The BACIS Archives

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• Some Aspects of Perfumery

INTRODUCTION

One could ask many questions about the various kinds of perfumery and the different types of perfumes. A short overview of some aspects of perfumery will be given below.

DISCUSSION

Perfumery can be divided into the various kinds of perfumery and subdivided into the different types of perfumes or perfume compounds with respect to their applications.

Alcoholic perfumery
The different types of alcoholic perfumes are:

• extrait perfumes, containing 15 - 30% of perfume oil in high grade (90%) alcohol;
• eau de parfum, consisting of 15 - 20% perfume oil in 80-90% alcohol/water solution; it has the same character as the extrait perfume, but more diluted;
• eau de toilette or toilet water, having 5 - 10% perfume oil in about 80% alcohol solution; the character can be somewhat modified;
• after shave (men's line) perfumes contain also 5 - 10% perfume oil;
• eau de colognes are toilet waters containing 3 - 5% of perfume oil in a 70% alcohol/water; their character is fresher and they are more volatile
• splash colognes are toilet waters containing only 1 - 3% perfume oil in highly diluted alcohol.

(see: The Perfume Handbook, Nigel Groom, Second Ed. 1997, Chapman & Hall, London)

Cosmetic perfumery
Some types of cosmetic perfumes are applied in:

Product	Concentration of Perfume Oil in %
body care products (e.g. cremes and lotions)	0.5 - 2
hair care products (e.g. shampoos)	0.5 - 2
deodorant (e.g. body)	0.5 - 1

Functional perfumery
Functional perfumes are, for instance, applied in:

Product	Concentration of Perfume Oil in %
soap	1 - 2
detergents	0.1 - 0.5
airfresheners	0.5
bath(ing) products	0.5
household products (toilet, tile and carpet cleaners)	0.2 - 0.5

Technical perfumery
These products can be used, for instance, as odourant for gas (methane) or plastics. The concentration is often lower than 0.1% (even down to ppm level).