, myrrh, Peru balsam, gum benzoin. Pine and fir resins are a particularly valued source of terpenes used in the organic synthesis of many other synthetic or naturally occurring aromatic compounds. Some of what is called amber and copal in perfumery today is the resinous secretion of fossil conifers.
Lichens: Commonly used lichen includes oakmoss and treemoss thalli.
Animal sources
Musk: Originally derived from the musk sacs from the Asian musk deer, it has now been replaced by the use of synthetic musks due to its price and ethical issues.
Civet: Also called Civet Musk, this is obtained from the odorous sacs of the civets, animals in the family Viverridae, related to the Mongoose.
Castoreum: Obtained from the odorous sacs of the North American beaver.
Ambergris: Lumps of oxidized fatty compounds, whose precursors were secreted and expelled by the Sperm Whale. Ambergris is commonly referred as "amber" in perfumery and should not be confused with yellow amber, which is used in jewelry.
Honeycomb: Distilled from the honeycomb of the Honeybee.
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:
International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF)
Givaudan
Firmenich
Quest International
Takasago
Symrise
Each of these companies patent several processes for the production of aromatic synthetics annually.
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 waxes 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.
Maceration/Solvent extraction: The most used and economically important technique for extracting aromatics in the modern perfume industry. Raw materials are submerged in a solvent that can dissolve the desired aromatic compounds. Maceration lasts anywhere from hours to months. Fragrant compounds for woody and fibrous plant materials are often obtained in this matter as are all aromatics from animal sources. The technique can also be used to extract odorants that are too volatile for distillation or easily denatured by heat. Commonly used solvents for maceration/solvent extraction include hexane, and dimethyl ether. The product of this process is call a "concrete".
Supercritical fluid extraction: A relatively new technique for extracting fragrant compounds from a raw material, which often employ supercritical CO2. Due to the low heat of process and the relatively unreactive solvent used in the extraction, the fragrant compounds derived often closely resemble the original odour of the raw material.
Ethanol extraction: A type of solvent extraction used to extract fragrant compounds directly from dry raw materials, as well as the impure oily compounds materials resulting from solvent extraction or enfluerage. Ethanol extraction is not used to extract fragrace from fresh plant materials since these contain large quantities of water, which will also be extracted into the ethanol.
Distillation: A common technique for obtaining aromatic compounds from plants, such as orange blossoms and roses. The raw material is heated and the fragrant compounds are re-collected through condensation of the distilled vapour.
Steam distillation: Steam from boiling water is passed through the raw material, which drives out their volatile fragrant compounds. The condensate from distillation are settled in a Florentine flask. This allows for the easy separation of the fragrant oils from the water. The water collected from the condensate, which retains some of the fragrant compounds and oils from the raw material is called hydrosol and sometimes sold. This is most commonly used for fresh plant materials such as flowers, leaves, and stems.
Dry/destructive distillation: The raw materials are directly heated in a still without a carrier solvent such as water. Fragrant compounds that are released from the raw material by the high heat often undergo anhydrous pyrolysis, which results in the formation of different fragrant compounds, and thus different fragrant notes. This method is used to obtain fragrant compounds from fossil amber and fragrant woods where an intentional "burned" or "toasted" odour is desired.
Expression: Raw material is squeezed or compressed and the oils are collected. Of all raw materials, only the fragrant oils from the peels of fruits in the citrus family are extracted in this manner since the oil is present in large enough quantities as to make this extraction method economically feasible.
Enfleurage: Absorption of aroma materials into wax and then extracting the odorous oil with alcohol. Extraction by enfleurage was commonly used when distillation was not possible due to the fact that some fragrant compounds denature through high heat. This technique is not commonly used in the present day industry due to its prohibitive cost and the existence of more efficient and effective extraction methods.
Fragrant extracts
Although fragrant extracts are known to the general public as the generic term "essential oils", 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.
Absolute: Fragrant materials that are purified from a pommade or concrete by soaking them in ethanol. By using a slightly hydrophilic compound such as ethanol, most of the fragrant compounds from the waxy source materials can be extracted without dissolving any of the fragrantless waxy molecules. Absolutes are usually found in the form of an oily liquid.
Concrete: Fragrant materials that have been extracted from raw materials through solvent extraction using volatile hydrocarbons. Concretes usually contain a large amount of wax due to the ease in which the solvents dissolve various hydrophobic compounds. As such concretes are usually further purified through distillation or ethanol based solvent extraction. Concretes are typically either waxy or resinous solids or thick oily liquids.
Essential oil: Fragrant materials that have been extracted from a source material directly through distillation or expression and obtained in the form of an oily liquid. Oils extracted through expression are sometimes called expression oils.
Pommade: A fragrant mass of solid fat created from the enfleurage process, in which odorous compounds in raw materials are adsorbed into animal fats. Pommades are found in the form of an oily and sticky solid.
Tincture: Fragrant materials produced by directly soaking and infusing raw materials in ethanol. Tinctures are typically thin liquids.
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 corporations 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 (shampoos, make-up, detergents, 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 balsams, 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.
Fragrance oil: this usually includes several oils but has one or more of oils of higher concentrations than the others. These give the perfume its scent and distinguish it from other perfumes. The concentration os fragrance oil is as stated earlier (2-40%), but most frequently around 10% of the overall volume of product..
Fixatives: These bind the various fragrances together as stated abobe and usually several fixative materials can be used. Examples of fixatives include amber, gum arabic, musk, vanillin, amyl benzoate, ethyl phthalate, glycerine, .. etc. These are usually about 0.2-0.5% of the final product.
Vehicle: the majority of the perfume is ethanol that has been prefixed for a long time (from months to years) using mentioned fixatives. It usually consists about 60 to 95% of the perfume but most frequently around 85-90% of the overall volume of product.
The desired volume of fragrance oil is added to the prefixed ethanol that contains water in a proportion that will result in no precipitation or foggy colloidal product. The usual water percentage is less then 2%. The formulated product is stored for sometime (weeks to months) before use, although it can be used shortly after preparation.
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 Arabs. 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 allergens.
It is important to note that, while using exclusively natural materials can result in more complex aromas than their artificial single-note counterparts, the use of synthetic materials is certainly valid, and in some cases, more ethical.
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.
Many natural materials and essential oil contain the same chemicals used in perfumes that are classified as allergens, many of them at higher concentrations.
Perfume composed only of expensive natural materials can be very expensive. Synthetic aromatics make perfumes available at widely-affordable prices.
The use of some natural materials, like sandalwood, can lead to species endangerment and illegal trafficking.
In the distillation of natural essential oils any biocides (including 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 dangerous.
There are many new synthetic aromas that bear 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.
