Maybe you wear perfume every day. But do you know how this popular and beloved cosmetic product is made?
You probably have a vague idea. Moreover, you may already know that the raw material of a perfume is natural: flowers, fruits, etc. You may have already heard of “noses” but without really knowing what role these professionals play and at what stage of production. they intervene ? Or, you probably know that alcohol plays an important role in the composition of a perfume. But why ?
Rest assured ! By the time you have finished reading this article, you will be familiar with the processes of making a perfume, whether it is for a woman or a man. You will look at your favorite fragrance differently. And it will be an ideal anecdote to tell to shine in society!
You will first learn about the raw materials that go into the composition of a perfume. In addition, you will then learn a little more about the extraction methods – or how the manufacturer exploit these raw materials to obtain a usable component that later to integrate it into a perfume. You will then learn how the composition step goes. Finally, the last step is industrial manufacturing: the one that happens just before the juice is inserted into its bottle.
Are you ready to learn how a perfume is made? We start by talking about raw materials!
Raw materials
When we talk about raw materials, we must distinguish two types. Those of natural origin (plant or animal) and those of synthetic origin.
Natural raw materials
Flowers, fruits, bark or animal origin: the fragrances partly incorporate raw materials of natural origin. Understand that they are quite simply from nature.
Flowers are in great demand in the manufacture of perfume. But some species are more fragile than others, notably rose and jasmine. They therefore require special (and expensive) treatment.
Manufacturers use the fruits a lot, especially their rind.
Woody and spicy materials are also part of the category of natural raw materials. Here, we use the bark of the tree or the usual form of spices such as cinnamon sticks.
Finally, raw materials of animal origin also come into play, especially for the base notes. The one that goes most often in the composition of a perfume is musk. It is a fragrant secretion from a male buckshot gland.
Synthetic raw materials
A synthetic odor comes from chemical manipulations. It’s an “artificially” lab-created smell.
Synthetic smells can be completely new. In this case, we invent a scent that does not exist in nature and that has never been felt before.
They can also reproduce natural smells: tomato, truffle, citrus … There is no limit!
Today, synthetic scents account for up to 90% of a perfume’s recipe.
Most of the time, they do not replace raw materials of natural origin but supplement them.
The interest of perfumers is not necessarily economic. It is not always cheaper to create synthetic fragrances. The main advantage of synthetic odors is that they can produce odors continuously and regularly.
If a perfumer absolutely wants to integrate the scent of a rare flower that only grows in a very specific region, there is no need to import it from the other side of the world. The smell can be reproduced in the laboratory. It is the magic of synthetic fragrances that open up a huge field of possibilities for fragrance manufacturers.
Extraction methods
Now that you know a little more about the raw materials used in the manufacture of a perfume, it is time for you to understand how the scent is extracted from flowers and fruits.
There are several ways to do this. We will look at the two main ones exploited in the perfume industry today: distillation and extraction.
Distillation
The distillation process relies on a still. Imagine it as a large tub topped with serpentine-shaped pipes.
The principle: extract the perfume using water vapor.
In the still, the plants are placed in a large volume of water. The water is then boiled. The steam rises in the pipes above the still. Their particular serpentine shape recondens the vapor and collects the liquid in a “Florentine vase”. The recovered liquid is a mixture of water and essential oil that remains to be separated.
The extraction
The first stage of extraction is much the same as that of distillation. The only difference is that plant materials are not mixed with water but with solvents.
Solvents are chosen based on the flower or fruit which all have different characteristics. CO2, for example, is a solvent used for low-odor essences such as bark or seeds. You can also use ethanol, methanol, benzene, etc.
Solvents and plant matter are mixed with water. Everything is heated to 60 ° C. After evaporation, the “concrete” is obtained. It is a wax that we will mix with alcohol and heat to remove the oily part.
Once the concrete has been filtered and purified, we obtain the “absolute”.
Most of the time, the fragrances resulting from this method of distillation are strong and used as base notes in perfumes.
You now know a little more about raw materials and the two main extraction methods. Now is the time for you to start composing!
The composition of a perfume
On average, perfumers have 4,500 raw materials at their disposal. As for the possibilities of association … they are endless!
But who is in charge of this association? Who chooses the raw materials, their dosage and their subtle mixture to obtain a balanced result?
This is the “nose”!
The nose is an extraordinary perfumer. He is able to memorize up to 5,000 different smells and has an incredible ability to identify an odor in a mixture.
“Nose” is an exceptional profession with very few elected officials. Large perfume stores only have a few. However, there are other sectors that need a “nose” such as the food industry, for example.
The nose will therefore take charge of combining the scents to create a balanced bouquet.
It builds a fragrance around the olfactory pyramid: top, heart and base notes.
Once the smells have been extracted from the raw materials and the bouquet concocted through the nose, we must move on to the industrial manufacture of the perfume, the subject of the next part.
Industrial manufacturing
When it comes to manufacturing, alcohol plays a very important role. You probably know that a lot of perfume is made of alcohol. Note, however, that this alcohol content depends on the product.
The fragrance is the line with the least alcohol. Then comes the eau de parfum, the eau de toilette and finally the eau de Cologne – the latter being the highest in alcohol.
The rest of the composition is obviously occupied by essential oils and synthetic odors.
The fragrances are made in large stainless steel vats in which the essential oils and alcohol macerate. Once the juice has been macerated, it is inserted into the bottles.
Now you know all about how to make a perfume! Starting from the raw materials (flowers, bark, fruit, not forgetting synthetic smells), through the extraction methods (distillation or extraction), the composition (provided by the “nose”) and finally industrial manufacture.