Perfume is a liquid mixture that is used to emit a pleasant smell when it is applied to the skin. It may be composed of fragrant essential oils derived from plants and spices or synthetic aromatic compounds. Historically, perfume was made using natural ingredients such as flowers, leaves, grasses, roots, fruits, woods and spices. Later, it became possible to synthesize chemicals that recreated natural scents and created new ones not found in nature. The modern perfume industry is dominated by these chemical fragrances.
The art of perfumery flourished in Renaissance Italy and the personal perfumer to Catherine de Medici took Italian refinements to France, where the French perfumer Jean-François Coiffier made the first synthetic perfume using nitric acid and benzene called nitro benzene (the earliest recorded perfume). Synthetic perfumes are still very popular but research is ongoing into their effects on human health and environmental impact.
Early civilizations extracted oils for perfume making from a variety of sources including flowers and plants, spices, animal secretions, mosses and resins. One of the oldest extraction methods was enfleurage, which involved placing flower or other organic material in fat to capture the smells. Other techniques include distillation and maceration.
Fragrance research has revealed that people select a perfume according to mood and personality. For example, a study in 2003 showed that women who were in a positive mood chose more floral or oriental fragrances, while those in a negative mood favored lighter, fresher perfumes. A scent’s ability to evoke emotions and memories is also believed to be an important consideration in choosing a perfume.