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." [1]
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:
Heat
Light
Oxygen
Extraneous organic materials
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
What's the difference between Perfumer's Alcohol and Formulator's Alcohol?
Perfumer's Alcohol is designed specifically for the production of perfumes. It is designed for direct skin contact in a perfume. It contains SD40B Alcohol, isopropyl myristate and isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl myristate is added to act as a fixative because it is a light wax that readily penetrates and carries and holds the essential oils. No water should be added because the isopropyl myristate will separate out. Essential oils should be added slowly and mixed well.
Do not proceed until each addition of oil is completely dissolved. Some resins may take overnight or longer. Perfumer's alcohol may also be used in self preserving lotions and emulsified products. it should be added to the water phase prior to preparing the lotion. Expect a milky liquid which emulsifies into the lotion with the rest of the oils. Do not dilute below 20 % alcohol. This will ensure that your product is preserved against microbial growth.
Formulator's Alcohol is designed for use with products that require the addition of water. These include colognes, aftershave, hair spray, linen sprays, hand sanitizers, astringents and self-preserving lotions. Formulator's alcohol contains SD40B alcohol, propylene glycol and isopropyl alcohol.
Clear products may be made using this technique. Dissolve the essential oils and other oil soluble materials in the Formulator's alcohol. Dissolve the water soluble components like soy quat or silk in the water. Add a small amount of water and mix until dissolved and solution is clear before adding more water. If the mixture becomes hazy and refuses to clear add a small amount of alcohol and allow it to stand for a few days. Do not dilute below 20 % alcohol. This will ensure that your product is preserved against microbial growth.
Percentage of Fragrance Required to Make Perfume, Cologne, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Cologne, AfterShave
Formulation Type
Fragrance or
Essential Oil
Perfumer's
Alcohol
Formulator's
Alcohol
Distilled Water
or Distillate
Perfume
20% to 30%
65% to 80%
65% to 80%
0 to 5%
Cologne
15% to 20%
N/A
70% to 85%
5% to 10%
Eau de Cologne
12% to 17%
N/A
78% to 88%
10% to 15%
Eau de Toilette
5% to 10%
N/A
75% to 80%
15%
Aftershave
2% to 5%
N/A
75% to 83%
15% to 20%
Room or Linen Sprays
3-7%
N/A
20% to 30%
63% to 77%
How to Blend Essential Oils
A discussion about making perfuming might start with the consideration of essential oils. In order to bring some sense to the puzzle, parfumiers usually sort essential oils according to their "weight" within a formula. Thus, oils may be high or top notes, middle or heart notes, bottom or base notes.
Top Note
Middle Note
Bottom Note
Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Lime, Bergamot, Spearmint, peppermint
Coriander, Palmarosa, Marjoram, Basil, Rosemary, Rose Geranium, Pettitgrain, Lavender
Patchouli, Vetiver, Frankincense, Cedarwood, Sandalwood
Note: this table is not exhaustive. Some oils may share characteristics common to more than one note type.
Another important group of oils are those that bridge or sustain a blend. Instead of acting as a top, middle or bottom note, sustaining notes such as litsea cubeba, lemongrass, lavender and ylang ylang lend themselves to creating harmony within the blend.
Prepare your essential oil blends in clear glass beakers or vials so you can observe and smell at the same time. You can transfer into UV resistant glass when you are ready to begin the aging process.
Write down each new addition to your essential oil blend. Some parfumiers create a base they use as a springboard, adding new essential oils to it to create each new perfume. Writing down your recipe is a great habit and will save you time, money and effort in the long run.
Once you are satisifed with your blend, transfer it to a cobalt blue or amber glass bottle and cap tightly. Visit with your perfume every 2-3 days. Rather than inhaling directly, uncap and "waft" the scent by creating a breeze with your fingers over the top of the container. This will carry the scent molecules to your nostrils. If you decide to add more essential oil or introduce a new essential oil to the existing blend, you should add time to your process so that all of the oils will be able to mix and meld together. Generally, this will take about 2-3 weeks from the date of the last addition.
Once your perfume has completed aging and the scent molecules have intermingled and married to your happiness, it is time to dilute. If you are considering making perfumes or colognes, please visit our blending page. You may also choose to dilute with a vegetable oil such as jojoba or fractionated coconut for use as a perfume, massage or bath oil.
Here are two non-alcohol based perfume recipes for your consideration:
Glace de Perfum
An excellent carrier for scent, this formula is rich, yet sinks right into the skin, leaving NO greasy after-feel.
Ingredients List
Beeswax, white or yellow 5 grams
Carnauba wax 4 grams
Fractionated Coconut 50 g
Mango butter 5 grams
20-25 drops essential oil or fragrance blend
Vitamin E , natural, 10 drops
Combine waxes in a microwave proof bowl and heat in microwave for 2-3 mins. on 50% power, till all waxes are melted and fluid. Stir. Addmango butter, fractionated coconut and stir. Heat for 20-30 seconds on 50% power, or until all is fluid. Stir. Add vit e and scent. Stir. Pour into waiting tins or tubes. Allow to cool thoroughly before capping. Yield: approx. 2.5 ounces.
Perfume Oil Dry Spray
Dries upon contact. This spray recipe can be used with any essential oil blend. May also be used as an after bath spray.
15 ml Cyclomethicone
20 drops sandalwood
16 drops Ylang Ylang III or extra
10 drops Bergamot
Mix well and place in a pretty perfume spray bottle.
UNDERSTANDING FRAGRANCE
Disclaimer: The information herein provided is for general information only. Any health or safety related issues should be further researched, and the advice requested of a properly qualified professional. Aromatics & More Ltd. and its owners cannot be held responsible for, and will not be liable for the inaccuracy or application of any information whatsoever herein provided.
Aroma Vocabulary
Accord:
an accord is the perfumery equivalent to a chord in music. its a blend of 2 or more smells that produce a third and distinctive smell. An accord may be a simple mixture or consist of many components and applies when each component material is in balance and harmony with each other material so that no single component can be detected.
Aroma Chemical:
any chemical compound created and used for its aromatic properties. Aroma chemicals could be isolates of essential oils, the chemical modification of those isolates, or synthetic compounds from petrochemicals
Body:
the main fragrance theme -the middle note or "heart" of a perfume. It is also used to describe a fragrance that is well-rounded or full.
Balanced:
This is when a fragrance has been so carefully blended that no single aromatic body or effect is readily identifiable.
Bottom (base) Note:
the underlying components of a fragrance, responsible for its lasting qualities, often referred to as fixatives.
Bridge:
the ability of a scent (single oil or accord) to connect two notes of a fragrance and thus smoothing the transition from one phase to another.
Character:
the distinct impression that the fragrance gives (fresh, fruity, floral etc.)
