What is Perfume?

Perfume is a mixture of fragrant essential oils or aroma compounds, fixatives and solvents used to give the human body, animals, objects, and living spaces "a pleasant scent. The odoriferous compounds that make up a perfume can be manufactured synthetically or extracted from plant or animal sources.

Background
Perfume comes from the Latin "per" meaning "through" and "fumum," or "smoke." Many ancient perfumes were made by extracting natural oils from plants through pressing and steaming. The oil was then burned to scent the air. Today, most perfume is used to scent bar soaps. Some products are even perfumed with industrial odorants to mask unpleasant smells or to appear "unscented."

History
The world's first recorded chemist is considered to be a woman named Tapputi, a perfume maker who was mentioned in a cuneiform tablet from the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamia. In 2005, archaeologists uncovered what are believed to be the world's oldest perfumes in Pyrgos, Cyprus. The perfumes date back more than 4,000 years.

The Arab chemist, Al-Kindi (Alkindus), wrote the Book of the Chemistry of Perfume and Distillations in the 9th century

History cont..
The Persian chemist Ibn Sina (also known as Avicenna) introduced the process of extracting oils from flowers 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. Just as the art of perfumery progressed through the centuries, so did the art of the perfume bottle.

Concentration
Perfume types reflect the concentration of aromatic compounds in a solvent, which in fine fragrance is typically ethanol or a mix of water and ethanol. The intensity and longevity of a perfume is based on the concentration, intensity and longevity of the aromatic compounds (natural essential oils / perfume oils) used. Specific terms are used to describe a fragrance's approximate concentration by percent/volume of perfume oil, which are typically vague or imprecise.

Solvent types
Perfume oils are often diluted with a solvent, though this is not always the case, and its necessity is disputed. By far the most common solvent for perfume oil dilution is ethanol or a mixture of ethanol and water. Perfume oil can also be diluted by means of neutralsmelling oils such as fractionated coconut oil, or liquid waxes such as jojoba oil.

A list of common terms (Perfume-Classification) is as follows: Perfume extract: 20%-40% aromatic compounds

Eau de parfum: 10-30% aromatic compounds

Eau de toilette: 5-20% aromatic compounds Eau de cologne: 2-5% aromatic compounds Eau de cologne (EDC) was originally a specific fragrance of a citrus nature and weak in concentration made in Cologne, Germany. However in recent decades the term has become generic for a weakly concentrated perfume of any kind.

Classification
Traditional Modern

Traditional
The traditional classification which emerged around 1900 was:
Single Floral: Fragrances that are dominated by a scent from nature's most prolific odormakers, the flowers. In French called a soliflore (as in Dior's Diorissimo, with lily of the valley). Floral Bouquet: Containing the combination of several flowers in a scent. Ambery: A large fragrance class featuring the scents of vanilla and animal scents together with flowers and woods. Can be enhanced by camphorous oils and incense resins, which bring to mind Victorian era imagery of the Middle East and Far East. Woody: Fragrances that are dominated by the woody scents, typically of sandalwood and cedar. Patchouli, with its camphoraceous smell, is commonly found in these perfumes. Leather: A family of fragrances which features the scents of honey, tobacco, wood, and wood t a rs i n i t s m i d d l e o r b a s e n o t e s a n d a s c e n t t h a t a l l u d e s t o l e a t h e r.

 Chypre: Meaning Cyprus in French, this includes fragrances built on a similar accord consisting of bergamot, oakmoss, patchouli, and labdanum. This family of fragrances is named after a perfume by Francois Coty by the same name.
Fougre: Meaning Fern in French, built on a base of lavender, coumarin and oakmoss. Houbigant's Fougre Royale pioneered the use of this base. Many men's fragrances belong to this family of fragrances, which is characterized by its sharp herbaceous and woody scent.

Modern
Since 1945, great advances in the technology of perfume creation (i.e. compound design and synthesis) as well as the natural development of styles and tastes, a new classification has emerged to reflect modern scents:
Bright Floral: combining the traditional Single Floral & Floral Bouquet categories. Green: a lighter and more modern interpretation of the Chypre type. Oceanic/Ozone: the newest category in perfume history, appearing in 1991 with Christian Dior's Dune. A very clean, modern smell leading to many of the modern androgynous perfumes.

Citrus or Fruity: An old fragrance family that until recently consisted mainly of "freshening" eau de colognes due to the low tenacity of citrus scents. Development of newer fragrance compounds has allowed for the creation of primarily citrus fragrances.

Fragrance wheel
The Fragrance wheel is a relatively new classification method that is widely used in retail and in the fragrance industry. The method was created in 1983 by Michael Edwards, a consultant in the perfume industry, who designed his own scheme of fragrance classification.

