Group 5 The Manufacturing Process of Perfume
Group 5 The Manufacturing Process of Perfume
Group 5 The Manufacturing Process of Perfume
In this paragraph shows that the manufacturing process of perfume. Firstly before the
manufacturing process begins, the initial ingredients must be brought to the manufacturing
center. Plant substances are harvested from around the world, often hand-picked for their
fragrance. Animal products are obtained by extracting the fatty substances directly from the
animal. Aromatic chemicals used in synthetic perfumes are created in the laboratory by
perfume chemists.
Next, Oils are extracted from plant substances by several methods which is steam distillation,
solvent extraction, enfleurage, maceration, and expression. In steam distillation, steam is
passed through plant material held in a still, whereby the essential oil turns to gas. This gas is
then passed through tubes, cooled, and liquified. Oils can also be extracted by boiling plant
substances like flower petals in water instead of steaming them. Under solvent extraction,
flowers are put into large rotating tanks or drums and benzene or a petroleum ether is poured
over the flowers, extracting the essential oils. The flower parts dissolve in the solvents and
leave a waxy material that contains the oil, which is then placed in ethyl alcohol. The oil
dissolves in the alcohol and rises. Heat is used to evaporate the alcohol, which once fully
burned off, leaves a higher concentration of the perfume oil on the bottom. During enfleurage,
flowers are spread on glass sheets coated with grease. The glass sheets are placed between
wooden frames in tiers. Then the flowers are removed by hand changed until the grease has
absorbed their fragrance. Maceration is similar to enfleurage except that warmed fats are used
to soak up the flower smell. As in solvent extraction, the grease and fats are dissolved in
alcohol to obtain the essential oils. Expression is the oldest and least complex method of
extraction. By this process, now used in obtaining citrus oils from the rind, the fruit or plant is
manually or mechanically pressed until all the oil is squeezed out.
Besides that, once the perfume oils are collected, they are ready to be blended together
according to a formula determined by a master in the field, known as a "nose." It may take as
many as 800 different ingredients and several years to develop the special formula for a
scent.After the scent has been created, it is mixed with alcohol. The amount of alcohol in a
scent can vary greatly. Most full perfumes are made of about 10-20% perfume oils dissolved
in alcohol and a trace of water. Colognes contain approximately 3-5% oil diluted in 80-90%
alcohol, with water making up about 10%. Toilet water has the least amount—2% oil in 60-
80% alcohol and 20% water.
Lastly, Fine perfume is often aged for several months or even years after it is blended.
Following this, a "nose" will once again test the perfume to ensure that the correct scent has
been achieved. Each essential oil and perfume has three notes: "Notes de tete," or top notes,
"notes de coeur," central or heart notes, and "notes de fond," base notes. Top notes have tangy
or citrus-like smells; central notes (aromatic flowers like rose and jasmine) provide body, and
base notes (woody fragrances) provide an enduring fragrance. More "notes," of various
smells, may be further blended.