Diffusion:
The degree in which the fragrance radiates from the product or the user after the application of the product.
Dry down:
the final phase of a fragrance -- the bottom note, the character which appears several hours after application. Perfumers evaluate the bottom (base) notes and the tenacity of the fragrance during this stage.
Fixative:
a material used in a perfume to "fix" the perfume or make it last longer. Fixatives may be simply materials that are relatively longer lasting than the other components or they may have some physical or chemical effect of forming bonds with the other materials.
Lift:
The impact of a fragrance. Highly diffusive fragrances have a good "lift".
Middle (heart) Note:
the core of a perfume composition which gives it its character. The middle or "heart" note make up the main part of a fragrance and determines the classification or fragrance family.
Note(s):
one of three distinct periods in the evaporation of a perfume, (see: top note, middle note, bottom note). This also indicates an olfactory impression of a single smell.
Strength:
The intensity of the fragrance.
Thread:
the term "common" thread describes a fragrance's ability to flow from one phase to another in a cohesive rather than a discordant fashion.
Top Note:
the impression of a fragrance when first smelled or applied to the skin usually the most volatile ingredients in a perfume. the materials in the formulation that show themselves in the first stages of evaporation
Volatility:
The degree in which a component freely diffuses into the atmosphere.
How Fragrances are Created
Fragrances are compounds added to products to improve their odor and create an aesthetic impression. The structure of a fragrance is like that of a pyramid with the base being larger than the top.
Top notes of the fragrance are the smallest part and make up 15-25% of the fragrance. These notes are those that you smell when you first open the bottle or use the product.
Middle notes make up 30-40% of the total fragrance and become noticeable after the top notes have faded.
Base notes or bottom notes comprise of 40-55% of the total fragrance and tend to be long lasting. They don't appear until after the "drydown".
Top Notes: Basil, Bergamot, Cardamon, Clary Sage, Coriander, Eucalyptus, Graperfruit, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Mandarin, Neroli, Orange, Peppermint, Petitgrain, Pine, Tea Tree, and Thyme.
Middle or Heart Notes: Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Clove, Geranium, Jasmine, Marjoram, Frankinscense, Palmarosa, Chamomile, Rose, Ylang Ylang.
Base or Bottom Notes: Benzoin, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver
Blending Tips
Initially consider the oil's note and the other oils which it may blend well with. There are many aromatherapy books on the market and information on the internet that give you indications of which oils blend well together.
First: decide what heart note(s) you want to use (i.e. body, middle note). Be clear about what you are trying to achieve and what type of product this will go into. What is the purpose of the perfume and what is the mood that you want to create. What age group will be using it?
Second: choose your complementary base note(s). A couple of ways to find out what compliments your heart note might be to cut strips of paper and put your scent on the papers. Combine the strips and see how they smell together. Another method is to take the tops of the bottles and hold them together. Mover the bottles through the air under your nose and sniff.
Third: add the heart note to the selected base note -- (not the other way around).
Fourth: finish off with your complementary top note(s).
Last: add the modifier.
A modifier is a scent added to give the fragrance that gives it its uniqueness. Modifiers are use sparingly. Start with just a touch and keep adding. If you can smell the modifier in the blend then you have used too much. If this happens increase your heart note.
Always take notes as you work! It would be tragic to come up with that incredible scent and not know how you came about it.
Start by blending just two to three oils. Your scent should contain a top and middle note, or a top, middle or base note. In simple blends they may be just single oils. We have supplied a few formulas for you to get some ideas where you can start.
A well constructed blend will smell like one fragrance. In a balanced blend you should not be able to distinguish its different parts. It may be soft and floral, woody, spicy or fruity. Scents change and develop as they age, revealing the top, middle, and bottom notes respectively over time. It should not change from one scent to another to another during this time.
Types of Fragrance Ingredients
A fragrance blend can consist of a mixture of essential oils, synthetic aroma chemicals, or both. In some cases a synthetic is used because the essential oil is prohibitively expensive. Because of animal humane reasons natural oil may be replaced by a non-animal synthetic. Some oils are impossible to obtain, or don't occur in nature such as pear and mango.
When many of us hear the word chemical we think that is unnatural or toxic. Chemists know that everything around us is made up of chemicals, we eat them, we drink them, WE are them. When essential oils are extracted all the components of the chemicals are present and are affected by soil quality, sunshine, water and so on. So year to year the oil may vary. In perfumery, components of the oil may be extracted to control the consistency of the aroma and to remove any undesirable qualities. These are known as "aroma chemicals". Aroma chemicals are sourced from isolates of essential oils, chemically modified isolates of essential oils and from the petrochemical industry. When mixing perfumes care should be used with all fragrance components as you would when using pure essential oils. Overall there are probably more hazards when mixing pure essential oils than most aroma chemicals. Fragrance oils are aroma chemicals blended to create a desired aroma.
In addition to Top, Middle and Base Notes, perfumes are also put into categories that describe the fragrance, such as:
Citrus: Derived from ingredients such as lemon, bergamot and orange. They are lighter and refreshing and most always considered top notes. They are volatile and not very long lasting.
Fruity: Most often these are notes based on comforting flavors. They are perceived as being fresh, natural, clean and crisp. They tend to be strong and good for covering strong base odors.
Herbaceous: These are crisp, leafy, greens scents. They are fresh, clean and natural smelling. They are very diffusive and make good top notes.
Floral: Floral notes tend to be the most varied and are the most popular for women's fragrances. They can be familiar, gentle, and clean. There are several sub-types and they are powerful smelling. They can be used in very small amounts in blends or worn alone.
Oriental: Oriental notes are loosely described as being ingredients originally sourced from the Far East. Examples include Sandalwood, Vanilla and Frankincense. They are long lasting.
Types of Perfume
The difference between a perfume, cologne and splash is the ratio of water and alcohol to the fragrance. The following is a chart that illustrates the ratios. It has become virtually impossible to acquire pure grain alcohol for making perfumes. As a substitute for alcohol try to buy the strongest strength Vodka that you can find. Do not ever substitute the alcohol with the pharmacy variety called isopropyl alcohol.
Fragrance Type
% oil
% alcohol
% water
Perfume
15 - 30
90 - 95
5 - 10
Eau de perfume
8 - 15
80 - 90
10 - 20
Eau de toilette
4 - 8
80 - 90
10 - 20
Eau de cologne
3 - 5
70
30
Cologne splash
1 - 3
80
20
Solid Perfume
Solid perfumes are also pleasant to use and easy to make. A basic formula would use 80% of your favorite light oil, 13% beeswax and 7% of your fragrance. Melt wax with oil, let cool, add fragrance, blend well and pour into container.
