Resins are an important ingredient in perfumes, enhancing the scents the perfume contains as well as inhibiting their dispersion into the air. Resins allow the aromas of perfume to last longer as well as retain their integrity. Basically, resins were the first “time-release” element that existed long before the modern concept of gradual release of aromas or other elements of modern life. As such, they are used not only in perfumes but in deodorants, scented sanitizers, or any product that is meant to smell pleasant for an extended period of time.

There are many different kinds of resin used in making perfume. Labdanum, a sticky dark brown substance from a species of rockrose shrub, has a complex scent profile. Woody, smoky and earthy, some say it has slight marshy undertones that aren’t unpleasant but very different. Others think it smells like honey or hints of leather. Its very complexity makes it valuable in perfumery, as each person seems to smell a different aroma. This makes one perfume smell different to and on each person. In Crete, it is still harvested by driving goats into forests overgrown with labdanum bushes then combing the beards of the animals when they return from grazing. Harvesters also drag a mop-like collection of leather strips mounted on a pole across the bushes to gather the resin.

Benzoin resin, a balsamic secretion from tree bark, is a common ingredient in perfume because of its fixative properties and its aroma. Further, there are two different kinds; benzoin Siam and benzoin Sumatra. Benzoin Siam is found in Thailand, Laos and Cambodia while benzoin Sumatra is found in the country of the same name. Both are very fragrant and drastically slow the evaporation of perfume properties.

Frankincense, another prized ingredient in perfumes, comes from the Boswellia tree that thrives in Somalia and the surrounding country. Slashing the bark of the scrawny but hardy tree results in “tears” leaking out which are allowed to harden before being collected. The best resin is the last of the two or three harvests per year, the quality determined by its opacity. Yemen and Somalia produce wonderful frankincense although the resins collected in Omani is said to be the finest. Frankincense supplies are dwindling, however, due to over-tapping trees that in turn produce seeds that are unable to germinate properly.

Other resins include myrrh, Peru balsam and pine, all with their own unique contributions to make.

Tim Walt

Animals have been used for making perfumes since people first began to use scents. You would be surprised at the wide variety of perfumes that owe their delicious and seductive aromas to the contributions of animals!

The most commonly known scent derived from animal resources is musk, a basic ingredient in many perfumes. Because of its intensely earthy odor, it makes an excellent base that accentuates other notes in a perfume. In the hundreds of years it has been used in human manufactured scents, it has always been popular because of its subtle aphrodisiac properties. Originally, people got musk from the musk sacs of the Asian Musk deer which, unfortunately, demanded the life of the animal. Modern musk is synthetic due not only to protected status of the formerly over-hunted deer but to enlightened perfume manufacturers that are increasingly more concerned about preserving wildlife as well as the environment.

Civets, a relative of the Mongoose, also produce musk that can be harvested without harm to the animal. The North American Beaver also contributes musk to perfume called Castoreum. Luckily, we can harvest the musk from both these animals without causing them harm or upsetting their glandular balance thanks to advanced and humane harvesting techniques.

Even honeybees contribute to the olfactory enjoyment of fine perfume! Their honeycombs, when distilled, produce a unique scent that has been used by perfumers for centuries. Ambergris, a digestive excretion of the Sperm Whale, is also used for cologne and perfume, particularly in amber-based scents. Rendered animal fat is used less often in solid perfumes than it was in centuries past

Tim Walt

Perfumers make use of many elements when they search out new and different scent combinations and roots are one of many sources they tap Although roots aren’t used as often as blossoms or leaves, the few that they do make use of are very special.

Vetiver root is a highly prized ingredient in many perfumes. The plant itself is tall with leaves that are long, thin and rigid with flowers of brownish purple. It doesn’t sound like a very remarkable source of scent until you consider that the roots absorb the essence of the soil in which it grows. Where it is grown determines the scent! Some, grown in India, is smoky while those grown in Sri Lanka impart an earthy woodiness. Haitian Vetiver has an array of aromas from clean grassy scent to citrusy to a light floral bouquet.
The Haitian variety is particularly prized by perfumers. When harvested, the oil is thick and dark brown, with a smoky, earthy sweet odor that’s very seductive.

Sassafras, usually thought of as an herbal remedy, tea or cool drink, is distilled by perfumers and the resulting oil is called safrole. It is usually used sparingly and mixed with other oils such as flowers or woods. Its strong olfactory flavor adds tang and excitement to many scents.

Sandalwood, probably the best known of any common scent, is not so common when blended with complimentary fragrances. Its oil is distilled from the wood and root of the tree into the unmistakable exotic fragrance most people know and love. Sandalwood is an important part of many perfumes, particularly the Oriental types. Lair Du Temps by Nina Ricci is a very good example of the use of sandalwood in a wonderfully feminine and exciting perfume. Mixed with gardenia, rose, carnation and musk, the sandalwood adds a hint of the Orient and helps to bring out the exquisite combination of musk and blossoms.

