Fragrance is a mixture of chemicals that creates an aroma. It can be natural or synthetic, and it can be found in plants, flowers, spices, foods and perfumes. Fragrance can also be found in a wide range of household products including hair care products, soaps, cleaning supplies, body sprays and even some toys and baby items. Thousands of fragrance chemicals give these products their scent and some can cause harm to the body when absorbed into the skin or inhaled. Fragrance chemicals are not required to be listed on product labels and can be hidden behind terms like “parfum” or “fragrance”.
Scent is a powerful sense that can trigger memories, influence moods, and affect the brain. In fact, research suggests that the sense of smell can actually have an impact on our taste and how we feel about foods. It’s no wonder then, that more and more of us are turning to natural oils as an alternative to chemical-laden perfumes and colognes.
The word fragnance comes from the Latin for scent and refers to a pleasant smell. It is often used to describe perfumes, but it can also be applied to any aromatic oil or substance that emits a scent.
Perfumes are the most common type of fragrance and are generally made from natural aromatic oils or synthetic fragrant chemicals. They may be diluted in an alcohol base, which is usually ethanol but can be another solvent such as isopropyl alcohol or vegetable oil. The dilution of the perfume-oil mix is important as it determines how strong or subtle the fragrance will be when applied to the skin. Perfumes are loosely classified into 5 groups loosely based on the concentration of aromatic compounds. These include extrait, EdP (eau de parfum), EdC (eau de toilette), EDT and EDT (eau de d
The scent of the perfume can be intensified by adding more of the perfume-oil mix. However, this increases the risk of toxicity as the more concentrated perfume can lead to allergic reactions and sensitivity issues in some individuals.
For this reason, most perfumers prefer to use natural essential oils as a foundation for their creations and only add synthetic fragrance chemicals as needed to achieve the desired effect. To capture the scent of a particular flower, plant or food, perfumers can use different extraction methods such as maceration, enfleurage or vaporisation. These techniques capture the heavier molecules present in the plant, and they are then diluted with other perfume-oil ingredients to produce the desired scent concept. For flowers whose scents cannot be extracted, a perfumer can compose a perfume base from data gathered through headspace technology to embody the concept of that flower’s scent.
While we may take the scent of a perfume for granted, the truth is that the more than 3,500 fragrance chemicals that give consumer and industrial products their unique smell can be harmful to human health. Just a glance at the product label of any personal care or cleaning product will reveal that it is likely to contain one or more fragrance chemicals, and some have been linked to a host of health concerns such as allergies, dermatitis, respiratory distress and a possible impact on the reproductive system.