The aromatic industry makes use of several techniques in the extraction of essential oils from natural sources. Distillation, Expression, maceration, Enfleurage, etc are a few effective techniques among them. The method of extraction depends largely on the type of raw material used. Enfleurage is one such method which is employed effectively in the extraction of fragrances. Here, the fragrant compounds that are emitted from the raw materials are absorbed into wax and then extracted as oil with the help of alcohol.

In this method, odorless fats which remain solid at room temperature are made use of to capture the fragrant compounds which are given off by plants. The process of Enfleurage can either be ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ according to the raw material from which the oil has to be extracted.
The process involved in extraction of aromatic compounds through cold Enfleurage is as follows. A layer of animal fat usually from pork or beef is smeared on a large framed, glass plate which is known as chassis. After it sets completely, the raw material which normally comprises of petals or whole flowers are placed on it for a period of one to three days for their scent to get diffused on to the fat. This process is repeated by replacing the withered flowers until the fragrance absorbed by the fat reaches a saturation point. This method of fragrance extraction was initially developed in the South of France towards the nineteenth century and was mainly used for the creation of high-grade concentrates.

Hot Enfleurage is a process in which the fats which are in a solid state of form are heated initially and the raw materials which consist of different plant material are stirred into it at repeated intervals until the fat becomes saturated with the scent. Considered to be one among the ancient methods of preserving fragrances from plant matter, it was used widely and was a very popular method.

Both the hot and cold Enfleurage produces the ‘enfleurage pomade’, or fat which happens to be heavily saturated with fragrance.  It could be sold directly or treated further by ethyl alcohol so that the aromatic molecules are absorbed by the alcohol. This alcohol, when evaporated, leaves behind the odorant or fragrant compounds.

The technique of Enfleurage is not considered to be very economically viable by the aromatic industry these days and as a result it has given way to more cost effective and efficient extraction methods.

Tim Walt

Before the creation of perfumes it is essential to obtain odorants to be used in the various process of its composition. Odorants can be obtained through synthetic as well as natural methods. While synthetically, odorants are produced through organic synthesis and purification, natural methods of extraction vary according to the type of plant as well as the type of oil that is produced. Every method adopted does not give equal results and the degree and quality of the essential oil obtained out of the different processes will differ. It should be remembered that as the difficulty of the process increases, the purity of the oil will be more and so will the expense. The cheaper methods employed may sometimes cause allergies in the skin.

Maceration is one of the most frequently used technique in the extraction of essential oils and it is also considered economical too. As a result this technique is widely used for extraction in the perfume industry today. Also known as solvent extraction, the process employed in this method is quite simple. Maceration makes use of a solvent which has the power to dissolve the desired aromatic compounds. The required raw materials are submerged in this solvent to obtain the desired results.

The duration of dissolving the raw materials in the solvent and extraction of aromatic compounds may take anywhere from a couple of hours to months together. It depends upon the material that is immersed and the quality of the essential oil that has to be extracted. Some of the main oils extracted this way are those obtained from woody and fibrous plant materials as well as those obtained from animal sources.

The method of maceration or solvent extraction is also employed in such cases where the odorants are extremely volatile or highly denatured due to heat. The process of maceration is gentle enough then to deliver high quality aromatic oil safely.

The process of maceration makes use of several suitable solvents for achieving the purpose. The most common among the solvents used in this process are hexane, ethanol, and di methyl ether. The name given for the product obtained after the process of maceration is ‘Concrete’.

Tim Walt

Perfumes have become an unavoidable part of our final ‘touch up’. Smelling good automatically translates to ‘feeling good’ too and the sort of confidence that a good perfume can impart is indeed noteworthy. Today, a wide range of fragrances are manufactured by different perfume houses and their number keeps increasing by the day too. These products make use of various ingredients and flavors according to the trend of the day or according to the needs of the various clienteles. Due to the increasing influx of perfumes that are available today, it has become increasingly difficult to choose the perfect fragrance that compliments a person.