Another root commonly used in perfumery is Angelica Root, also known as Holy Ghost Root or Archangel Root. Aside from its medicinal qualities, it has a woody, fresh and peppery aroma that is excellent for mixing with florals. It is often used in high grade perfumes to give them musk-like notes. Angelica Root is a beautiful plant nearly five feet in height with a long, fibrous root prized by perfumers. The plant has a very tangy taste and odor but, like many attractive plants, is poisonous if eaten raw. Once cooked for a dish or processed for perfume, it is perfectly safe. Its stalks are often candied and used as decorations for cakes and desserts in Europe, or to flavor liqueurs and wines.

Tim Walt

Spices were discovered long ago as an aid in food preservation and flavor. Naturally, people began to think that the aromas of spices could be used to provide scents for the air and their persons. Spices began to be used for perfumes in Egypt and the Middle and Far East first, as Europe had no source for them with few exceptions, before the era of the Crusades opened up routes for trading.

Cardamom, often called “The Queen of Spices”, is grown for the most part in southern India, a fruit of the ginger family. Its cool fragrance is slightly sweet and reminiscent of oranges with a touch of ginger. It compliments other scents very well, toning down the more aggressive ones while accentuating aromas that aren’t so strong. Omnia by Bulgari uses cardamom along with saffron, black pepper (“The King of Spices”), Indian wood, mandarin and white chocolate to create a rich, light perfume with Oriental overtones that women love to wear, much to the delight of the men around them. 

Thyme is another popular spice used in perfume, usually as a top note that creates a first impression or a middle note that evolves as the perfume mellows from the warmth of the skin. Thyme’s light, fresh aroma perfectly compliments the orange blossom, vanilla and citrus in Gucci by Gucci. If you wonder how essence of thyme smells, you can reach for your spice rack to get an idea; it’s probably there with others you use in everyday cooking. 

Spices are also widely used in men’s perfume products. For example, Lapidus by Ted Lapidus perfumers uses a blend of spices combined with woods, lavender and amber to convey a sense of strong sophistication and individuality backed by warm and earthy power undertones. 

Nutmeg, the seed of evergreen tree that grow in Southeast Asia and other tropical climates, is processed by steam distillation after it is ground up. It is said that in England a few centuries ago, it was such a valuable spice that being able to obtain and sell a few nutmeg nuts would assure lifetime financial independence! Nutmeg is a perfect compliment to perfume formulas that contain wood tones or florals and provides freshness to the blend as well as a faint rich sweetness. 

Spices each have such varied fragrances that they are used to convey emotions as well as mental landscapes. The aromas of the most frequently used spices are those that many of us have smelled all our lives in our everyday food or in sachets used to freshen our closet and even the household cleaners our mothers used! It’s no wonder that perfumes containing spices are invariably pleasant and makes us feel sentimental as well as intrigued.

Tim Walt

Aldehydes are benzenoid compounds, used to help make synthetic ingredients for perfume. These organic chemicals are a mixture of oxygen, carbon and hydrogen and are often combined with alcohol and natural plant materials and have a strong diffusive effect; that is, they enable the ingredients in a perfume to expand and inundate the formula and enhance their properties. In addition, they can make a perfume “sparkle” and boost the top notes, or the scent immediately noticeable when the perfume is first applied. A perfume with aldehydes is notable for its rich, opulent properties. First used in Chanel no. 5, many modern perfumers such at Yves Saint Laurent and Givenchy take advantage of the sophisticated properties of aldehydes. 

Ernest Beaux, a Russian-born chemist, was the first to use aldehydes in a cologne he named Bouquet de Napoleon to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the Battle of Borodino. After his work in World War One as both an infantryman and counterintelligence officer with the Russian army, he returned to Paris and continued his experimentation with aldehydes and in 1920 he perfected the fragrances that would become the world famous perfumes, Chanel No. 5 and Chanel No. 22. 

Before adelhydes, nitro benzene was used in perfumes along with fatty acids that mimicked the fragrances of fruit and flowers. With the cost of distilling, pressing and grinding various plants, herbs and other objects in order to get oils and liquid, perfume was out of reach for the woman of ordinary means. Indeed, wealthy women often wore their favorite fragrances specifically for the purpose of flaunting their social station. 

The use of adelhydes with natural oils allowed perfumers to lower their overhead in creating their scents instead of compromising on quality. Scents must have a very precise combination of ingredients with the adelhydes to achieve their aromas. For instance, amyl cinnamic aldehyde is found in many commercial products such as shampoos, fabric softeners and other domestic toiletries and exudes a pleasant floral bouquet. Hexyl adelhydes, on the other hand, produces a fruity fragrance. Aldehydes are particularly well suited to subtle, feminine perfumes or when a more elegant ambiance is desired.

Simply put, aldehydes allow the prime ingredients of a perfume to expand and permeate the base materials. They act as conductive agents, much as a the stalk of a water lily allows the blossom to grow and thrive. Without them, perfumers would still be able to create unique scents but the aroma would not last nearly as long or be consistent throughout the mixture. 

Today, most high quality perfumes make use of aldehydes to enhance not only the scent of their products but the natural ingredients that the contain. Some rare components such as Frankincense can be used a bit more liberally, thanks to aldehydes. The scarcity of Frankincense, a product of the bark of the Boswallia tree, makes perfume containing it very expensive but without aldehydes it would be out of reach for even a millionaire. Other equally hard to find or manufacture ingredients that are highly prized among creative perfumers are available for use thanks to aldehydes. 

Tim Walt