This effect of odours on us could be a possible explanation of how greatly the fragrance industry has developed over the years. Perfumery first began as an ancient art being practiced in ancient Egypt and recorded in the Bible. Fragrance was used to hide unpleasant odors and impart a pleasant scent to the skin, hair or the environment.
Today, the fragrance industry lies between the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries in terms of scale of production and cost per kilogramme of product. The production scale is closer to that of the pharmaceutical industry but the prices are closer to those of the bulk chemicals industry.
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Picture taken from http://www.coolbuddy.com/wallpapers/perfumes/ |
Fragrances are indeed part of our everyday life that many do not realise. We pick up the odours, but take them for granted and rarely think of the effect they have on us. Manufacturers add fragrances to many of the products we buy to improve their performance and influence our perception of them. Sometimes the product itself does not have a pleasant smell and the fragrance is used to cover it. Soap is an example of this. We also associate the smell of lemon with the freshness and sparkle we expect from clean glasses and crockery. Research, using panels of consumers, has shown that certain fragrances enhance a person?s perception of whiteness. Disinfectants often have a pine fragrance added, since we associate its smell with cleanliness and germ-killing properties. Fragrance is also added to bath soaps, shampoos, antiperspirants, bath oils, lotions, laundry soap, cleaning products, candles, and other consumer products for these same purposes.
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Picture taken from http://www.andybarson. |
Fragrance is also used to influence mood or emotion via aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine where aromatic oils, extracted from plants, are used to treat a variety of disorders. Aromatherapists claim particular success in the treatment of stress-related conditions as some fragrances can have a calming, soothing effect on our mood.
Here, we would look at the major ingredients of fragrances used in the fragrance industry today, then proceed further to look at factors affecting the production of perfumes.
