What Are Fragrance Oils Made of?
A fragrance oil is a scented liquid made from a combination of materials. They differ from essential oils in that typically their ingredients can contain synthetic ingredients and are not directly extracted from an organic source.
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Ingredient Lists
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To protect fragrance oil companies from having their methods copied, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has allowed for the specific ingredients of fragrance oils to be kept a secret to the company. There are, however, some basic staple ingredients of fragrance oil production that are widely known.
Carrier
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The scented ingredients of the fragrance oil are suspended in some type of oily substance referred to as a "carrier," which is used to make the combination of scents more usable. Vegetable oil, mineral oil and synthetic propylene glycol are all used as carriers.
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Alcohols
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An alcohol is a compound made from carbon, hydroxide and other elements. Alcohols that smell like almond, strawberry, fresh cut grass, peppermint and woody aromas are all used in fragrance oils.
Aldehydes
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An aldehyde is a type of compound made with a carbon atom bonded to a hydrogen atom and double bonded to an oxygen atom. Aldehydes that smell like marzipan, cinnamon, lemon, tomatoes, burnt oats, citrus and vanilla are all used in fragrance oils.
Esters
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An ester is a complex compound made up of a combination of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen and several other elements. Esters that smell like apple, banana, wintergreen, pear, apricot, pineapple, maple syrup and cherry are all used in the production of fragrance oils.
Other Compounds
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A variety of other compounds such as amines, ethers, ketones, lactones, terpenes and thiones are used in the production of fragrance oils. Some of the fragrances that they can embody are jasmine, cumin, coriander, anise, fennel, mushroom, fresh bread, rose, bark, lilac, juniper, thyme, leek and grapefruit.
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