Whenever you go out and want to make a good impression, what do you wear? Perfume. If you want to impress that handsome guy from work and make him look your way, you wear perfume. If you want to just smell good, you wear perfume.
Perfumes for women and men come in so many shapes, sizes, and scents. But what is perfume? What is perfume made of? Here is a brief guide to give more context to the fragrances that many people depend on so much.
Brief History of Perfume
Perfume is a mixture of essential oils that often carry sweet smells. It has a long and storied history.
The earliest records of perfume and cologne being used date back to ancient Egypt, and from there spread to the classical empires of Persia, Greece, and Rome.
However, these were used by the social elite who could afford them due to the arduous processes it took to make them. They are even referenced several times in the bible.
It wasn’t until the early modern era when people began making synthetic fragrances that they became more affordable.
Now, they have become a relatively common product that most people can access, even though some are still rare and extremely expensive.
What is Perfume Made Of? Sources of Perfume
Perfume can be made from many different things, such as flowers and fragrant oils, and can be used in various ways, namely rubs and oils, balms, and sprays.
Although many are easily accessible to everyday people, there are still some types of perfume that will cost a lot of money to obtain:
Orris
This one comes from the Iris flower. Those may be common, but you have to obtain over a ton of Iris plant bulbs and then age them between 2 to 5 years just to make a kilo of the perfume.
Hence this one ranks in the top three most expensive in the world.
(Real) Musk
This fragrance (the non-synthetic one) comes from the musk deer. Unfortunately due to over-hunting, they’re endangered in the wild. They’re still sometimes poached to obtain their musk glands.
If you were to try and get some on the black market, it would cost you thousands of dollars.
Ambergris
On the more absurd side, we have ambergris. Ambergris is a secretion that comes from Sperm Whales and is so rare because only a small percentage of these whales actually secrete it, and it’s found inconsistently.
If you were to be lucky enough to find as little as a pound of it washed up on shore, you could easily make a few thousand dollars. It is used in perfumes to make them last longer on the skin.
Get Some Perfume Today
Perfumes have for centuries been a means of status and prestige, but now every common person can have access to them despite some of the more expensive ones.
You no longer have to wonder what is perfume made of because there are just so many options. All you have to do is find the best one for you. Get your hands on your favorite perfume today.
For other interesting and informative articles about everyday essentials like this one, be sure to visit the rest of our blog.