Perfumes should be chosen with the utmost care and attention. What suits one need not necessarily be suitable for some other person. That is because of the difference seen in their skin and sweat conditions. Therefore, the ideal way to choose the right perfume would be to try it on the skin before making a purchase so that the person gets know if the smell suits them or not.

Today, we find that just about any toiletry or cosmetic for that matter contains fragrance in them. Soaps, lotions, creams, deodorants, after shaves etc come with their own individual stamp of fragrance and they are able to attract a whole lot of consumers. It is very important that you select a fragrance which goes well with your personality and in fact, enhances it considerably. Perfumes are an excellent way to create your style mantra and are very effective in leaving a lasting and lingering impression on others too.

Today, we find various types of perfumes in the market. There are lighter fragrances for day or office wear and heady scents for party occasions. There are fruity scents, citrus scents, floral scents, and a wide range of other combinations which may leave one totally confused. Identifying your type of scent comes out of a lot of trial and error and it is ideal that you try it on your wrist and wait for some time before making that payment.
Perfumes and deodorants helps in keeping the human body cool, fresh, relaxed, sexy and confident all day long. So it is very important that the right fragrance be selected to enhance these qualities. A pleasant smell leaves a lasting impression on people and care should be taken to select a fragrance that suits your personality and increases your confidence. Select the lighter and delicate scents for day wear and leave the stronger and heavier fragrances for that evening party or night out.

Perfumes should be stored carefully so that it lasts for a longer time. Perfumes can retain their freshness and quality for longer times if preserved in the right conditions.

Tim Walt

Perfumes have become an integral and inevitable part of our attire and today, we can find thousands of fragrances in the market. Although, in ancient times, perfumes were created out of pure floral distillations, today we see that perfumes are created with more of synthetic chemicals or various animal and plant matter derived through artificial means. This, though economically feasible, can result in various health hazards, the prime one of which is considered to be perfume allergies.

Allergies caused due to using perfumes or due to being around others who use perfumes can be seen commonly these days. Identifying the cause of these allergies becomes all the more difficult since it is very difficult to know the ingredients which go into the creation of the said fragrance as the formulas are a closely guarded secret in the industry.

The problem is not just restricted to perfumes alone. Regular household cleaners, air fresheners, cosmetics, hair spray, shampoos, scented candles; etc can bring about devastating reactions on people who are allergic to the particular scent. The mildest form of such allergies may be a simple rash or triggering off a headache, but in its most severe form, perfume allergies can also cause a full blown attack of asthma.
Perfume allergies are very commonly found these days. This sometimes happens in confined spaces, say for instance an office, where lots of people are forced to work in close proximity and it becomes inevitable when you are forced to take in the smell of the perfume that your co-worker is wearing, and which in turn results in an allergy. The only solution in this aspect would be to either request the person to stop wearing perfume to work or to shift your seat to a different area. But this is really not practical all the time and it becomes a problem if the company policies are a bit rigid.

Other common symptoms found in the course of perfume allergy are runny nose, watery and itchy eyes, wheezing, coughing, sneezing, etc.  when you come across such symptoms when wearing that particular perfume or being near someone who is wearing the perfume, you can be sure that it is a case of allergy. But it is very difficult to diagnose the problem mainly due to the fact that this is the last thing that comes to the mind of people. Allergies are seldom connected with perfumes and even doctors sometimes confuse it with other seasonal allergies.

Another thing to be taken into account is that not all perfumes may trigger off an allergy since the composition differs according to the type of perfumes.  So, do pay attention to your surroundings so that you are able to identify the particular fragrance that triggers off an allergic reaction in you.

Tim Walt

Creating a perfume can actually be described as an art. It can be said that the job of a creator is to portray the current social motion and attitude in an extremely precise manner and highlight each personality types with related scents. A perfumer has to make use of smells to induce mental imagery and has to make the wearer feel confident.

It is the perfumer or ‘Nez’ as they are fondly called who are responsible for creation of fine scents. The customer or fashion house or corporate house who wants to create a perfume relies upon the perfumer’s fine sense of smell and composition skills to bring out a product. According to the client’s requirements, the perfumer blends the required smells and composes a version which may be approved for further manufacture.

