Short History Of Fragrance

Fragrance - A Short History

Fragrances are widely used to affect our moods and enhance our living environs. We apply them to our bodies and in our homes to influence our thoughts and emotions. Our sense of smell works more quickly than the other senses, and has the greatest impact on how we feel. Odours are unavoidable and will very quickly impact on our perceptions. If we are surrounded by fresh smells, we perceive the environment to be clean and well cared for.

Throughout antiquity and in various cultures, perfumes were traditionally presented as an offering to the gods, in religious ceremonies and funeral rites. The use of fragrance oils was believed to sublimate the body and make it more divine. Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Rome, Persia and India all played their part in the development of fragrances, although with the former two the emphasis was on the art of making perfumes, whilst with the latter they were more intent on the application of fragrance to incense.

Perfume and fragrance oils were originally sourced from parts of plants, gums, resins and even animals. Down the ages the production of fragrant substances has increased and they are used in a variety of ways, from fumigations to oils, and from balms to fermented liquors.

It is thought that the oldest known perfumery was situated in Cyprus around 2000BC. Scientists have extracted essences of laurel, myrtle, cinnamon, anise and bergamot, as well as olive oil, from dozens of clay amphorae found at the site near Nicosia. Arabic influences and knowledge of perfumery spread to Europe as early as the 14th Century, and the first modern perfume is thought to have its origin in Hungary. The art of perfumery continued to gain in importance and refinement in Renaissance Italy and then on into 16th Century France.

During the Renaissance only the wealthy were privileged to use perfume oils on their bodies. When Louis XV was on the throne in the 18th Century, his court was actually called "la cour perfumés" (the perfumed court) and his mistress Mme de Pompadour always ensured a copious supply of perfume to keep the King’s apartments well fragranced. In England, perfume was most popular during the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. She was intolerant of unpleasant odours and demanded that all public places should be fragranced.

The first synthetic fragrance was produced in the late 1800's. There followed a blossoming of fragrance houses, and people no longer had to be rich to indulge. The ethics of using synthetic materials may be debatable, but there is no doubt that their introduction opened up a world of possibility as to range and application of fragrances. In addition, they overcome the problems of difficult (or impossible) sourcing of certain raw materials such as Sandalwood.

In the 1960's, apart from the popularity of scents as perfumes and an increase in the number of dedicated fragrance shops, we became extremely aware of the therapeutic benefits of using fragrances. There developed a number of alternative therapies which relied heavily on the use of oils, herbs and scents to influence our emotions and well-being, not only by physical application as in aromatherapy, but also to enhance our living spaces.

Contrary to the trend in manufacturing synthetic fragrances, which are useful in increasing the strength and variety of scents, the by-word today is "Natural", and a great number of products nowadays proudly advertise their non-allergenic properties.

There are now huge companies creating quality fragrances, natural, synthesized, bulk or bespoke, for incorporation into a global market. The fragrances they produce are used in a wide range of applications for creating a pleasant living environment – candles, air fresheners, plug-ins, aerosols, gel-based fresheners, polish, insecticides and household cleaning products. As simple scented oils, they can be warmed in oil burners and oil lamps, or poured into ornamental diffusers. Whatever the application, there is bound to be a specific fragrance oil to suit it, whether it is purely indulgent or simply functional.