Natural Perfume: The Anatomy of a Natural Fragrance

So you may now know that synthetic perfumes aren’t exactly the healthiest thing to put on your skin and allow its vapours into your lungs. Are there any alternatives? Consider green, all-natural perfumes that are not that boring or bland. Think Creed, Serge Lutens, Annick Goutal, or Lavanila. What’s different about them?

Natural perfumes are created from raw and rare plants. To make a natural perfume, aromatic compounds are obtained through tincturing, enfleurage, infusion and distillation, and then added to a combination of carrier oil and water or a natural alcohol base. These bases are gentler to human skin and nasal membranes and are less likely to cause an allergic reaction.

Plants have long been used in perfumery as a source of essential oils and aroma compounds. A plant can offer more than one source of aromatics. For example, orange leaves, blossoms, and fruit zest are the respective sources of petit grain, neroli, and orange oils, all smelling wonderfully in a natural perfume.

Flowers and blossoms are the largest source of aromatics for natural perfumes. Flowers of several species of rose and jasmine, as well as osmanthus, mimosa, tuberose, citrus and ylang-ylang trees, are used more often. Unopened flower buds of the clove are also commonly used. Orchid flowers are not commercially used to produce essential oils or absolutes. However, vanilla, which is an orchid, must be pollinated first and made into seed pods before use in perfumery.

The most commonly used fruits are citrus such as oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, and juniper berries. Apples, strawberries, and cherries unfortunately do not produce aromatics when extracted. If pear or apple fragrance notes are found in a perfume, they are most likely synthetic.

Roots, seeds and barks also made their way into luxurious green natural perfumes. Cinnamon and cascarilla are the most popular barks, while iris rhizomes, vetiver and ginger roots are praised for their earthy, heady scents. Commonly used seeds include tonka bean, coriander, caraway, cocoa, nutmeg, mace, cardamom, and anise.

Many leafs are used to create fresh, herbal natural perfumes. Lavender leaf, patchouli, sage, violets, rosemary, citrus, hay, and tomato leaves are valued for the “green” smell they bring to natural perfumes.

Highly fragrant and antiseptic resins have been widely used in incense, perfumery and medicine. Commonly used resins in perfumery include labdanum, frankincense, myrrh, Peru balsam, gum benzoin. Pine and fir resins are a particularly valued source of terpenes. Commonly used woods include sandalwood, rosewood, agarwood, birch, cedar, juniper, and pine, while lichens, including oak moss and tree moss, are popular ingredients in men’s fragrances.

Perfume oils usually contain tens to hundreds of ingredients and these are typically organized in a perfume for the specific role they will play.

Many aromatic ingredients are used together to create a base scent that often does not bear a resemblance to a natural ingredient. For instance, jasmine and rose scents are common blends for abstract floral fragrances. Then the formulation is modified by adding small quantities of other perfume oils to give the fragrance a certain desired character. For instance, wood resins add depth and darkness, while citrus scents can be added to create a sunny, fresh floral aroma. The formulation is then blended by ingredients such as linalool and hydroxycitronellal. Blenders can be irritating and are usually listed on the packaging of natural fragrances along with the vague fragrance ingredient. The scent is usually made stable by amber, various resins and wood oils.

The perfume’s composition is then blended with alcohol and water, aged in tanks for two weeks or more, depending on the manufacturer, and filtered through processing equipment to remove any residue and odd bits before the fragrance can be poured into elegant perfume bottles.