When we buy perfume, we are more concerned about the brand, price tag and of course the scent itself instead of finding out how and what it is made of. It is not surprising that there are many of us who are actually ignorant on how the perfume is made. Perfumes are generated by two methods. One method is from natural resources and the other is by synthetic production. Natural method is by utilizing natural resources like plants and animals.



Even before perfumes were commercially produced or even got its terminology, scents were being extracted by plant sources for decades. In fact, plants have been used to make essential oils that were added into water for baths and even made into lotions and scented candles. Today, plants play a major role in the perfume industry, as they are the primary source of aroma compounds and essential oils in perfumery.

Every part of a plant is essential for perfume production. The compounds that are extracted from different parts of the same plant can produce remarkably different fragrances for example; the aerial section and seeds of the coriander have different odors while the leaves, fruit zest and blossoms of the orange plant are responsible for the production of petit grain, orange oils and neroli in that order.

The most significant contributor of scent from a plant is undoubtedly the flowers and blossoms. Flowers of roses, osmanthus, tuberose, jasmine and mimosa as well as blossoms of ylang-ylang trees and citrus are all widely used to produce high concentration of essential oils. Leaves and twigs of rosemary, lavender, violets and citrus are well known for producing ‘green' smells that are incorporated into perfumes. Other parts of the plant that are also equally important in the production of perfumes are the fruits, bark, seeds, roots, resins, bulbs, lichens and rhizomes.

Apart from plants, you might be surprised to know that animal sources are also used in perfumery. People who have not been aware of this fact may think twice before purchasing a perfume that was made out of animal sources. This is because, much to the dismay of animal rights organization and animal lovers alike, certain animals have been hunted specifically for perfumery. Animals that fall into this category are musk, which is obtained from the musk sacs of the Asian musk deer – this practice has been replaced by synthetic musk for ethical reasons. Civet or civet musk from the aromatic sacs of civets (related to the mongoose family); castoreum from the North American beaver; ambergris from the sperm whale and honeycombs obtained from honeycomb of the honeybee.

Perfumes produced from plants were not a cause for concern unlike the ones derived from animals. However, there is an alternative for perfume production that is from synthesized sources. Synthetic aromatics are obtained from organic synthesis of a variety of chemical compounds. The chemical compounds for synthetic perfumery are pine resins, petroleum distillates or a cheaper organic feedstock. The beauty about synthetic fragrances is that it is not found in nature. You can never smell it anywhere else. Synthetic perfume is also the answer to the long awaited solution for diminishing natural resources that are currently being used for perfumery.

Very few companies actually produce synthetic perfumes. Some of the renowned ones are Givaudan, Takasago, International Flavors and Fragrances (IFF), Symrise and Firmenich