Lip balm containers make excellent containers for this. If your results are too hard, add more oil or less beeswax; to soft, add less oil or more beeswax; too strong, add less fragrance. As always I offer suggestions and a place to start.
Perfume Oil
Add 10% fragrance to your favorite light oil. I suggest adding 1% Vitamin E oil as an anti-oxidant.
How to add Fragrance to your Products
Adding your fragrance to a product can be quite challenging. There are a many reactions which may appear and change the thickness and look of your product.
Fragrances are primarily oily compounds and many formulas are water based.
When the fragrance is incompatible with a water base formula a non-ionic solubilizing surfactant such as Polysorbate 20 or 80 may be used. The fragrance is first mixed into the surfactant before adding it to the final batch. The amount of solubilizer needed will vary from fragrance to fragrance. A good starting point is to mix three to four times the amount of solubilizer to fragrance.
Since fragrance makes up such a small amount of the total formula it may seem surprising that they can have such an impact on the thickness of a product-especially in shampoos and surfactant cleaning agents. It may make them thinner or it may make them thicker. In shampoos and body washes one way to deal with the problem may be to adjust the final viscosity by adding salt to the formula after the fragrance has been added. Another solution is to make up a batch of non-fragranced base and test your fragrances on small amounts at a time. This is trial and error and cannot be anticipated until the products are put together unless you are a highly experienced cosmetic chemist or perfumer.
Fragrances may affect the appearance of your product. Because they are oil based they may make clear gels and formulas hazy. They may also make an emulsion separate, go grainy, or even pearl over time. Fragrances may also make the formula turn yellow. For this reason testing your products stability is highly recommended before marketing your products.
Fragrances are typically added at the end of the formulation process. Adding them early on when the product may be warm will have negative consequences. The more volatile components of the fragrance will evaporate off when the heat is added. Ultimately the fragrance will not smell as you expected it would. If heating is not required the fragrance should be added to the oil phase of your formula.
Often times the same fragrance may be added to a full line of different products. A fragrance used in a shampoo may not smell the same as the same fragrance used in a cream. One solution may be to up the fragrance level in the products to cover variations in the base odor. One must be careful to not overdo this though as fragrance may also cause varying reactions when applied to the skin.
Is the Product Stable?
Because fragrances are made up of organic compounds that contain many reactive groups one may have to perform stability testing on their products. Testing should include storage under conditions of high heat and intense lighting. The increased heat may drive potential reactions that may change the scent and color of a product. Exposure to light may turn a formula yellow or make it smell bad. One solution to problems of heat stability is to add an anti-oxidant to your products. Anti-oxidants selectively react with free radicals to neutralize their ability to react. One such anti-oxidant is Vitamin E.
Depending on what type of plastic the product in contained in, it is possible for the fragrance to migrate into the plastic and change the odor of the formula. PET plastic is one plastic that may be used with fragrance. In cases where the fragrance is sensitive to light an opaque package should be used.
Perform a Patch Test
Some products and scents may react with the skin and cause dermatitis or sensitivity. Test your product on a small patch of skin. Do this more than once in the same place. If you have a skin reaction your product may produce an allergic reaction in others too. Some people may react to even the mildest of perfumes. It is a good idea to have a warning on your product labels that may read "discontinue use if irritation develops". I put this on all my products even if they are fragrance and color free.
Industry Watchdogs
Many of the regulatory requirements in the fragrance industry have been driven by Europe. In both Europe and the US there is currently no restriction on the amount or type of fragrance compound that may go into a personal care product. Naming individual fragrance ingredients has traditionally not been required because it would be impractical to list the 50 to 100 components in a fragrance blend. For people with sensitivities this is a problem. Recently the EU has made up three lists that have been incorporated into recent legislation. There is a list of 26 compounds reportedly found to cause allergic reaction. There is also a list of 36 fragrance materials recommended to be banned from cosmetics. If you are thinking that the natural essential oils equate to good, there are plenty of naturally derived compounds that have been shown to cause allergic reaction and are on the banned list. Very soon companies will be required to delete these compounds from their productsfume.
Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils and aroma compounds, fixatives, and solvents 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.
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.
Floral: Fragrances that are dominated by the scent of one or more types of flowers. When only one flower is used, it is called a soliflore (as in Dior's Diorissimo, with jasmine).
Chypre: Fragrances build on a similar base consisting of bergamot, oakmoss and labdanum. This family of fragrances is named after a perfume by François Coty by the same name. Meaning Cyprus in French, the term alludes to where this base was inspired. This fragrance family is characterized by a scent reminiscent of apricot and custard.
Aldehydic: Fragrances that incorporate the family of chemicals known as aldehydes. Chanel No 5 was the first aldehydic perfume (created by the royal Russian perfumer Ernest Beaux in 1921). Others include Je Reviens and Arpege. Aldehydic perfumes have the characteristic "piquant" note produced by materials like Aldehyde C12 MNA.
Fougère: Fragrances built on a base of lavender, coumarin and oakmoss. Many men's fragrances belong to this family of fragrances, which is characterized by its sharp herbaceous and woody scent.
Leather: A family of fragrances which features the scents honey, tobacco, wood, and wood tars in its middle or base notes and a scent that alludes to leather.
Woody: Fragrances that are dominated by the woody scents, typically of sandalwood and cedar. Patchouli, with its camphoraceous smell, is commonly found in these perfumes.
Orientals or ambers: A large fragrance class featuring the scents of vanilla and animal scents together with flowers and woods. Can be enhanced by camphorous oils and incense resins, which bring to mind Victorian era imagery of the Middle East and Far East.
Citrus: An old fragrance family that until recently consisted mainly of "freshening" Eau de colognes due to the low tenacity of citrus scents. Development of newer fragrance compounds has allowed for the creation of primarily citrus 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.
Top notes: Scents that are perceived immediately on application of a perfume. Top notes create the scents that form a person's initial impression of a perfume. Because of this, they are very important in the selling of a perfume. The scents of this note class are usually described as "fresh," "assertive" or "sharp." The compounds that contribute to top notes are strong in scent, very volatile, and evaporate quickly. Citrus and ginger scents are common top notes.
Heart notes or Middle notes: The scent of a perfume that emerges after the top notes dissipate. The heart note compounds form the "heart" or main body of a perfume and act to mask the often unpleasant initial impression of base notes, which become more pleasant with time. Not surprisingly, the scent of heart note compounds is usually more mellow and "rounded." Scents from this note class appear anywhere from 2 minutes to 1 hour after the application of a perfume. Lavender and rose scents are typical heart notes. Top notes and heart notes are sometimes described together as Head notes.