The five standard families consist of Floral, Oriental, Woody, Fougre, andFresh, with the former four families being more "classic" while the latter consisting of newer bright and clean smelling citrus and oceanic fragrances that have arrived due to improvements in fragrance technology

Fragrance notes
Perfume is described in a musical metaphor as having three sets of notes, making the harmonious scent accord.
Top notes:
The scents that are perceived immediately on application of a perfume. Top notes consist of small, light molecules that evaporate quickly. They form a person's initial impression of a perfume and thus are very important in the selling of a perfume. Also called the head notes.

Middle notes: The scent of a perfume that emerges just prior to

when the top notes dissipate. The middle note compounds form the "heart" or main body of a perfume and act to mask the often unpleasant initial impression of base notes, which become more pleasant with time. They are also called the heart notes.

Base notes: The scent of a perfume that appears close to the

departure of the middle notes. The base and middle notes together are the main theme of a perfume. Base notes bring depth and solidity to a perfume. Compounds of this class of scents are typically rich and "deep" and are usually not perceived until 30 minutes after application.

Aromatics sources
Plant sources
Animal sources Other natural sources

Synthetic sources

Plant sources
Plants have long been used in perfumery as a source of essential oils and aroma compounds. These aromatics are usually secondary metabolites produced by plants as protection against herbivores, infections, as well as to attract pollinators.

Plants are by far the largest source of fragrant compounds used in perfumery.
The sources of these compounds may be derived from various parts of a plant.

Bark:

Commonly used barks includes cinnamon and cascarilla. The fragrant oil in sassafras root bark is also used either directly or purified for its main constituent, safrole, which is used in the synthesis of other fragrant compounds.

Flowers and blossoms: Undoubtedly the largest and most common source of
perfume aromatics. Includes the flowers of several species of rose and jasmine, as well as osmanthus, plumeria, mimosa, tuberose, narcissus, scented geranium, cassie, ambrette as well as the blossoms of citrus and ylang-ylang trees. Although not traditionally thought of as a flower, the unopened flower buds of the clove are also commonly used. Most orchid flowers are not commercially used to produce essential oils or absolutes, except in the case of vanilla, an orchid, which must be pollinated first and made into seed pods before use in perfumery.

Fruits:

Fresh fruits such as apples, strawberries, cherries unfortunately do not yield the expected odors when extracted; if such fragrance notes are found in a perfume, they are synthetic. Notable exceptions include litsea cubeba, vanilla, and juniper berry. The most commonly used fruits yield their aromatics from the rind; they include citrus such as oranges, lemons, and limes. Although grapefruit rind is still used for aromatics, more and more commercially used grapefruit aromatics are artificially synthesized since the natural aromatic contains sulfur and its degradation product is quite unpleasant in smell.

Leaves and twigs: Commonly used for perfumery are lavender leaf, patchouli, sage, Leaves and twigs: Commonly used for perfumery are lavender leaf, patchouli,
violets, rosemary, and citrus leaves. Sometimes leaves are valued for the "green" sage, violets, rosemary, and citrus leaves. Sometimes leaves are valued for the smell they bring to perfumes, examples of this include hay and tomato leaf. "green" smell they bring to perfumes, examples of this include hay and tomato leaf.

Resins: Valued since antiquity, resins have been widely used in incense and Resins: Valued since antiquity, resins have been widely used in incense and perfumery. Highly fragrant and antiseptic resins and resin-containing perfumes have

perfumery. fragrant and resins and resin-containing perfumes have been used Highly by many cultures asantiseptic medicines for a large variety of ailments. Commonly been by cultures as medicines for frankincense/olibanum, a large variety of ailments. Commonly used used resins inmany perfumery include labdanum, myrrh, Peru used resins in benzoin. perfumery include labdanum, myrrh, Peru balsam, gum Pine and fir resins arefrankincense/olibanum, a particularly valued source of terpenes balsam, benzoin. Pine and resins are a particularly valued source of terpenes used in gum the organic synthesis offir many other synthetic or naturally occurring aromatic used in the organic many other and synthetic naturally occurring compounds. Some synthesis of what isof called amber copal or in perfumery today is aromatic the compounds. Some of called amber and copal in perfumery today is the resinous secretion ofwhat fossilis conifers. resinous secretion of fossil conifers.

Roots, rhizomes and bulbs: Commonly used include iris rhizomes, vetiver roots, various rhizomes of terrestrial the gingerportions family. in

Roots, rhizomes and bulbs: Commonly used terrestrial portions in perfumery Seeds: Commonly used seeds include tonka bean, carrot seed, coriander, caraway,

perfumery include iris rhizomes, vetiver roots, various rhizomes of the ginger family.

