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Public Speaking Sessions

Learn About the Art of Perfume at a Perfumery 101 Presentation

Discover the art of scent creation in an engaging session on Perfumery 101 in Philadelphia, PA. Learn about the history of perfume, sources of scent and the sense of smell. Smell some of the aroma chemicals used in perfume creation. We explore the fascinating world of fragrance with a full presentation tailored to your group’s interests and time requirements. The presentation is comprised of public speaking, slides, videos and hands-on experience. An optional perfume-making session can be offered, for a limited number of attendees. The cost of a Perfumery 101 presentation is based on the distance, how long the presentation lasts and the number of people attending the optional perfume-making session. The client is responsible for providing the room and audio visual equipment.

The History of Perfume

To understand the perfume of today, we need to know how it evolved. Here is where we begin ... The word perfume comes from the Latin “per fumum,” which means “through smoke.” It was called perfume because its use began with incense. The ancient Egyptians were the first civilization in recorded history to use incense (at least as far back as 4,000 BC). They used it during ceremonies for healings, exorcisms, contacting the dead, and sending messages to their gods. They often scattered cedar, frankincense, and myrrh into a fire to create smoke, which they believed attracted the spirits and was a vehicle for carrying their messages to the gods. Incense was also used during the mummification process. Occasionally, perfumed oils were applied to the skin as a balm or ointment for cosmetic or medicinal purposes, as the Egyptians were concerned that their skin would dry out from the climate.

Invention of Glass

Around 3500 BC, the Syrians developed the process of making glass. Previously, scented oils were stored in containers made of clay, wood, or stone, but glass proved to be the best container. Glassmaking soon became an art and was later perfected by the Egyptians (Millefiori glass) and the Italians (Murano glass).

New Kingdom of Egypt

It wasn’t until the New Kingdom in Egypt (1580-1085 BC) that people began applying scented oils to their bodies. The scented oils were used during festivals, and Egyptian women used perfumed creams and oils as toiletries and cosmetics as a prelude to lovemaking. These perfumes consisted mainly of oils such as linseed, balanos, castor, sesame, or safflower mixed with dried flowers and herbs. On certain occasions, Egyptian women would affix a cone of scented fat wax to their heads, and as the day wore on, the wax would melt and drip down their bodies. During Egypt’s Golden Age, the human body became an object of esteem, anointed with perfume oils--and for many years, the Egyptians maintained a lead in chemistry and perfumery.

Roman and Egyptian Perfumes

By 600 BC, the Romans were using perfume more than any other culture in history. Their favorite flower was the rose, which they literally bathed in. Social gatherings always included lots of perfume, flowers, and scented clothing. Cleopatra reigned in Egypt shortly before the birth of Christ and set the standard for beauty. She had a great interest in perfume that led her to write a book of perfume recipes. She even had her own perfume factory, located near the Dead Sea. Cleopatra was so extravagant that when she met Mark Anthony on the Nile River, she had the sails of her ship scented with perfume. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the use of perfume diminished until around the 12th century.

A Roman Historian's Book on Perfumes

Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD) was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher who described the basic ingredients and methods of making perfumes as written in his Naturalis Historia. This encyclopedic work became a model for all other encyclopedias.

Islam's Influence on Perfumes

The Islamic culture made several important contributions to perfumery including in chemistry. Muhammed, born in 570 AD, was a merchant by trade who loved perfumes. His influece regarding the use of perfume led to Muslim merchants expanding trade routes, creating wider access to spices, herbs, and other fragrant materials. The Muslims also learned to cultivate plants outside their native climates, increasing the supply of raw materials for perfumes. Two examples of these are jasmine and citrus.

Muslim Chemists and Physicians

Around 800 AD, a Persian Muslim physician named Avicenna perfected the process of distilling flowers to extract their essential oils. This process made extracting essential oils much easier. He first experimented with the rose. The process soon became a science, perfected over several hundred years. Two talented Arabian chemists, Jābir ibn Hayyān (Geber, born 722, Iraq), and Al-Kindi (Alkindus, born 801, Iraq) established the perfume industry. Jabir developed many techniques, including distillation, evaporation, and filtration, which enabled the collection of plant odors as a vapor that could be condensed into water or oil. Al-Kindi, however, was the real founder of the perfume industry, as he conducted extensive research and experiments to combine various plants and other sources to produce a variety of scented products. He worked on a vast number of ‘recipes’ for a wide range of perfumes, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products.
An ancient Alembic Still

The Crusades Era

During the Crusades, which occurred around 1000-1200 AD, there was dramatic cross-cultural contact between Europeans and the Arab world. The Muslims were advanced in pharmacology, chemistry, the plant sciences, and perfumery, and when the Europeans returned home after the Crusades, they brought much of this knowledge with them. Around 1100 AD, Muslims perfected the distillation of alcohol, a major advance in perfume use because alcohol helped preserve essential oils. This also meant that perfumes were no longer “greasy,” as they had been in the past. Today ethyl alcohol (ethanol) can be obtained by distilling petroleum or grains like corn. At about the same time, perfume arrived in Europe due to the expanded trade routes established by Muslim merchants, which also gave Europeans wider access to perfume materials.

