Perfume is a complex product that requires a long list of ingredients to create. It takes years to learn how to blend perfume ingredients so that the scent lingers on the skin for hours. Many of the natural ingredients used in perfume are derived from plants while some, like castor oil, come from beavers and musk is extracted from sperm whales.
The earliest use of perfume was probably to mask unpleasant body odor, but the practice soon became a social ritual. Roman Emperor Nero would hold lavish banquets where rose and jasmine oils were poured on the guests. The ancient Arab practice of bakhoor was similar, using incense and precious wood to perfume clothing and the environment.
Modern perfumes are made from a combination of essential and synthetic chemicals that have been chemically recreated to mimic the natural aromas of flowers, fruits, herbs and animals. They contain fixatives to ensure that the fragrance lasts on the skin. They also contain stabilizers and preservatives to protect the product from degradation, oxidation and environmental pollutants.
A perfume’s scent will vary according to the quality of the ingredients, the time of year in which the fragrance is made, how it was grown and harvested and the extraction method used. Even identical perfumes from different manufacturers will smell slightly differently. Perfumers will often use a paper blotter (fr:mouillettes) to sample various perfumes and adjust the formula.
The most concentrated form of perfume is called an extrait de parfum or pure perfume and can have up to 40 % oil concentration, meaning that only a few drops are needed. It contains the most expensive natural ingredients and is also known as an intense perfume or extreme perfume.