Humankind has spent centuries and civilisations in masking body odour with other fragrances that are an olfactory delight. During ancient times, humans would use plants/flowers/fruits to create perfumes/fragrances that emulate nature’s pleasant smells masking body odour for a few hours. Fast forward to a couple of decades ago, modern man made natural and artificial materials that have been used to make perfumes which you could apply to your skin and clothing, you could put the mixture in cleaners and cosmetics, or you could scent the air in the room like an air diffuser. Now, perfumes/fragrances involve a chemistry of liquids that scent not just body and clothing but also utility products. Earlier perfumes were made by extracting natural oils from plants/flowers/leaves/fruits through pressing and steaming technique. The oil collected was then burned to release scented smoke. Today, millions of perfume brands release new fragrances but there’s a catch in it. Not a single perfume smells the same on any two people because of the difference in body chemistry, temperature, and natural odour. Let’s know more about perfume chemistry and what goes into creating new fragrances.
Perfume is a mixture of aroma compounds, fragrant oils, solvents which is used to make pleasant smells for humans, animals, food, living spaces, clothing, etc.
Chemistry of Perfume
The Olfactory Structure
The olfactory structure is also called the olfactory pyramid that comprises the ‘head’ called the top note, the second being ‘heart’ which is the main fragrance or smell that lasts for hours. The last one is the ‘base’ called the background note that underpins the full perfume that includes minimum volatile chemicals for fragrances and aroma chemicals.
Main Chemicals or Compounds of Perfume
Perfume/Fragrant Oil:
Perfume is divided into two types: synthetic oil or the fragrance extracted out of special sources with the headspace method. The headspace vacuums the fragrance directly out of the object and recreates the aroma by getting a print of the chemical equation. The fragrant oils are derived from natural sources and the chemical equation of the end compound of the perfume depends entirely on what the oil is extracted from.
Water and Alcohol:
There are plenty of alcohols that can be used for perfume making but the most commonly used worldwide is Ethyl Alcohol (C2H6O). Distilled water (H2O) is used in the perfume mixture for spreading out the essence of the fragrance. Based on the diluted solution created with water, the end perfume gets a different strength. The most concentrated one in the market sells as Parfum and the least concentrated perfume is a Cologne. Higher the concentration, stronger the aroma chemical compound.
The ingredients used for making water-based perfume:
- Ethyl Alcohol
- Coumarin
- Benzyl Benzoate
- Phthalates
- Distilled water
- Beeswax
- Essential oils like lavender, rose, bergamot, lemongrass, jasmine, sandalwood, opium, amber, agar
- Synthetic fragrances like limonene, tonalide, musk xylene, musk ambrette
Role of Chemistry
A smell is a molecule which floats in the air because it’s light. The materials used in fragrances are semi volatile compounds whose molecular weight hardly exceeds 260 AMU. The perfume smell depends on how an individual is chemically connected to perceive it. The chemical reactions in the perfume due to light can alter the fragrance. This happens because the energy in the light can break down the chemical bonds. Bright sunlight damages the perfume, the air can also corrode the perfume because of oxidation. The best place to store perfume is in a dark space at room temperature in a spray bottle. The best places to spray the perfume is on your pulse points because the pulse will warm the perfume causing it to spread scent consistently.
The Future of Perfume Making
Perfume being used to heal, alleviate people’s mood, and improve relationships between the sexes are the new frontiers being explored in the aroma industry other than just smelling good. Olfactory is a right-brain activity, the side that also rules emotions, memory, and creativity. Aromatherapy- smelling fragrances and oils to heal emotional and physical problems – is being practiced to balance hormonal and body energy. The future of aroma chemicals seems promising if more and more fragrance and perfume brands evolve to recreate new smells in the market.
For this purpose, there are various aroma chemicals that we at DU Organics manufacture to achieve your end chemical compound. Learn more about perfume making and know the chemicals that blend together in perfection.