We all use perfumes in our daily lives. But do you know how these perfumes are created, or what goes into the manufacturing of these designer perfumes? The precise methods of creation of fragrances are kept secret most of the time. Even is the companies revealed them, you would not understand the chemical complexities behind them. If you have been using a wide variety of perfumes, then you must have turned into an expert in identifying a particular smell from its fragrance.
If you wish to define perfume, the best way would be to start from its concentration levels, and the family to which it belongs and its scent.
Concentration levels
No perfume is created without diluting the perfume oils with a solvent. Undiluted perfume oils contain large quantities of volatile compounds that may also cause some allergies. They are also not suitable to be directly applied to clothing. One of the most common solvents used for perfume oils is ethanol mixed with water. They can even be diluted using some neutral smelling liquids like jojoba oil and coconut oil.
Raw materials needed for the creation of perfumes
Natural ingredients like grasses, spices, flowers, fruits, roots, wood, etc. form a significant component of the raw materials needed to manufacture perfume. Alcohol, coal and other petrochemicals are also used in the manufacturing of perfume. Some flowers do not contain any natural oils; if you want to manufacture scents of that fragrance, you will have to create synthetic oils with that smell. Designer Perfumes also use fixatives that prevent their evaporation quickly; they are generally made using animal substances.
The manufacturing process
Before the companies start with the manufacturing process, they collect all the needed ingredient in the manufacturing facility. Plants are obtained by harvesting them from around the world. Animal substances are derived from fatty substances, and other chemical products are manufactured in the laboratory.
Once the raw materials are collected in the manufacturing center, they are used for the extraction of essential perfume oils. Several methods that are used for the removal of oils include steam distillation, expression, maceration, etc. Each process has its importance in the extraction of oil from the raw materials.
After extraction, the perfume oils are then blended according to the formula of the perfume. Most of the time it is mixed with ethanol and water. The amount of alcohol in every fragrance may vary greatly depending on the type of scent we are looking for.
Even after blending the alcohol, it is not ready for use. It has to go through the process of aging. It needs to be kept for a few months before it can be used and sold in the market.
Quality control
There needs to be proper quality check before any perfume is sent out in the market. There can be a broad scope for mistakes when it comes to checking the quality of the scents.
These days more and more designer perfumes are manufactured by the companies. They mostly use synthetic oils as compared to the natural ingredients.
