A Guide to Perfume
Perfume has been around for ages and is one of the oldest known chemicals in existence. It was discovered by accident by Isaac Newton in 1687. The name for the chemical is paraffin.
Perfume is basically a combination of fragrance substances, fixatives, essential oils, and solvents, most often in alcohol or solvent extract form, used to provide the body, clothes, food, plants, and other living-spaces with an attractive, pleasant scent. Perfume may be applied as a fragrance, to act as a mosquito repellent, to protect cooking ingredients from burning, to protect the eyes from harmful UV light, and to provide a cool sensation when one's skin is overly warm. It is also used in the bathrobe to provide a refreshing aroma to the wearer. Perfume can be used in many applications, including the manufacture of shampoos, lotions, bath gels, soaps, candles, perfumes, and toilet paper.
Perfume, in its simplest form, consists of three main components, which are the principal fragrance ingredients, alcohol, and paraffin. Alcohol, or ethanol as it is more commonly known, serves the purpose of providing an initial cooling effect. This allows the evaporated water in the distillation to become a liquid which will produce the fragrance. The alcohol, however, must be in a dilute state to prevent damaging the materials such as wood and paper that need to be covered while the liquid is evaporated. It must also be relatively easy to remove from the liquid, such as with a solvent extraction process.
Some perfume manufacturers prefer to make their own aromas by using pure plant extracts. In this case, the plant material must have had an established natural fragrance before the manufacturing process began. In some cases, the manufacturer might want to include chemical additives to the fragrance, such as sunscreen, or antimicrobial agents. Perfume and Cologne fragrances can contain other chemicals such as dyes, resins, and herbal extracts. The exact composition of the perfume or Cologne will vary depending on the intended application, the manufacturer's intent, and the availability of the fragrance ingredients.
Perfumes contain both the primary aroma, as well as the secondary aroma components. These components are known as the basis of the fragrance. The majority of perfumes consist of a single fragrance compound, which may not be accompanied by top notes, which are mainly sweet and flowery, and middle notes, which are generally warm and musky. Some perfumes combine several different fragrance compounds to create a variety of unique scents.
Perfume should not be exposed to direct light, which will accelerate chemical reactions that will break down the fragrance compound. Perfume should also avoid being stored in places that are too hot, as these conditions will cause the oil in the perfume to evaporate faster than normal, releasing volatile oils that will float away on the air. Perfume should also be diluted at room temperature before applying, as excessive concentration can cause irritation to the skin. The perfume dilution can be determined by adding a few drops of the fragrance to a glass of water.
Most perfumes today are produced with a water-based synthetic fragrance. Synthetic scents are created using a number of different methods, including the vacuum method, the cold-press method, or the roll on/roll off method. Water-based perfumes tend to be less expensive than those produced with synthetic fragrances, but they have a shorter shelf life. In addition, water-based perfumes do not provide as much fragrance benefit for those who are allergic to synthetic fragrances.
When it comes to perfume, most manufacturers add alcohol to the mixture to bring out the natural oils and floral components in the essential oil. Alcohol is not a necessary ingredient in perfumes, as natural plant oils can provide just as much of a scent, but they can take up more space and need to be mixed separately. Perfumes can also be made with other compounds that will give a lighter, less offensive scent. Perfumes can be made with ingredients such as rose water, fruit extracts, citrus oils, herbal oils, and several other ingredients.
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