Archive for Perfumes

Types of Perfumes

Perfume, also called Extract or Extrait , can include 15-40% perfume concentrates. Perfume is made up of alcohol, water & perfume (fragrance) oil. Perfume is a scented liquid worn on the skin to impart a pleasant odor. Perfume is also made up of animal and plant-based aromatic compounds, dissolved in a mixture of alcohol and water. Most highly concentrated form of fragrance, containing between 20 - 50% perfume compound, It’s the strongest and the longest lasting. The amount of scented matter to solvent determines whether the blend is a perfume or a cologne. The highest proportion of scent is found in true ‘perfume’ - anywhere from 25 to 40% is pure scent. Pure perfume is rarely sold, since it is prohibitively expensive and, frankly, far too easy to ‘overdo. Most consumers are more familiar with eau du parfum, which is 15-30% aromatics.

Perfume has been an essential part of human culture for centuries. People love to stay fragranced. It is pleasurable and gives a wonderful feeling of individuality. Earlier almost common fragrances were worn by the males and females. There are 3 major types: oriental, floral & chypre (means “very sincere” in French). There are also many sub-variations such as woody, musky, aquatic, spicy & fruity. The floral fragrances are created by the extracts of different flowers such as jasmine, roses, lavender, carnation etc. Floral fragrances are the most in demand scent in the whole world. They are loved by almost all the generations. Woody fragrances are easy to adapt and comfortable to wear. Oriental fragrances are strongest as compared to other fragrances. It includes rich undertones and sensual overtones that make it a heavy blend.

Oriental fragrances are pretty strong and are considered best for the evening events, corporate environments and special events, age is no barrier. Jasmine, gardenia, and rose bases are the most popular of the popular, often for their unique blending style and their ability to match most body chemistries. Fruity fragrances are generally fresh and spicy. It is quite youthful and is suitable for all types of weather. They are best for the one who likes wearing classic fragrances with a tint of flair in it. It gives an aroma of crispness in summer and warm cider and deserts in winter. Most modern perfumes and colognes are made using the fragrance oils that the fragrances houses develop using essential oils and aromatic chemicals. Perfume oils are similar to perfumes, with the exception that the solvent is oil-based rather than alcohol-based.

Types of Perfume

1. Aftershaves (AS), lotions & splashes: the least concentrated of all perfume types containing 0.5% - 2% perfume oils.

2. Parfum: the highest concentrate of perfume with approx 22% oils.

3. Perfume oils are similar to perfumes, with the exception that the solvent is oil-based rather than alcohol-based.

4. Moisturizing perfume mist is a fragrance that does not contain alcohol. It is a spray that contains oil and leaves skin with a silky smooth veil of perfumed moisturizers.

5. Solid perfumes are often molded into pillboxes or tiny compacts to fit easily in a handbag for on-the-go applications.

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How Perfumes are made ?

Perfumes are made up of a blend of different aromas that usually come from essential oils. Perfume formulations can be expressed in volumetric or weight proportions of each of its components. Perfumes today are being made and used in different ways than in previous centuries. Perfumes are being manufactured more and more frequently with synthetic chemicals rather than natural oils. Many natural and man-made materials have been used to make perfume to apply to the skin and clothing, to put in cleaners and cosmetics, or to scent the air. For people who want to make perfumes at home, weight measures present a problem since the average kitchen balance does not have the required precision. Using them will lead to unpredictable and non-reproducible results. Buying a more precise balance represents an added cost which is hard to justify for the present purpose.There are major fragrance categories - Floral, Oriental, Floriental, Chypre, Green Marine and Fruit.

Perfume is made from about 78% to 95% of specially denatured ethyl alcohol and a remainder of essential oils. Perfume is the costliest form of fragrance with 22% of essential oils. Perfume then came into widespread use among the monarchy. France’s King Louis XIV used it so much that he was called the perfume king. Some plants, such as lily of the valley, do not produce oils naturally. In fact, only about 2,000 of the 250,000 known flowering plant species contain these essential oils. Therefore, synthetic chemicals must be used to re-create the smells of non-oily substances. Some perfume ingredients are animal products. Typical plant products include anise, bay leaf, bergamot, cardamom, cedar wood, eucalyptus, frankincense, gardenia, geranium, iris, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lilac, lily, lily of the valley, magnolia, moss, neroli, orange, orris, patchouli, pine, raspberry, rose, sage, sandalwood, tuberose, vanilla, violet and ylang-ylang.

Perfume is often sold in the run up to Christmas as a coffret set at a good price. Aromatherapy—smelling oils and fragrances to cure physical and emotional problems—is being revived to help balance hormonal and body energy. Animal substances are often used as fixatives that enable perfume to evaporate slowly and emit odors longer. Other fixatives include coal tar, mosses, resins, or synthetic chemicals. Alcohol and sometimes water are used to dilute ingredients in perfumes. The theory behind aromatherapy states that using essential oils helps bolster the immune system when inhaled or applied topically. Smelling sweet smells also affects one’s mood and can be used as a form of psychotherapy. Humans, like other mammals, release pheromones to attract the opposite sex. New perfumes are being created to duplicate the effect of pheromones and stimulate sexual arousal receptors in the brain.

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