Source of a Fragrant Oil
Fragrant oils or fragrance oils, also known as perfume oils, are the ingredient that gives perfumes and colognes their scent. They are also used to add scent to soap, candles and lotions, among other products, and can also be used as a longer-lasting alternative to perfume. Does this Spark an idea?
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Definition
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Fragrance oils are a blend of synthetic materials, designed to imitate natural scents or sometimes to produce a new scent. They are different than essential oils, which are natural chemicals extracted from the leaves, flowers, stems, roots or bark of plants. Although essential oils may constitute up to 80 percent of a fragrance oil, more often synthetics predominate, according to Teach Soap.com. Perfumers can choose from more than 5,000 raw ingredients to create a fragrance oil.
History
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Perfumes and fragrance material were originally derived from plant and animal sources. Reserved for the wealthy, the first synthetic fragrance material was produced in the late 1800s, after which perfumes became widely popular, according to Teach Soap.com. Perfume oils are believed to have originated in Egypt, where they were given as gifts to nobility. As of 2010, the price of a perfume oil can range from a few dollars per ounce to $150 per ounce, according to Best Perfume Oils.com.
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Difference from Perfume
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Perfumes generally contain 15 percent to 30 percent oil, while the rest is alcohol. The purpose of the alcohol is to serve as a carrier that causes the scent to be released. The scent is strong when first applied, but fades as it evaporates. Perfumes may also change their scent as the alcohol evaporates, according to Best Perfume Oils.com.
Considerations
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The ingredients for fragrance oils fall under trade secrets laws. Because fragrance oils can't be patented, their formulas must be protected by perfumers. Although perfumes, like other personal care products, fall under FDA jurisdiction, the industry is largely self-regulated due to the trade secret status of the formulas, according to Teach Soap.com. However, certain chemicals are banned from use. Synthetic fragrance materials are preferred by perfumers for financial and ethical reasons (for example, using animal sources such as musk). Synthetic sources for perfume scents are usually developed from pine resins, petroleum distillates and other compounds, according to First4Perfume.com.
Safety
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Fragrance oil suppliers should follow the guidelines of the International Fragrance Association, or IFRA, and use materials approved by the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials, or RIFM, according to Teach Soap.com. These two industry organizations address safety issues of raw materials used in fragrances. The supplier will also have on hand a Material Safety Data Sheet detailing safety suggestions for a particular fragrance oil, including hazardous ingredients information.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit perfume bottle image by Alison Bowden from Fotolia.com