Base notes: The scent of a perfume that appears after the departure of the top notes. The base and middle notes together are the main theme of a perfume. Base notes bring depth and solidness to a perfume. Compounds of this class are often the fixatives used to hold and boost the strength of the lighter top and heart notes. The compounds of this class of scents are typically rich and "deep" and are usually not perceived until 30 minutes after the application of the perfume or during the period of perfume dry-down. Musk, vetiver and scents of plant resins are commonly used as base notes.
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:
Perfume extract: 20%-40% aromatic compounds
Eau de parfum: 10-30% aromatic compounds
Eau de toilette: 5-20% aromatic compounds
Eau de cologne: 2-3% aromatic compounds
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 herbivores, infections, as well as to attract pollinators. 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.
Flowers and Blossoms: Undoubtedly the largest source of aromatics. Includes the flowers of several species of rose and jasmine, as well as osmanthus, mimosa, tuberose, as well as the blossoms of citrus and ylang-ylang trees. Although not traditionally thought of as a flower, the unopened flower buds of the clove are also commonly used. Orchid flowers are not commercially used to produce essential oils or absolutes.
Leaves and Twigs: Commonly used for perfumery are lavender leaf, patchouli, sage, violets, rosemary, and citrus leaves. Sometimes leaves are valued for the "green" smell they bring to perfumes, examples of this include hay and tomato leaf.
Roots, rhizomes and bulbs: Commonly used terrestrial portions in perfumery include iris rhizomes, vetiver roots, various rhizomes of the ginger family.
Seeds: Commonly used seeds include tonka bean, coriander, caraway, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, and anise.
Fruits: Fresh fruits such as apples, strawberries, cherries unfortunately do not yield the expected odors when extracted; if such fragrance notes are found in a perfume, they are synthetic. Notable exceptions include litsea cubeba, vanilla, and juniper berry. The most commonly used fruits yield their aromatics from the rind; they include citrus such as oranges, lemons, limes, and grapefruit.
Woods: Highly important in providing the base notes to a perfume, wood oils and distillates are indispensable in perfumery. Commonly used woods include sandalwood, rosewood, agarwood, birch, cedar, juniper, and pine.
Bark: Commonly used barks includes cinnamon and cascarilla. The fragrant oil in sassafras root bark is also used either directly or purified for its main constituent, safrole, which is used in the synthesis of other fragrant compounds such as helional.
Resins: Valued since antiquity, resins have been widely used in incense and perfumery. Highly fragrant and antiseptic resins and resin-containing perfumes have been used by many cultures as medicines for a large variety of ailments. Commonly used resins in perfumery include labdanum, frankincense/olibanum, myrrh, Peru balsam, gum benzoin. Pine and fir resins are a particularly valued source of terpenes used in the organic synthesis of many other synthetic or naturally occurring aromatic compounds. Some of what is called amber and copal in perfumery today is the resinous secretion of fossil conifers.
Lichens: Commonly used lichen includes oakmoss and treemoss thalli.
Animal sources
Musk: Originally derived from the musk sacs from the Asian musk deer, it has now been replaced by the use of synthetic musks due to its price and ethical issues.
Civet: Also called Civet Musk, this is obtained from the odorous sacs of the civets, animals in the family Viverridae, related to the Mongoose.
Castoreum: Obtained from the odorous sacs of the North American beaver.
Ambergris: Lumps of oxidized fatty compounds, whose precursors were secreted and expelled by the Sperm Whale. Ambergris is commonly referred as "amber" in perfumery and should not be confused with yellow amber, which is used in jewelry.
Honeycomb: Distilled from the honeycomb of the Honeybee.
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:
International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF)
Givaudan
Firmenich
Quest International
Takasago
Symrise
Each of these companies patent several processes for the production of aromatic synthetics annually.
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 waxes 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.
Maceration/Solvent extraction: The most used and economically important technique for extracting aromatics in the modern perfume industry. Raw materials are submerged in a solvent that can dissolve the desired aromatic compounds. Maceration lasts anywhere from hours to months. Fragrant compounds for woody and fibrous plant materials are often obtained in this matter as are all aromatics from animal sources. The technique can also be used to extract odorants that are too volatile for distillation or easily denatured by heat. Commonly used solvents for maceration/solvent extraction include hexane, and dimethyl ether. The product of this process is call a "concrete".
Supercritical fluid extraction: A relatively new technique for extracting fragrant compounds from a raw material, which often employ supercritical CO2. Due to the low heat of process and the relatively unreactive solvent used in the extraction, the fragrant compounds derived often closely resemble the original odour of the raw material.
Ethanol extraction: A type of solvent extraction used to extract fragrant compounds directly from dry raw materials, as well as the impure oily compounds materials resulting from solvent extraction or enfluerage. Ethanol extraction is not used to extract fragrace from fresh plant materials since these contain large quantities of water, which will also be extracted into the ethanol.
Distillation: A common technique for obtaining aromatic compounds from plants, such as orange blossoms and roses. The raw material is heated and the fragrant compounds are re-collected through condensation of the distilled vapour.
Steam distillation: Steam from boiling water is passed through the raw material, which drives out their volatile fragrant compounds. The condensate from distillation are settled in a Florentine flask. This allows for the easy separation of the fragrant oils from the water. The water collected from the condensate, which retains some of the fragrant compounds and oils from the raw material is called hydrosol and sometimes sold. This is most commonly used for fresh plant materials such as flowers, leaves, and stems.
Dry/destructive distillation: The raw materials are directly heated in a still without a carrier solvent such as water. Fragrant compounds that are released from the raw material by the high heat often undergo anhydrous pyrolysis, which results in the formation of different fragrant compounds, and thus different fragrant notes. This method is used to obtain fragrant compounds from fossil amber and fragrant woods where an intentional "burned" or "toasted" odour is desired.
Expression: Raw material is squeezed or compressed and the oils are collected. Of all raw materials, only the fragrant oils from the peels of fruits in the citrus family are extracted in this manner since the oil is present in large enough quantities as to make this extraction method economically feasible.
Enfleurage: Absorption of aroma materials into wax and then extracting the odorous oil with alcohol. Extraction by enfleurage was commonly used when distillation was not possible due to the fact that some fragrant compounds denature through high heat. This technique is not commonly used in the present day industry due to its prohibitive cost and the existence of more efficient and effective extraction methods.
Fragrant extracts
Although fragrant extracts are known to the general public as the generic term "essential oils", 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.
Absolute: Fragrant materials that are purified from a pommade or concrete by soaking them in ethanol. By using a slightly hydrophilic compound such as ethanol, most of the fragrant compounds from the waxy source materials can be extracted without dissolving any of the fragrantless waxy molecules. Absolutes are usually found in the form of an oily liquid.
