A perfume’s formula is a complex mix of scent, alcohol, water and other ingredients that creates an airy, floral or musky spray on the skin. It is also infused with chemicals like colorants and antioxidants to improve its marketability and shelf life.
Perfume can make people feel confident and even sexy. There are certain fragrances that can evoke a memory or bring about a specific mood, for example citrus perfumes tend to make one feel energized while Jasmine and Ylang ylang are known to be natural aphrodisiacs.
Historically, perfume was used to hide body odour but in the seventeenth century with the rise of germ theory, it began to be seen as a bad habit and wearing it became associated with stench and sickness. By the late nineteenth century, the popularity of deodorant had pushed perfume to the background and a gender stereotype was born; sweet floral blends were deemed exclusively feminine while sharper woody, pine, or cedar scents were seen as masculine.
A perfume can contain up to 100 ingredients and on average, 70 percent of the product is synthetic – but it doesn’t have to be this way. In fact, it can be easier to create a complex perfume with synthetics than it is with naturals. Synthetic aromachemicals can add complex odours that are difficult or impossible to obtain from natural sources, such as the fresh ozonous marine smell of Calone, which is synthetic but gives the same effect as an extract of various seaweeds.
The remaining 30 percent of a perfume can be composed of essential oils or other natural and artificial compounds. Whether natural or synthetic, perfume ingredients are carefully chosen for their odour-giving properties. They can be emitted from flowers, leaves, fruit or other parts of a plant; the natural odours of resins and resinous trees; animal products such as ambergris and sperm whale fat; and a range of other sources such as spices, herbs and woods.
A fine perfume can take up to four hours to fade from the body, depending on its chemistry and your skin’s temperature and oiliness. The odour of a perfume can also change throughout the day – this is because the top notes evaporate more quickly from warm, oily skin than cool, dry skin. The middle and base notes last longer, giving the scent a more rounded and long-lasting impression.
Choosing the right perfume for you requires considering many factors such as your personality, lifestyle and occasion. It is also important to remember that the odour of a perfume can cause allergies and if you suffer from a sensitive nose, spritzing yourself with your favourite scent may be too much for you. Using a small amount of the perfume can help you find the perfect balance. If you do experience any allergic reactions to perfumes, try switching to a different scent or using a less intense formula.