One would think that flowers would have been one of the first ingredients that would be used to make perfume but in fact, flowers weren’t used for that purpose until the 9th century. Before that, perfumers as far back as four thousand years ago used herbs, spices, resins and bark. Extracting the oils from flowers by distillation was first introduced by a Persian chemist named Avicenna and his procedure is still in wide use today. Until Avicenna’s discovery, it was a laborious process to use flowers in perfume, requiring hours of effort to pulverize the petals finely enough to extract some of the oils. Years later, the Hungarians would be the first to make modern perfume from flower oils blended in a solution of alcohol.

Most flowers are fragrant but some are exceptional enough to be used in perfumes. The best known and one of the most popular throughout perfume history is the rose, generally known as the queen of flowers. Perfumes made of roses were favorites in Greece and Rome. By gathering the flowers at night they would be at their best since they begin losing their scent after sunrise. Cristalle by Chanel uses roses as the chief ingredient along with aldehydes to enhance the bouquet, amber and patchouli.

Jasmine is another flower used in perfumes, also harvested just before dawn. Processed immediately before their fragrance fades, special care must be taken to keep the fragile petals from bruising and affecting the balance of the bouquet. Special baskets for just this purpose are kept for transporting them. Jasmine is used with vanilla and bergamot by Guerlain in the manufacture of Shalimar Light perfume, a refreshing feminine fragrance that is airy, pleasant and light.

Violets are also favorites but produce so little essential oil that they’re rarely used these days. Instead a synthetic replacement is used, usually combined with oils that resemble that of the violet.

Flower of fruit are also used in many perfumes. Those who know the heavenly scent of orange and lemon blossoms will understand why they are a popular ingredient in many floral perfumes. Jasmine, mimosa and lily blossoms as well as lily of the valley are also quite common in perfumes. Unopened flower buds of clove add spice to perfume concoctions and a member or the orchid family, vanilla, also is a favorite ingredient.

A few terms may come in handy for understanding floral perfume descriptions. When you hear a perfume referred to as a “single floral” it means that the fragrance is dominated by one particular flower such as rose or lily. “Floral Bouquet” means it contains the scent of several flowers and “bright floral” is a combination of the two.

Tim Walt

Synthetic perfumes can imitate natural scents or create new ones that aren’t found in nature. From a fresh marine scent that can’t be obtained naturally to a sensuous orchid aroma that is highly prized but not attainable from natural sources, synthetic odors have been a boon to the perfume industry. 

Nearly all great perfumes contain synthetic molecules, not because synthetics are less expensive but because perfumers can create scents that evoke memories and emotions that nature lacks the raw materials for. All of Chanel’s perfumes contain synthetic components as do every other truly remarkable perfume. Methyl dihydrojasmonate, for instance, imparts the sense of pure light and clean air that imitates the scent and feel of water, an aroma not possible to imitate with any natural ingredients. 

Many lovers of perfume harbor a strong prejudice against synthetics, thinking they cheapen true perfume. Nothing could be further from the truth! The world-famous Chanel No. 5 would be mediocre without synthetic aldehydes developed in 1903. Cheap? The best synthetic creations, much like rare natural ingredients such as true vanilla, are very expensive. A truly wonderful synthetic ingredient can cost up to $1200 per pound. 

Synthetics can also prevent allergic reactions. There are many people who love the scent of Sandalwood but have allergic reactions when they try to wear perfume containing it. A synthetic named Sandalore prevents that reaction and brings joy to the allergy sufferer. As an added bonus, synthetics help to preserve our natural environment. The sandalwood forests in India have been harvested at an alarming rate to sate our thirst for their fragrance in perfumes, soaps, and other everyday products. Many perfumers, seeing the destruction of natural resources for the sake of commerce, are turning to synthetics in order to serve their customers while preserving the earth’s beauty for their own children and grandchildren. 

Take musk, for example. The musk deer was hunted to the point of endangerment up till a couple of decades ago when synthetic musk was developed and laws enacted to protect the animal. Synthetic musk not only lasts longer than the real thing, the guilt factor is removed completely. You can wear your favorite musk-based perfume knowing that no suffering was involved for innocent animals. 

In summary, you can make a nutritious dinner using only natural ingredients and practices such as baking your own bread over a fire but why would you want to? Artificial methods and growing practices have greatly enhanced our lives and our health. Synthetic perfumes, in the same way, not only protect our natural resources but allow us to enjoy a large spectrum of truly remarkable and memorable scents that would normally be out of reach.

Tim Walt