Fragrance is a broad term that can mean any combination of chemicals used to give products like perfumes and colognes their scent. These chemicals can be derived from both natural raw materials and synthetic ones. Depending on their purpose, a perfume or cologne may also contain other ingredients such as stabilizers, UV-absorbers, preservatives and dyes.
Perfumes are generally alcoholic solutions (called eau de parfum, or perfume, and eaux d’cologne, or cologne). They can contain from 10-25 percent perfume concentrate. Perfumes can be divided into three structural parts: the head or top note, providing a refreshing and volatile odour that evaporates quickly; the middle note or modifier, adding body and depth to a fragrance; and the base notes, which provide a lasting impression, such as the woody aroma of cedarwood or moss.
Many decades ago, master perfumers tinkered with expensive and often difficult-to-source natural ingredients that could be derived from flowers or resins, trees, roots, bark and plants. But today, as new technologies make analyzing and replicating smells far easier, copycat fragrances are booming. Unlike musicians, who are paid royalties when their music is copied, the perfume industry doesn’t have protections for its formulas.