It must be said that there are no hard and fast rule in the creation of perfumes. The general pattern followed is to go by some guidelines which could help in formulating the end product. A perfume is generally born out of a concept and the ultimate product may be achieved out of mixture of many ingredients along with the required coloring, anti-oxidants, etc to add to the shelf life of the perfume.

The first step in the conception of a perfume starts with the creation of perfume oils which can either be from a plant source like flowers, barks, fruits, leaves, etc., animal source like civet, honeycomb, musk, etc., other natural sources like lichens or seaweeds, or synthetic sources. Perfume oils are made up of a variety of ingredients which can be grouped roughly into four: Primary scents, modifiers, blenders, and fixatives. One or a few chief ingredients can be combined to form a primary scent such as ‘rose’ or ‘jasmine’. Sometimes a blend of primary scents can give rise to an abstract primary scent too. Modifiers give character to the primary scent like bringing about a change in its behavior. For example, the cherry scent in cherry cola can be considered as a modifier. Blenders are responsible for the effective blending between different layers or bases. Linalool and hydroxycitronellal are commonly used as blenders. Fixatives have the responsibility of strengthening the primary scent. Common fixatives that are in use are wood scents, amber bases, resins, etc.

Ethyl alcohol and water are blended in with the perfume oils and are stored in tanks for aging. After a minimum of fourteen days, they are processed and filtered in suitable equipments to remove any impurities or sediments and particles. The perfume is now ready for filling into perfume bottles.

Tim Walt

A perfume is a material which produces an aromatic odor. It is a volatile liquid that is either created by making use of flower extractions or manufactured synthetically. Whichever the way of manufacture, perfumes have always been a favourite of mankind down the ages and is considered to be in a heady world of its own. Worn to impart a pleasant smell to the body, perfumes are an infusion of fragrant oils, solvents and aroma compounds in specific proportions.
The word perfume is a derivation from the Latin word “per fumum” which simply means ‘smoke’. Although the creation of perfumes, or perfumery as it is known, originated as an art in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, it became more refined and underwent great development in the hands of the Romans and Persians, and to a certain extent, the East Asians too.
Today, perfumes have formed an integral part of our daily life and we all tend to use it in one form or the other. Some of the most common perfumes that are extremely popular today are:
Creed perfumes- this is a special favorite among the male world. Most of the fragrances targeted towards the males, make use of this making it the most well-liked male fragrance at the moment.
Chanel perfume- this is considered to be one of the best perfumes at any time. Its popularity has never ever decreased and even today, it can be seen that it is really sought after by the world market.
Forever perfumes- This is one perfume that is well known for its meticulous quality, value and style, thanks to its creator, Alfred Sung who is known for his clean and straight creations.
Curious perfumes- This is a perfume which has been rapidly gaining grounds over the years and is considered as an innovation from Elizabeth Arden and Britney Spears. It is expected to grow in popularity in the future chiefly due to its heady scent that is sure to attract women.
Blueberry perfumes- These perfumes are considered to be very popular among its consumers. The main perfumes catered to by this are brut, weekend, London and Touch. The brut perfume especially, is considered to be a great favorite among people.
Guerlain Perfumes- Founded by Pierre-Francois Guerlain in 1828, this is a well known perfume house which has over 300 perfumes to its credit. ‘Jicky’, Mitsouko, Shalimar, Samsara, etc are some of the most famous fragrances brought out by this perfumer.
Molinard- This is a famous French perfume house which has been in the limelight since 1849. Its clientele included Queen Victoria and several other dignitaries. One of the famous fragrances brought about by this prestigious perfume house was Habanita and Molinard de Molinard.