Concrete: Fragrant materials that have been extracted from raw materials through solvent extraction using volatile hydrocarbons. Concretes usually contain a large amount of wax due to the ease in which the solvents dissolve various hydrophobic compounds. As such concretes are usually further purified through distillation or ethanol based solvent extraction. Concretes are typically either waxy or resinous solids or thick oily liquids.
Essential oil: Fragrant materials that have been extracted from a source material directly through distillation or expression and obtained in the form of an oily liquid. Oils extracted through expression are sometimes called expression oils.
Pommade: A fragrant mass of solid fat created from the enfleurage process, in which odorous compounds in raw materials are adsorbed into animal fats. Pommades are found in the form of an oily and sticky solid.
Tincture: Fragrant materials produced by directly soaking and infusing raw materials in ethanol. Tinctures are typically thin liquids.
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 corporations 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 (shampoos, make-up, detergents, 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 balsams, 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.
Fragrance oil: this usually includes several oils but has one or more of oils of higher concentrations than the others. These give the perfume its scent and distinguish it from other perfumes. The concentration os fragrance oil is as stated earlier (2-40%), but most frequently around 10% of the overall volume of product..
Fixatives: These bind the various fragrances together as stated abobe and usually several fixative materials can be used. Examples of fixatives include amber, gum arabic, musk, vanillin, amyl benzoate, ethyl phthalate, glycerine, .. etc. These are usually about 0.2-0.5% of the final product.
Vehicle: the majority of the perfume is ethanol that has been prefixed for a long time (from months to years) using mentioned fixatives. It usually consists about 60 to 95% of the perfume but most frequently around 85-90% of the overall volume of product.
The desired volume of fragrance oil is added to the prefixed ethanol that contains water in a proportion that will result in no precipitation or foggy colloidal product. The usual water percentage is less then 2%. The formulated product is stored for sometime (weeks to months) before use, although it can be used shortly after preparation.
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 Arabs. 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 allergens.
It is important to note that, while using exclusively natural materials can result in more complex aromas than their artificial single-note counterparts, the use of synthetic materials is certainly valid, and in some cases, more ethical.
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.
Many natural materials and essential oil contain the same chemicals used in perfumes that are classified as allergens, many of them at higher concentrations.
Perfume composed only of expensive natural materials can be very expensive. Synthetic aromatics make perfumes available at widely-affordable prices.
The use of some natural materials, like sandalwood, can lead to species endangerment and illegal trafficking.
In the distillation of natural essential oils any biocides (including 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 dangerous.
There are many new synthetic aromas that bear 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.
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." [1]
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:
Heat
Light
Oxygen
Extraneous organic materials
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
What's the difference between Perfumer's Alcohol and Formulator's Alcohol?
Perfumer's Alcohol is designed specifically for the production of perfumes. It is designed for direct skin contact in a perfume. It contains SD40B Alcohol, isopropyl myristate and isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl myristate is added to act as a fixative because it is a light wax that readily penetrates and carries and holds the essential oils. No water should be added because the isopropyl myristate will separate out. Essential oils should be added slowly and mixed well.
Do not proceed until each addition of oil is completely dissolved. Some resins may take overnight or longer. Perfumer's alcohol may also be used in self preserving lotions and emulsified products. it should be added to the water phase prior to preparing the lotion. Expect a milky liquid which emulsifies into the lotion with the rest of the oils. Do not dilute below 20 % alcohol. This will ensure that your product is preserved against microbial growth.
Formulator's Alcohol is designed for use with products that require the addition of water. These include colognes, aftershave, hair spray, linen sprays, hand sanitizers, astringents and self-preserving lotions. Formulator's alcohol contains SD40B alcohol, propylene glycol and isopropyl alcohol.
Clear products may be made using this technique. Dissolve the essential oils and other oil soluble materials in the Formulator's alcohol. Dissolve the water soluble components like soy quat or silk in the water. Add a small amount of water and mix until dissolved and solution is clear before adding more water. If the mixture becomes hazy and refuses to clear add a small amount of alcohol and allow it to stand for a few days. Do not dilute below 20 % alcohol. This will ensure that your product is preserved against microbial growth.
Percentage of Fragrance Required to Make Perfume, Cologne, Eau de Toilette, Eau de Cologne, AfterShave
Formulation Type
Fragrance or
Essential Oil
Perfumer's
Alcohol
Formulator's
Alcohol
Distilled Water
or Distillate
Perfume
20% to 30%
65% to 80%
65% to 80%
0 to 5%
Cologne
15% to 20%
N/A
70% to 85%
5% to 10%
Eau de Cologne
12% to 17%
N/A
78% to 88%
10% to 15%
Eau de Toilette
5% to 10%
N/A
75% to 80%
15%
Aftershave
2% to 5%
N/A
75% to 83%
15% to 20%
Room or Linen Sprays
3-7%
N/A
20% to 30%
63% to 77%
How to Blend Essential Oils
A discussion about making perfuming might start with the consideration of essential oils. In order to bring some sense to the puzzle, parfumiers usually sort essential oils according to their "weight" within a formula. Thus, oils may be high or top notes, middle or heart notes, bottom or base notes.
Top Note
Middle Note
Bottom Note
Lemon, Orange, Grapefruit, Lime, Bergamot, Spearmint, peppermint
Coriander, Palmarosa, Marjoram, Basil, Rosemary, Rose Geranium, Pettitgrain, Lavender
Patchouli, Vetiver, Frankincense, Cedarwood, Sandalwood
Note: this table is not exhaustive. Some oils may share characteristics common to more than one note type.
Another important group of oils are those that bridge or sustain a blend. Instead of acting as a top, middle or bottom note, sustaining notes such as litsea cubeba, lemongrass, lavender and ylang ylang lend themselves to creating harmony within the blend.
Prepare your essential oil blends in clear glass beakers or vials so you can observe and smell at the same time. You can transfer into UV resistant glass when you are ready to begin the aging process.
Write down each new addition to your essential oil blend. Some parfumiers create a base they use as a springboard, adding new essential oils to it to create each new perfume. Writing down your recipe is a great habit and will save you time, money and effort in the long run.
Once you are satisifed with your blend, transfer it to a cobalt blue or amber glass bottle and cap tightly. Visit with your perfume every 2-3 days. Rather than inhaling directly, uncap and "waft" the scent by creating a breeze with your fingers over the top of the container. This will carry the scent molecules to your nostrils. If you decide to add more essential oil or introduce a new essential oil to the existing blend, you should add time to your process so that all of the oils will be able to mix and meld together. Generally, this will take about 2-3 weeks from the date of the last addition.
