Fragrance is a group of chemicals that give perfume, cologne and other scented products their distinctive smell. It can include both natural and synthetic ingredients. It can be made up of a mixture of any of the 3,500 fragrance chemicals that are used in perfumes and colognes, or it can be a single scent. Fragrance chemicals are also found in a variety of other personal care and cleaning products. They can cause a wide range of health problems, including dermatitis, asthma and allergies. They are also bad for the environment: chemical vapors from these substances contribute to air pollution and fine particulates, especially in urban areas.
The word “fragrance” comes from the French verb “perfumer,” which means to make fragrant, or from the Latin root “per” (through) and fumar (“to smoke”). Perfume is often referred to as the mother of all beauty products, and it was thanks to the invention of the perfumer’s bottle that the world of cosmetics became such a flurry of colors, textures and scents.
A fragrance can have top, middle and base notes. Top notes are the light sprayed on top of a perfume, and they evaporate quickly (5-30 minutes after application). Middle notes are a blend of different perfume components that provide the body of the scent. These are often the main odors in the perfume, such as rose or jasmine.
The base notes, which are the last of a perfume to fade, provide depth and solidity to the scent. The base notes are usually a blend of a number of different perfume compounds. Some are naturally occurring, like hexyl cinnamal or linalool. Others are manufactured, such as calone or hexyl salicylate.