Fragrance is a mixture of chemicals skillfully assembled by a perfumer to give a scent to a product. The perfumer may use natural ingredients derived from plants, flowers or trees or synthetic chemicals to make a fragrance that is desired by the consumer. Perfume, cologne, and eau de toilette are all forms of fragrance that are used to smell good on the wearer. Some people have a reaction to certain odors and will not use a product that contains fragrance. Other people want a scent to smell clean or pleasant. Some products that contain fragrance are soaps, lotions and deodorant sprays. Fragrance can be used to mask unpleasant and harmful odors in cleaning products such as detergents and scented fabric softeners.
The word fragnance comes from the Middle French phrase, “to smell,” and is related to a bouquet of fragrant flowers or pine trees. Perfume, cologne, eau de parfum and eau de toilette are different concentrations of perfume with a range of oil or alcohol content that determines how strong the fragrance will be when it evaporates from the skin.
Perfume is the strongest and most concentrated form of a fragrance. It can last up to eight hours. A perfume usually contains a higher percentage of essential oils or fragrance chemicals than cologne or eau de toilette. Perfume also has a longer shelf life than cologne and a lower alcohol content that is less likely to irritate the skin.
A perfume can have a variety of scents and is often described as having a floral, musky, fruity or woody scent. Some of the most common ingredients in perfume include bergamot, cypress, jasmine, lavender, rose, lily of the valley and ylang-ylang. A fragrance usually has three olfactory layers with the top note appearing first during application and lasting about 30 minutes, the middle or heart note lasting 2-4 hours and then the base notes lingering for several hours afterward.
When describing a perfume, the perfumer usually presents the ingredients in what is known as a fragrance pyramid or bouquet. The top note is usually a citrus or flowery scent, the middle note has a musky or woody scent and the base notes have a strong and long-lasting aroma. The pyramid helps a perfumer to organize the scents in their mind and to create a cohesive fragrance that smells good when it is worn.
The most popular scents for women’s perfumes are rose, ylang-ylang and vanilla. Perfume is used to enhance the appearance of a woman and sometimes helps to increase self-esteem. It can also reduce anxiety and stress, boost immune system function, improve mood and improve sleep. Some researchers have found a link between pleasant fragrances and pain tolerance.
Perfume can be expensive, but there are many cheaper colognes and eau de toilette that contain fragrance and are acceptable to most men. It is also possible to make your own fragrances by mixing a few drops of essential oils into a carrier oil such as olive or coconut oil. These oils are more natural and do not contain the hormone-disrupting chemicals that are added to commercial perfumes and colognes.