Seaweed isn’t a common ingredient in perfume due to the high cost and low yield of processing it. Since perfume demands extracts of essential oils and seaweed is water based, there are very little amounts of essence to draw out of this ocean plant. Several perfumers experimented with it, however, because of its intriguing aroma of driftwood accented by fresh, briny breezes with a faint touch of iodine.

The essential oils of seaweed is call choya nakh and is so strong that it must be diluted before being added to the aroma palette of a perfume. The most common type of seaweed that was has been used is Fucus Vesiculosus, also referred to a bladderwrack, that is found in the waters and on the shores of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans in the United States and abroad.

More often you will find kelp, a form of seaweed, as an ingredient in perfumes. In the late 1970’s, two German scientists found that female kelp plants release a pheromone that direct the male kelps to the proper place to fertilize the microscopic kelp egg, thus ensuring the propagation of the species. The discovery was made quite by accident when they thought that someone had smuggled a bottle of gin into the lab; on further investigation they found the culprit and published their findings regarding the sexual pheromone.

Of course, pheromones are often used in perfumes and perfumers began experimenting with kelp and other forms of seaweed. Since the whole idea of perfume is to make one attractive to the opposite sex as well as pleasing one’s self, pheromones are a very important ingredient when they can be added to the mix. The unusual odiferous qualities of kelp and seaweed were intriguing to creative perfumers, sparking quite a bit of research and experimentation.

However, you will rarely find a quality perfume that features genuine seaweed notes.
The prohibitive cost of extraction has made it a scarcity, a classic example of irony when one thinks of the miles of beaches strewn with this ocean bounty. Most “seaweed” essences are actually a form of kelp which is referred to as seaweed.

Tim Walt

Fragrances are used in a variety of consumer products these days ranging from cosmetics, luxury goods, food services, manufacture of household chemical items, etc and therefore the composition of good fragrances has become increasingly important. The reason behind this is quite simple. Customers get attracted by the fragrance emitted by the product or the perfume and this leads to their purchasing it.

Composing perfumes that has the power to entice customers is the job of a perfumer who is often referred to as ‘the nose’. With their fine sense of smell and the in depth training obtained in the principles of perfume aesthetics, they are able to create delicate compositions which successfully convey a variety of moods and feelings. A good perfumer should have the essential knowledge in differentiating between different fragrances as well as the individual quality of each ingredient used.

The initial step in the composition of perfumes is very important though extremely tedious. The client gives a brief to the perfumer about the specifications required for a particular perfume which they have in mind. Accordingly, the concerned people start their work by researching on various aspects like the description of the smell of the perfume, the feelings that the smell is able to arouse in them, the desirable time of the day the perfume can be worn, the pricing factor, etc which can ultimately lead to the required aromatic ingredients which can be used in its composition.
The next step in the composition of the perfume is the blending of various ingredients so that it meets the specifications arrived during the brief. This process is time consuming and may take months or years, since it is very essential that the perfect blend is arrived at. Once it is achieved, the composition is used either in the manufacture of consumer products like shampoos, soaps, or other household goods, or sold directly as a perfume.

A main thing to be noted is that there is never a ‘perfect technique’ that can be used while formulating perfumes, even though several guidelines are available to this effect. Other than the base ingredients, a lot of perfumes make use of other substances like colorants, anti oxidants, etc with the purpose of enhancing the shelf life of the perfume as well as to influence the marketability of the product in a positive manner.

It is also to be seen that a lot of contemporary perfumers employ the technique of creating perfumes and colognes by making use of fragrances bases like aromatic chemicals and essential oils. There are various techniques employed to create such fragrances, but largely it is seen that ethyl alcohol and water are used to blend the fragrance oils which are left to age in large tanks for a specific period. This is later filtered and marketed as perfumes.

Tim Walt

Perfumes certainly make great gifts. They bring about a smile on the recipient’s faces and are considered as an ideal gift for any occasion. Perfumes can be gifted on just about any event like mother’s day, Valentine’s Day, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. It makes an ideal gift most of the time since it tends to be very valued and treasured, especially if the particular fragrance happens to be a favorite with the recipient. Perfumes are available in a wide range of fragrances, types and packing to suit the taste of just about any individual.

A perfume happens to be a unisex gift. That is one of the reason why it can be safely gifted to both the sexes, since these days perfumes are equally desired not just by females, but by the male gender too. There are a variety of perfumes which cater exclusively to men. But before choosing a perfume as a gift, it would do well to know a bit about the person to whom you are gifting the scent because perfumes are essentially very personal products. The potency of the fragrance depends on the individual taste of the person who wears it and it depends on the person’s skin type too. It would always be better if you gift someone a perfume of their preferences so that it will be valued and appreciated all the time.

Getting to know the preference of the person to whom you are gifting the perfume can sometimes be tricky. But it can be managed in the midst of a casual conversation and once that part is done, the rest is comparatively easy. You can just pick up a fragrance to their liking and gift them at the appropriate time.

But in case it is not possible to find out about the recipient’s preferences, you do not need to despair. The next alternative would be to choose a scent which you feel is good. But nonetheless, it would be advisable to buy it from a store which permits an exchange because in case the scent you choose did not appeal to the recipient, he or she always has an option to get it exchanged for something of their choice.

Perfumes have to be selected according to the season, occasion, and of course, the skin type. The perfume should be brought according to the person’s age too. If you are uncertain about the preferences of the person, it would be a good idea to gift something like an eau de toilette or mist. A good fragrance will be always considered a treasured and pleasing gift.

Tim Walt