Seeds: Commonly used seeds include tonka bean, carrot seed, coriander, caraway, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, and anise.
cocoa, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, and anise.

Animal sources
Ambergris:
Lumps of oxidized fatty compounds, whose precursors were secreted and expelled by the sperm whale. Ambergris should not be confused with yellow amber, which is used in jewelry. Because the harvesting of ambergris involves no harm to its animal source, it remains one of the few animalic fragrancing agents around which little controversy now exists.

Castoreum: Obtained from the odorous sacs of the North American beaver.
Civet: Also called Civet Musk, this is obtained from the odorous sacs of the civets, animals in the family Viverridae, related to the mongoose. The World Society for the Protection of Animals investigated African civets caught for this purpose.

Hyraceum:
Rock Hyrax.

Commonly known as "Africa Stone", is the petrified excrement of the

Honeycomb:

From the honeycomb of the honeybee. Both beeswax and honey can be solvent extracted to produce an absolute. Beeswax is extracted with ethanol and the ethanol evaporated to produce beeswax absolute. Deer musk: Originally derived from the musk sacs from the Asian musk deer, it has now been replaced by the use of synthetic musks sometimes known as "white musk".

Compound name Geranyl acetate Methyl formate Methyl acetate Methyl butyrate Methyl butanoate Ethyl acetate Ethyl butyrate Ethyl butanoate Isoamyl acetate Pentyl butyrate Pentyl butanoate Pentyl pentanoate Octyl acetate

Fragrance Fruity, Rose Ethereal Sweet, nail polish Solvent Fruity, Apple Pineapple Sweet, solvent Fruity, Orange Pineapple Fruity, Banana Pear Fruity, Pear Apricot Fruity, Apple Fruity, Orange

Natural occurrence Rose, Floral

Esters

Chemical structure

Pineapple Wine

Banana plant

Other natural sources

Lichens: Commonly used lichens include oakmoss and treemoss thalli. "Seaweed": Distillates are sometimes used as essential oil in perfumes. An
example of a commonly used seaweed is Fucus vesiculosus, which is commonly referred to as bladder wrack. Natural seaweed fragrances are rarely used due to their higher cost and lower potency than synthetics.

Synthetic sources
Many modern perfumes contain synthesized odorants. Synthetics can provide fragrances which are not found in nature. For instance, Calone, a compound of synthetic origin, imparts a fresh ozonous metallic marine scent that is widely used in contemporary perfumes. Synthetic aromatics are often used as an alternate source of compounds that are not easily obtained from natural sources.
One of the most commonly used class of synthetic aromatic by far are the white musks. These materials are found in all forms of commercial perfumes as a neutral background to the middle notes. These musks are added in large quantities to laundry detergents in order to give washed clothes a lasting "clean" scent. The majority of the world's synthetic aromatics are created by relatively few companies. They include: International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF) Givaudan Firmenich Takasago Symrise

Health and environmental issues

Health
Immunological Evidence in peer-reviewed journals shows that some fragrances can cause asthmatic reactions in some individuals, especially those with severe or atopic asthma. Many fragrance ingredients can also cause headaches, allergic skin reactions or nausea. In some cases, an excessive use of perfumes may cause allergic reactions of the skin. Some research on natural aromatics have shown that many contain compounds that cause skin irritation.

Carcinogenicity There is scientific evidence that nitro-musks such as musk xylene can cause cancer while common ingredients, like certain polycyclic synthetic musks, can disrupt the balance of hormones in the human body (endocrine disruption). Some natural aromatics, such as oakmoss absolutes, contain allergens and carcinogenic compounds. Toxicity Certain chemicals found in perfume are often toxic, at least for small insects if not for humans. For example the compound Tricyclodecenyl allyl ether is often found in synthetic perfumes and has insect repellent property.

Environmental
Pollution Synthetic musks are pleasant in smell and relatively inexpensive, as such they are often employed in large quantities to cover the unpleasant scent of laundry detergents and many personal cleaning products. Due to their large-scale use, several types of synthetic musks have been found in human fat and milk, as well as in the sediments and waters of the Great Lakes.

Species endangerment The demands for aromatic materials like sandalwood, agarwood, musk has led to the endangerment of these species as well as illegal trafficking and harvesting.

Most Expensive Perfume

Clive Christians limited edition Imperial Majesty is the worlds most expensive perfume. Only 5 bottles were made and three sold. It is sold simply as No. 1. Naturally. It is held in a Baccarat crystal decorated with a 5 carat diamond on an 18 carat gold collar Cost: $215,000 a bottle

Conclusion
Since today we use perfumes to make us more attract toward others. but now we know the good and bad effects of them So I sujjest to

Thank You