Once your perfume has completed aging and the scent molecules have intermingled and married to your happiness, it is time to dilute. If you are considering making perfumes or colognes, please visit our blending page. You may also choose to dilute with a vegetable oil such as jojoba or fractionated coconut for use as a perfume, massage or bath oil.
Here are two non-alcohol based perfume recipes for your consideration:
Glace de Perfum
An excellent carrier for scent, this formula is rich, yet sinks right into the skin, leaving NO greasy after-feel.
Ingredients List
Beeswax, white or yellow 5 grams
Carnauba wax 4 grams
Fractionated Coconut 50 g
Mango butter 5 grams
20-25 drops essential oil or fragrance blend
Vitamin E , natural, 10 drops
Combine waxes in a microwave proof bowl and heat in microwave for 2-3 mins. on 50% power, till all waxes are melted and fluid. Stir. Addmango butter, fractionated coconut and stir. Heat for 20-30 seconds on 50% power, or until all is fluid. Stir. Add vit e and scent. Stir. Pour into waiting tins or tubes. Allow to cool thoroughly before capping. Yield: approx. 2.5 ounces.
Perfume Oil Dry Spray
Dries upon contact. This spray recipe can be used with any essential oil blend. May also be used as an after bath spray.
15 ml Cyclomethicone
20 drops sandalwood
16 drops Ylang Ylang III or extra
10 drops Bergamot
Mix well and place in a pretty perfume spray bottle.
UNDERSTANDING FRAGRANCE
Disclaimer: The information herein provided is for general information only. Any health or safety related issues should be further researched, and the advice requested of a properly qualified professional. Aromatics & More Ltd. and its owners cannot be held responsible for, and will not be liable for the inaccuracy or application of any information whatsoever herein provided.
Aroma Vocabulary
Accord:
an accord is the perfumery equivalent to a chord in music. its a blend of 2 or more smells that produce a third and distinctive smell. An accord may be a simple mixture or consist of many components and applies when each component material is in balance and harmony with each other material so that no single component can be detected.
Aroma Chemical:
any chemical compound created and used for its aromatic properties. Aroma chemicals could be isolates of essential oils, the chemical modification of those isolates, or synthetic compounds from petrochemicals
Body:
the main fragrance theme -the middle note or "heart" of a perfume. It is also used to describe a fragrance that is well-rounded or full.
Balanced:
This is when a fragrance has been so carefully blended that no single aromatic body or effect is readily identifiable.
Bottom (base) Note:
the underlying components of a fragrance, responsible for its lasting qualities, often referred to as fixatives.
Bridge:
the ability of a scent (single oil or accord) to connect two notes of a fragrance and thus smoothing the transition from one phase to another.
Character:
the distinct impression that the fragrance gives (fresh, fruity, floral etc.)
Diffusion:
The degree in which the fragrance radiates from the product or the user after the application of the product.
Dry down:
the final phase of a fragrance -- the bottom note, the character which appears several hours after application. Perfumers evaluate the bottom (base) notes and the tenacity of the fragrance during this stage.
Fixative:
a material used in a perfume to "fix" the perfume or make it last longer. Fixatives may be simply materials that are relatively longer lasting than the other components or they may have some physical or chemical effect of forming bonds with the other materials.
Lift:
The impact of a fragrance. Highly diffusive fragrances have a good "lift".
Middle (heart) Note:
the core of a perfume composition which gives it its character. The middle or "heart" note make up the main part of a fragrance and determines the classification or fragrance family.
Note(s):
one of three distinct periods in the evaporation of a perfume, (see: top note, middle note, bottom note). This also indicates an olfactory impression of a single smell.
Strength:
The intensity of the fragrance.
Thread:
the term "common" thread describes a fragrance's ability to flow from one phase to another in a cohesive rather than a discordant fashion.
Top Note:
the impression of a fragrance when first smelled or applied to the skin usually the most volatile ingredients in a perfume. the materials in the formulation that show themselves in the first stages of evaporation
Volatility:
The degree in which a component freely diffuses into the atmosphere.
How Fragrances are Created
Fragrances are compounds added to products to improve their odor and create an aesthetic impression. The structure of a fragrance is like that of a pyramid with the base being larger than the top.
Top notes of the fragrance are the smallest part and make up 15-25% of the fragrance. These notes are those that you smell when you first open the bottle or use the product.
Middle notes make up 30-40% of the total fragrance and become noticeable after the top notes have faded.
Base notes or bottom notes comprise of 40-55% of the total fragrance and tend to be long lasting. They don't appear until after the "drydown".
Top Notes: Basil, Bergamot, Cardamon, Clary Sage, Coriander, Eucalyptus, Graperfruit, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon, Mandarin, Neroli, Orange, Peppermint, Petitgrain, Pine, Tea Tree, and Thyme.
Middle or Heart Notes: Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Clove, Geranium, Jasmine, Marjoram, Frankinscense, Palmarosa, Chamomile, Rose, Ylang Ylang.
Base or Bottom Notes: Benzoin, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Vetiver
Blending Tips
Initially consider the oil's note and the other oils which it may blend well with. There are many aromatherapy books on the market and information on the internet that give you indications of which oils blend well together.
First: decide what heart note(s) you want to use (i.e. body, middle note). Be clear about what you are trying to achieve and what type of product this will go into. What is the purpose of the perfume and what is the mood that you want to create. What age group will be using it?
Second: choose your complementary base note(s). A couple of ways to find out what compliments your heart note might be to cut strips of paper and put your scent on the papers. Combine the strips and see how they smell together. Another method is to take the tops of the bottles and hold them together. Mover the bottles through the air under your nose and sniff.
Third: add the heart note to the selected base note -- (not the other way around).
Fourth: finish off with your complementary top note(s).
Last: add the modifier.
A modifier is a scent added to give the fragrance that gives it its uniqueness. Modifiers are use sparingly. Start with just a touch and keep adding. If you can smell the modifier in the blend then you have used too much. If this happens increase your heart note.
Always take notes as you work! It would be tragic to come up with that incredible scent and not know how you came about it.
Start by blending just two to three oils. Your scent should contain a top and middle note, or a top, middle or base note. In simple blends they may be just single oils. We have supplied a few formulas for you to get some ideas where you can start.
A well constructed blend will smell like one fragrance. In a balanced blend you should not be able to distinguish its different parts. It may be soft and floral, woody, spicy or fruity. Scents change and develop as they age, revealing the top, middle, and bottom notes respectively over time. It should not change from one scent to another to another during this time.
Types of Fragrance Ingredients
A fragrance blend can consist of a mixture of essential oils, synthetic aroma chemicals, or both. In some cases a synthetic is used because the essential oil is prohibitively expensive. Because of animal humane reasons natural oil may be replaced by a non-animal synthetic. Some oils are impossible to obtain, or don't occur in nature such as pear and mango.
