About Perfume Oils

Perfume oils provide the fragance-base for perfumes, colognes and toilet waters. Perfume oils have no alcohol, water or other fillers to diminish their strength and original essence. Perfumes oils are used in body-scenting products, and also in household and industrial cleaners.
The most common use of perfumes and perfume oils is in soap.

History

The word 'perfume' comes from the Latin "per fumus," which means "through smoke." Incense was the first perfume, created by the Mesopotamians around 2,000 BCE. They extracted fragrance by soaking resins and woods in oil. They rubbed the fragrance on their bodies, burned it at their religious rites and used it to embalm the dead. Perfumes became popular in Europe after Crusaders brought perfumes from Palestine to England and France in the 1200's. From there its popularity spread around the world. Today, perfumes of all kinds are a $1 billion a year business in the United States.

Identification

Flowers and plants have tiny sacs where their essential oils are created. These oils are used for creating perfume oil. The essential oils of flower petals are used in the most expensive perfumes. Essential oils can be found in bark, buds, leaves, rinds, roots and wood. Plants commonly used for in perfume oils are rose, lavender, citronella, cinnamon, jasmine, geranium, patchouli, rosemary and sandalwood.

Types

Expensive perfumes usually contain rare flower oils. Many are a mixture of plant oils, flower oils, animal ingredients, alcohol and water. Perfumes consist of 15 per cent perfume oil, which is dissolved in 85 per cent alcohol. Colognes have less perfume oil, around three to five per cent. This is dissolved in 80 to 90 percent alcohol, with the remaining amount made up of water. Toilet waters are two per cent perfume oil, 60 to 80 per cent alcohol and the rest water.

Benefits

Perfume oils, blends of plant and flower extracts and essential oils are becoming more common in the marketplace. Pure perfume oils last longer than perfumes, colognes and toilet water, up to six to 24 hours. Without fillers of any kind, they never dry, evaporate naturally and are rarely overpowering.

Expert Insight

Perfume oils can be extracted from plants in a few ways. One is to extract oils by steaming. The water droplets left behind contain fragrant essential oils. Solvent extraction is another method. This involves dissolving the petals in solvent. The solvent is later distilled. "Enfleurage" involves spreading fat over glass and placing flowers on the fat. After the fat has absorbed the oil, it becomes a type of pomade. Alcohol is applied to dissolve the fat and extract the oil. Animal substances keep perfume oils from evaporating too quickly. Examples are castor, which is derived from the beaver; musk, from male musk deer; and ambergris, from whales.

Considerations

Pure perfume oils last longer than perfumes, colognes and toilet water. Perfume oils last longer in their bottles as well. Fillers cause fragrances to spoil. Perfumes and colognes last between six to 18 months in their containers, depending on the quality and amounts of oils and fillers. Perfume oils, on the other hand, retain their essential fragrance for years.

Resources

• The Fragrance Shop