Tim Walt – Jan.2009

Essential oils are a very important part in the creation of perfumes. They are concentrated and highly volatile compounds which are either extracted from parts of the plant like the leaves, flower, stem, roots, bark, wood, etc or manufactured synthetically. Aromatherapy essentially makes use of naturally extracted compounds and as a result the method of extraction plays a very important role in the manufacture of quality fragrances. There are various methods of extraction of odorants from the raw materials, like maceration, cold pressing, solvent extraction, etc. But it remains to be said that a very popular and effective technique to this effect is the process of distillation. This is a process that is normally employed to extract aromatic compounds from roses or orange blossoms.

There are various processes of distillation by which odorants are obtained from aromatic plants. Of these processes, the most popular and effective ones are the method of Steam distillation and Water distillation. Steam distillation definitely has an edge over water distillation and it is sometimes opined that this is a better method in the extraction of essential oils for the purpose of aromatherapy.
Process of steam distillation:

Steam distillation is considered to be extremely popular to this day. The basic procedure involves using steam to heat the required part of the plant, thus resulting in extracting its oil. These even in this techno- savvy age. This process uses steam to heat the part of the plant, from which the oil has to be extracted. The vapors and the essence of the plant are then collected and bottled.

The procedure employed in steam distillation is as follows. The selected part or part of the plant is placed in a pressure cooker like utensil and is constantly heated by steam. This process releases the molecules from the plants which forms vapors. These vapors are passed through a cool pipe, which results in the vapors being transformed back into liquids. It is at this stage that the oil from the liquid gets separated and floats on top of the water molecules. This oil is collected as pure essential oil. Although the process of steam distillation may sound easy, it is very much complicated in nature. The whole procedure has to be done with meticulous care and attention and requires a lot of expertise. That could be the reason why oils extracted in such a manner is quite expensive.

Another method of extraction of aromatic compounds from parts of the plant is the dry or destructive distillation. This is a process by which the raw materials used are directly heated without any carrier solvent being present. This procedure results in the release of fragrant compounds which undergoes anhydrous pyrolysis and again forms different other fragrant compounds. Such a procedure is mainly used for obtaining essential oils from fragrant woods and fossil amber, which results in a ‘ burnt’ or ‘toasted’ odour.

The study of perfumes through the ages is indeed an interesting subject. The word ‘perfume’ is a derivation from the Latin word ‘per fumum’ which literally means ‘through smoke’. Perfumery has evolved down the ages and its travel through history is indeed an interesting subject.

The art of making perfumes can be traced back to ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia according to available records which mention the name of Tapputi, a perfume maker. But the art was made finer and more consistent by the Romans and the Persians. East Asia also contributed much to the development of perfumes although much of their hand work was based on incense sticks.

The Arabian expertise in making of perfumes was revealed through the ‘Book of the Chemistry of Perfume and Distillations’, which was written by the Arabian chemist Al-Kindi as early as the 9th Century, where he lists more than a hundred recipes for the creation of aromatic oils, fragrant waters, salves, etc. He has also given in detail all the equipments required for making perfumes as well as a hundred and seven methods of perfume making!

Later on, Avicenna or Ibn Sina, the Persian chemist and doctor invented the method of distillation for the extraction of fragrant oils from flowers. This became extremely popular and it must be said that this method proved to be very successful and is used even today.

As the religion of Islam spread to Europe, the knowledge of making perfumes too was introduced to the continent by the 14th century. But due credit should be given to the Hungarians who were responsible for the creation of the modern perfume which was a blend of fragrant oils and alcohol. Known all over Europe as ‘Hungary Water’, this was created at the command of Queen Elizabeth of Hungary in 1370.

Gradually, the art of making perfumes spread to Italy and by the 16th century, the Italian perfumes were introduced in France by Rene le Florentin, the personal perfumer of Catherine de’ Medici. The whole process was kept a secret and the formulas were closely guarded against theft.

France rapidly evolved to be a major hub of the perfume world especially due to the farming of aromatic plants in its Grasse region, mainly to meet the enormous raw material need. This gradually became an important industry in the South of France. To this day, France is considered to be one of the major centers in Europe which concentrates on the manufacture of world class perfumes and cosmetics.

Tim Walt – Jan.2009