Fragrance is a manmade mixture of aromatic chemicals and essential oils that is used to give personal care products a pleasant odor. It is also used in perfumes and colognes. Fragrances are used in many consumer and industrial products including hair care, soaps, lotions, floor cleaners, beauty products, food, and air fresheners. The term fragnance covers dozens, and sometimes hundreds, of chemicals that are found in the fragrances of these and other products. Some of these chemicals are linked to health problems, especially allergies and skin reactions.
Fragrances are used to scent a wide variety of products and can be produced from both natural and synthetic sources. They have been used for centuries and are a part of our everyday lives. They can affect how a person feels and their mood, as well as memory and perception of smell. Some studies suggest that there may be a link between scent and emotion, and that certain scents can help to relieve stress or anxiety.
Perfumes are composed of various odorous substances that evaporate at different times and combine to create the overall odor of the fragrance. Each fragrance has a “top note” (odors that quickly diffuse during application), a “heart note” that adds depth and body to the top notes, and a “base note” that provides the scent’s lasting impression.
The process for creating a new fragrance blend involves developing a concept, selecting a perfumer, and choosing the ingredients that will be included in the blend. The concept may be based on a particular flower, tree, or fruit. A perfumer is a trained professional who blends the fragrance components to achieve the desired scent.
Once the fragrance is blended, it must be diluted to allow it to be used in a product such as a perfume or cologne. This process is called a “re-formulation.” The most common method for this is distillation, in which the raw materials are heated to high temperatures and condensed into a liquid to remove the fragrant molecules. Water or solvent extraction can be used in place of steam for some materials such as fresh fruit rinds and thermally labile components.
During the re-formulation process, the perfumer can “tweak” the composition to adjust the balance of the various elements in the fragrance. The final fragrance will then be tested for compliance with the International Fragrance Association’s standards and the Research Institute for Fragrance Materials’ (RIFM) guidelines for safe use. These tests include hazard identification, hazard quantification, and exposure assessment. RIFM has been testing fragrances for over 50 years. These tests have led to the development of safer dilutions for perfumes, such as Eau de Toilette and eau fraiche. These dilutions reduce the amount of perfume oil in the product, which in turn reduces the risk of a possible allergic reaction. They also allow for the addition of other ingredients such as preservatives and sunscreens.