Perfume, What Is It, Anyway? There are essentially five types of perfume, but virtually all perfume is made from ethyl alcohol and essential fragrance oils.
The difference in each type of perfume comes in the percentages of each.
For those with sensitivity to fragrances, Eau Fraiche is a good choice, it is the weakest type of perfume and has the least amount of fragrance, with only about 1 to 3 percent essential oil fragrance and the remainder, 97 to 99 percent, ethyl alcohol.
The next strongest, with about 4 or 5 percent essential oil fragrance is Eau de Cologne.
Eau de Toilette is the next strongest perfume with anywhere from 8 to 15 percent essential oil fragrance.
Eau de Parfum is stronger still with about 15 to 22 percent essential oil.
The strongest and most costly fragrance is simply called Perfume with about 22 to 25 percent essential oil fragrance and 75 to 78 percent ethyl alcohol.
There are many groups of essential fragrances and they include - Floral, Oriental, Floriental, Chypre, Green Marine and Fruit fragrances.
Several types of plants are used to make fragrance oils including magnolia, moss, neroli, orange, orris, patchouli, eucalyptus, frankincense, gardenia, geranium, iris, jasmine, lavender, lemon, lilac, lily, lily of the valley, pine, raspberry, rose, sage, sandalwood, tuberose, vanilla, violet, ylang-ylang, anise, bay leaf, bergamot, cardamom, and cedar wood.
Animal products are also sometimes used in perfume fragrance, substances such as castoreum, a secretion of the beaver and civet from the civet cat, musk from the male musk deer and ambergris from sperm whales.
These compounds are used to reduce the evaporation rate and improve stability of the fragrance.
They also add a certain mystery to the smell.
The Roots of Perfume People have been using perfume, fragrances and fragrance oils for thousands of years.
Since about 3000 BC, incense and sweet herbs were burned by the Egyptians during religious ceremonies to create a certain ambiance.
Perfume was held in high regard in biblical times, it was used primarily by Kings and Pharaohs and was found in their tombs and burial sites.
It is mentioned several times throughout the Bible.
Frankincense is probably the best known fragrance mentioned in the Bible.
Frankincense was burned by high priests during religious rituals in early civilizations and the custom is still carried out today in the Catholic church.
Early Egyptians would soak fragrant types of wood in water and oil, then rub them over their skin to impart their fragrance.
They also used this method to embalm the dead.
Fragrance oils were found in tombs, it was thought to keep the deceased's skin soft and supple.
Egyptians would take long baths in fragrant oils not only for the soothing aspect but also to help protect their skin from the drying effect of the hot sun and arid weather.
Bathing became an enjoyable social event and was sometimes done several times per day.
Different Perfumes for Different Seasons and Times of the Day Fresh floral or citrus perfumes are good for warm months, the warmth of your skin will cause the perfume to expand and release its fragrance.
In cooler months, a richer perfume is recommended due to the lack of the warming effect.
The same goes for daytime and evening perfumes.
During the warmth of daytime, a lighter scent will be better and will also be more appropriate for the workplace, while a richer, wood or musk scent is good for the cool evening.
You and Perfume The strongest sense that we associate emotions such as love with is the sense of smell.
It's important to choose a perfume for yourself that expresses you and your personality.
When you put on perfume, there is a chemical reaction that is unique to you that creates and alters the odor of a perfume.
We all have water and fat, fatty acids, salts, sugars, proteins, fibers, and hairs.
These elements are different or are of different quantities in each of us.
Each of these components of skin binds to the chemicals in the perfume differently and will smell differently on different people.
Other things also effect the smell of perfume, hormonal changes or menstrual cycles can have an effect on the fragrance.
The foods you eat or any medications you may be taking can effect it.
Even your mood or anxiety level can effect the way a perfume smells on you, if you are in a calm mood the smell of the fragrance may differ from that of when you're under stress.
There are three different "notes" or layers in the fragrance of a perfume, top, middle and base.
A top note refers to the fragrance that you smell when you first apply the perfume.
These are lighter, volatile aromas that will quickly evaporate.
They last approximately 5 to 20 minutes.
Middle notes or the "body' of the fragrance they may take 10 to 25 minutes to develop on the skin as the chemical reaction explained above occurs.
Base notes last the longest, and also act as a fixative, they help slow down the evaporation rates of the lighter notes, giving the fragrance holding power.
You can make the scent of a perfume last longer by applying unscented cream before applying the perfume.