Royal Perfumes

Perfume reached its peak in England during the reigns of Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I (1509-1603). All public places were scented during Queen Elizabeth’s rule, since she could not tolerate bad smells. It was said that the sharpness of her nose was equaled only by the slyness of her tongue. Ladies of the day took great pride in creating delightful fragrances and in their skill at mixing scents. The first modern perfume was commissioned by Queen Elizabeth of Hungary in 1370. It was made of alcohol and essential oils and was called “Hungary Water.”

The Renaissance Era

During the Renaissance, perfumes were used mostly by the wealthy to mask body odors caused by unsanitary practices of the day, as bathing was not common. After the invention of the Gutenberg printing press, however, information about technology and the sciences, including perfume-making, spread rapidly. The use of perfume resumed with the influence of Louis XIV, during his reign from 1643-1715. His court was called the “Perfumed Court,” because scents were applied to clothing, fans, and furniture. On certain dinner occasions, Louis XIV had the hand fans perfumed and ensured the windows were closed, so the guests would be forced to use them.

Gloves and Perfumes during the Renaissance

During the Renaissance, wearing leather gloves was a fashion adopted by the wealthy to soften the skin, but because the tanning process at the time left the leather smelling unpleasant, glove makers began adding perfume to the gloves. This became such a huge trend not only because it improved the smell of the gloves, but also because the wearer could simply hold the gloves to their nose when traveling through an area of poor sanitation. This trend continued for a few hundred years, eventually turning glove makers into perfumers.

Eau de Cologne

The first “modern” cologne was created in Cologne, Germany, in 1709. It contained mainly alcohol, citrus oils, and orange blossom, and had several uses: as a mouthwash, in the bath, and as a candy when dripped on a lump of sugar. This innovation greatly advanced the use of perfumes. The most authentic German Eau de Cologne is “4711” and has been sold since 1792.

Napoleon Bonaparte

The biggest influence perfume had during the early 1800s was Napoleon Bonaparte--French military leader and Emperor. His wife, Catherine, introduced him to perfumes, which he became obsessed with. He loved Eau de Cologne and also used a ton of violet water. This is why the violet became the emblem of Imperialism in France.

Commonplace Bathing

Bathing in Europe and America did not become commonplace until the 1800s, even as the Eastern World had always been concerned with personal hygiene. Prior to this, people believed that disease was spread through water, so they were reluctant to bathe. There had also been several outdated notions about bathing, such as that too much bathing could cause infertility. Eventually, Americans became obsessed with cleanliness, and the use of soap became more common.

Aroma Chemicals

During the mid 1800s, scientists developed the first synthetic aroma chemicals derived from petroleum products such as turpentine and coal tar. The use of these synthetics expanded the use of perfumes because they were less expensive to manufacture, had a longer shelf life than essential oils, and lasted longer on the skin. The modern perfume industry conducted further research into the chemistry of essential oils to duplicate them synthetically and create new odors. Examples of aroma chemicals used in perfume are Vanillin, Hedione, Linalool, Ethyl Acetate and Coumarin. Around 1910, French perfumer and businessman Francois Coty brought perfume to America and developed new marketing concepts such as selling perfume in smaller bottles that the average woman could afford and giving away free perfume samples. This led to the mass production of perfumes in America, as prices became affordable and more people began wearing them. To date, Caswell-Massey in New York is the oldest retail firm of chemists and perfumers.

Designer Fragrances

During the 1920s, French designer Paul Poiret developed the concept of the designer fragrance. He believed that perfume is a fashion, much like clothing and accessories. Perfumes came to signify the wearer’s role in society. The first successful designer fragrance perfume was Coco Chanel’s “Chanel No. 5”, which was her perfumer’s 5th formulation. By the 1970s and 1980s, designer fragrances hit new sales records. Yves St. Laurent launched “Opium”, Calvin Klein launched “Obsession”, and who could forget Giorgio’s “Giorgio.” In some restaurants, however, Georgio was banned because it overpowered food aromas. As the 1990s emerged, a new range of cleaner, sharper scents, including marine and clean laundry notes, was introduced.

Artisan Perfumers

Today there are currently over 30,000 fragrances on the market, and many of them smell alike. Because of this, there is a resurgence in natural perfumery with no synthetic aroma chemicals. Now there are many customers turning to artisan perfumers to fulfill their desire for a more natural perfume experience.
Famous independent artisan perfumer Mandy Aftel
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Initially, we would like to target the Philadelphia, PA vicinity.
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Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
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