Julie Patterson, age 13, of Nashville, Tenn., for her question:
HOW IS PERFUME MADE?
Many perfumes have odors similar to those of fresh flowers. Perfume is a substance that gives off a pleasant scent.
Most expensive body perfumes today are made from rare flower oils from many parts of the world, while perfumes used to make soap generally come from low cost, man made materials.
Today, the largest amount of perfume is used in soap. It is also available as a liquid or paste which can be put on the body to create a pleasant odor. You'll also find perfumes in lipsticks, face and body lotions, powders and in most other cosmetics.
Perfumes can be made with blends of flowers and plant oils, animal substances, synthetics, alcohol and water.
Plants whose oils are extensively used in making perfumes include cinnamon, jasmine, lavender, patchouli, rose, rosemary, sandalwood and tuberose.
Oil is extracted from plants by steam distillation. The oil turns to gas, which is then passed through tubing and cooled to make it liquid again. The oil is obtained from some flowers by boiling the pedals in water rather than by passing steam through them.
Animal substances slow the evaporation of perfume oils and make the fragrance last longer. These animal substances are often called "fixatives."
Perfume ingredients from animals include castor, from the beaver; civet, a fatty substance from the civet; musk, from the male musk deer; and ambergris, from the sperm whale.
Synthetic substances account for the largest amount of materials used in the perfume industry today. Raw materials for these substances may be obtained from natural sources, petrochemicals or coal tar. Many synthetic odors have been developed in the United States to meet the growing demand for perfumes. Large amounts of a variety of essential oils are still imported, however.
Enfleurage is one of the techniques use to extract flower oils. Glass plates are covered with an odorless fat and a layer of flower petals. The fat absorbs the oil from the petals and forms a greasy pomade. The pomade is then treated with alcohol to dissolve out the oil.
Perfume has between 10 and 20 percent perfume oils dissolved in alcohol, while colognes contain between 3 and 5 percent perfume oils.
Man has always enjoyed perfume. Ancient peoples burned sweet resins, gums and woods as incense at their religious ceremonies. Perfumes have been found in the tombs of Egyptian Pharaohs who lived more than 3,000 years ago.
The word "perfume" comes from two Latin words: "per," which means "through," and "fumus," which means "smoke."