When many of us hear the word chemical we think that is unnatural or toxic. Chemists know that everything around us is made up of chemicals, we eat them, we drink them, WE are them. When essential oils are extracted all the components of the chemicals are present and are affected by soil quality, sunshine, water and so on. So year to year the oil may vary. In perfumery, components of the oil may be extracted to control the consistency of the aroma and to remove any undesirable qualities. These are known as "aroma chemicals". Aroma chemicals are sourced from isolates of essential oils, chemically modified isolates of essential oils and from the petrochemical industry. When mixing perfumes care should be used with all fragrance components as you would when using pure essential oils. Overall there are probably more hazards when mixing pure essential oils than most aroma chemicals. Fragrance oils are aroma chemicals blended to create a desired aroma.
In addition to Top, Middle and Base Notes, perfumes are also put into categories that describe the fragrance, such as:
Citrus: Derived from ingredients such as lemon, bergamot and orange. They are lighter and refreshing and most always considered top notes. They are volatile and not very long lasting.
Fruity: Most often these are notes based on comforting flavors. They are perceived as being fresh, natural, clean and crisp. They tend to be strong and good for covering strong base odors.
Herbaceous: These are crisp, leafy, greens scents. They are fresh, clean and natural smelling. They are very diffusive and make good top notes.
Floral: Floral notes tend to be the most varied and are the most popular for women's fragrances. They can be familiar, gentle, and clean. There are several sub-types and they are powerful smelling. They can be used in very small amounts in blends or worn alone.
Oriental: Oriental notes are loosely described as being ingredients originally sourced from the Far East. Examples include Sandalwood, Vanilla and Frankincense. They are long lasting.
Types of Perfume
The difference between a perfume, cologne and splash is the ratio of water and alcohol to the fragrance. The following is a chart that illustrates the ratios. It has become virtually impossible to acquire pure grain alcohol for making perfumes. As a substitute for alcohol try to buy the strongest strength Vodka that you can find. Do not ever substitute the alcohol with the pharmacy variety called isopropyl alcohol.
Fragrance Type
% oil
% alcohol
% water
Perfume
15 - 30
90 - 95
5 - 10
Eau de perfume
8 - 15
80 - 90
10 - 20
Eau de toilette
4 - 8
80 - 90
10 - 20
Eau de cologne
3 - 5
70
30
Cologne splash
1 - 3
80
20
Solid Perfume
Solid perfumes are also pleasant to use and easy to make. A basic formula would use 80% of your favorite light oil, 13% beeswax and 7% of your fragrance. Melt wax with oil, let cool, add fragrance, blend well and pour into container.
Lip balm containers make excellent containers for this. If your results are too hard, add more oil or less beeswax; to soft, add less oil or more beeswax; too strong, add less fragrance. As always I offer suggestions and a place to start.
Perfume Oil
Add 10% fragrance to your favorite light oil. I suggest adding 1% Vitamin E oil as an anti-oxidant.
How to add Fragrance to your Products
Adding your fragrance to a product can be quite challenging. There are a many reactions which may appear and change the thickness and look of your product.
Fragrances are primarily oily compounds and many formulas are water based.
When the fragrance is incompatible with a water base formula a non-ionic solubilizing surfactant such as Polysorbate 20 or 80 may be used. The fragrance is first mixed into the surfactant before adding it to the final batch. The amount of solubilizer needed will vary from fragrance to fragrance. A good starting point is to mix three to four times the amount of solubilizer to fragrance.
Since fragrance makes up such a small amount of the total formula it may seem surprising that they can have such an impact on the thickness of a product-especially in shampoos and surfactant cleaning agents. It may make them thinner or it may make them thicker. In shampoos and body washes one way to deal with the problem may be to adjust the final viscosity by adding salt to the formula after the fragrance has been added. Another solution is to make up a batch of non-fragranced base and test your fragrances on small amounts at a time. This is trial and error and cannot be anticipated until the products are put together unless you are a highly experienced cosmetic chemist or perfumer.
Fragrances may affect the appearance of your product. Because they are oil based they may make clear gels and formulas hazy. They may also make an emulsion separate, go grainy, or even pearl over time. Fragrances may also make the formula turn yellow. For this reason testing your products stability is highly recommended before marketing your products.
Fragrances are typically added at the end of the formulation process. Adding them early on when the product may be warm will have negative consequences. The more volatile components of the fragrance will evaporate off when the heat is added. Ultimately the fragrance will not smell as you expected it would. If heating is not required the fragrance should be added to the oil phase of your formula.
Often times the same fragrance may be added to a full line of different products. A fragrance used in a shampoo may not smell the same as the same fragrance used in a cream. One solution may be to up the fragrance level in the products to cover variations in the base odor. One must be careful to not overdo this though as fragrance may also cause varying reactions when applied to the skin.
Is the Product Stable?
Because fragrances are made up of organic compounds that contain many reactive groups one may have to perform stability testing on their products. Testing should include storage under conditions of high heat and intense lighting. The increased heat may drive potential reactions that may change the scent and color of a product. Exposure to light may turn a formula yellow or make it smell bad. One solution to problems of heat stability is to add an anti-oxidant to your products. Anti-oxidants selectively react with free radicals to neutralize their ability to react. One such anti-oxidant is Vitamin E.
Depending on what type of plastic the product in contained in, it is possible for the fragrance to migrate into the plastic and change the odor of the formula. PET plastic is one plastic that may be used with fragrance. In cases where the fragrance is sensitive to light an opaque package should be used.
Perform a Patch Test
Some products and scents may react with the skin and cause dermatitis or sensitivity. Test your product on a small patch of skin. Do this more than once in the same place. If you have a skin reaction your product may produce an allergic reaction in others too. Some people may react to even the mildest of perfumes. It is a good idea to have a warning on your product labels that may read "discontinue use if irritation develops". I put this on all my products even if they are fragrance and color free.
Industry Watchdogs
Many of the regulatory requirements in the fragrance industry have been driven by Europe. In both Europe and the US there is currently no restriction on the amount or type of fragrance compound that may go into a personal care product. Naming individual fragrance ingredients has traditionally not been required because it would be impractical to list the 50 to 100 components in a fragrance blend. For people with sensitivities this is a problem. Recently the EU has made up three lists that have been incorporated into recent legislation. There is a list of 26 compounds reportedly found to cause allergic reaction. There is also a list of 36 fragrance materials recommended to be banned from cosmetics. If you are thinking that the natural essential oils equate to good, there are plenty of naturally derived compounds that have been shown to cause allergic reaction and are on the banned list. Very soon companies will be required to delete these compounds from their productsfume.
