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A Sense
of the
Scents...
Contents
2– 5 6 –7 8–11
the gods
through
the rising
smoke pro-
duced by burning
fragrant substan-
ces. Incense is still
ceremoniously
burned today in the
Catholic Church,
and this ritual
presumably has the
same roots. Per fumum
– the Latin idiom meaning …the Roman
through smoke – is therefore In the summer, the beautiful Empire…
the origin of the modern word ladies perfume their busts with
Perfume. In the Old Testament, the oil of sandalwood,
Exodus 30 contains a reference their hair with jasmin water,
to a perfume recipe, in this case their bodies with rose water,
an anointing oil. to prepare themselves for love.
Yet it was the desire for beauty In Europe, the culture of fragran-
and care that brought fragrant ces first began to spread during … and Greece.
resins and blossoms into daily life. the twelfth century. Amulets
A Roman fresco, for example, in the shape of a small apple,
depicts a young maiden filling with gaps that could be
perfume into a little bottle. On an individually opened and
Egyptian wall panel from a grave filled, were in common
in Thebes, it is possible to distin- use. Since the custo-
guish a lady smelling a perfume. mary fragrant waxes
On her head, she wears a typical were called “ambre”,
perfume cone, which is slowly these often highly
melted by the body’s heat. artistic items of jewelry
were called fragrance
An Indian poem by Kalidasa con- apples – pommes
tains the following description: d’ambre – pomander.
12–13 14 – 17 18 – 21 22 – 25 26 – 29 30 – 31
History
04 H&R Scents
In those days, fragrance compo-
sitions consisted solely of natural
ingredients, of resins, leaves,
peels and blossoms that were
treated in a variety of ways to
capture their fragrant principles.
One well-known technique was
to place plant parts in alcohol
to produce so-called tinctures or
infusions. If blossoms were placed Royal letters
patent for a
in animal fat to produce perfumed method of pro-
pomades, the process was called ducing coumarin
“enfleurage.” (Karl Reimer,
1876).
H&R Scents 05
Smell
Located in the nose are two ol- We smell with our brain
factory mucous membranes,
each approximately four Extending from the multitude of
square centimeters in nerve cells in the olfactory mucous
size, which are membrane are numerous appenda-
densely packed ges – processes – that are bundled
with nerve in the upper nasal cavity in the
cells. Exten- form of nerve fibers. These nerve
ding from fiber bundles extend through the
these cells ethmoid plate, a bone behind the
are nume- root of the nose, and into a part
5 rous plunge of the brain that is called the ol-
processes, factory bulb. If subjected to strong
4 3 2
6 which pro- shear forces such as those caused
1
trude into by a heavy blow, for example, this
7 * the nasal bone can slice through the bundle
* * cavity like of nerve fibers like a knife – resul-
* * tiny little ting in a loss of the sense of smell.
**
*
hairs. In the olfactory bulb, each of these
hundreds of nerve fibers, which
* serve as a continuation of the nerve
* cells with their olfactory
** *
*
cilia, terminates in an
* Following pre-
selection here,
the stimuli are
* then advanced
to portions of the
midbrain and to the
so-called olfactory
The olfactory system with its primary and secondary paths to other regions of the brain:
1. Olfactory nerve cells in the nose, 2. Spoon-shaped olfactory bulb, 3. Olfactory tract, brain.The olfactory brain was one
4. Olfactory trigone, 5. Stalk leading to the thalamus, 6. Hypothalamic region, 7. Amygdala. of the earliest portions of the
06 H&R Scents
Only his enor-
mous olfactory
memory enables
this perfumer
to translate a
fuzzy sensory
perception
into a concrete
fragrance.
cerebrum to develop, which in delightfully floral or fruity! A flo- Aromatherapy utilizes the emo-
turn is linked with the limbic ral fragrance would have to be tional side of our sense of smell
system, the system that controls diluted to 2 to 5% to equal the and employs essential oils to pro-
our feelings and emotions. strength of its natural counterpart. duce a calming effect, e.g. through
vanilla extract, or to stimulate the
Interestingly enough, nerve The sense of smell addresses both mind, e.g. with citrus oils. Scents
impulses do not travel in only one our emotions and our intellect. can also be used as a source of
direction – this area also contains A scent’s stimuli are advanced to subconscious manipulation.
nerve cells that work in the oppo- the right half of the brain, where In Japan, for example, it is not
site direction. This means that there it is recognized, while intellectual infrequent for essential oils to be
are a variety of ways in which a activity or the ability to associate distributed through the air con-
kind of feedback can modulate a name occurs in the left half. ditioning system in order to relax
and modify the way a scent is per- This explains the phenomenon of employees during
ceived. Consequently, the expec- being able to precisely identify their breaks.
tations of the person who is smel- a scent but not its name.
ling can exert a strong influence
on the way a scent is experienced
– yellow is associated with fresh-
ness, red with fruity sweetness.
If this expectation is not fulfilled,
the scent is frequently rejected,
even though it is not really unpleas-
ant. So a product’s olfactory ac-
ceptance is also highly dependent
upon the right kind of packaging!
H&R Scents 07
Raw Materials and Processing
Raw Materials
and Processing...
Essential oils Absolues
Steam distillation is employed A two-step extraction process
to obtain these substances from is employed to obtain these sub-
fragrant plants. Heating dissolves stances from fragrant plants.
the plant’s fragrant oil from its In the first step, a solvent is used
cells and carries it along with the to dissolve the fragrant oil from
steam. During the subsequent the plant. What is left after the
cooling process, the water and solvent has been separated is the
The palette of ingredients that is available oil become liquid again and sepa- concrete, which is often waxy
to perfumers for use in their compositions is rate, as they cannot mix with one and highly colored, since – as
differentiated into three different product another. There is one exception: opposed to distillation – the pig-
groups. The first two are of natural origin, Citrus oils are not obtained through ments and plant waxes are also
essential oils and absolues, while the third distillation, they are squeezed out dissolved during the extraction
consists of synthesized aroma chemicals. of the peel (expression). process. To remove them, the
Insulation Cooling
water inlet
Oil outlet
Water and
plant material
Heating jacket
steam inlet
Automatic return of
Direct steam Distillation waters
heating
Steam Trap
Drain
08 H&R Scents
concrete is washed with alcohol;
what remains after this alcohol
has been removed is a liquid
product that now has less color
and is called an absolue.
Aroma chemicals
Aroma chemicals are often
replicas of molecules that occur in
nature. If they have the same che-
mical structure as the molecules
produced by the plant’s meta-
bolism, these aroma chemicals
are termed nature-identical.
If the molecules have not yet
Southern France:
The center of la- been found in nature, they are
Overview of various perfume raw materials – Yield, price, plant part vender cultivation. called synthetic.
H&R Scents 09
Raw Materials and Processing
Processing lavender.
Extraction 9
14 14
1 15 2 15 3 15 4
16 16
11 15 10
6 5 1.– 4. Extractors, 5. Evaporator –
for the removal of most of the solvent,
7 6. Vacuum distillation equipment for
12
the removal of the last traces of solvent,
7. Distillate reciever (solvent),
8. Solvent pump, 9. Condenser for
17 solvent vapours, 10. Settling tank for
solvent, 11. Settling tank for extracts
8 prior to solvent removal, 12. To and
13 from tanks, 13. To solvent rectification,
14. Overflow for solvent vapours
from the extractors, 15. Solvent flow
to extractors, 16. Extract flow from
yellow: concrète, violet: solvent, red: material to be extracted, blue: water extractors to the evaporators, 17. Outlet
for Solvent – free extracts (concrète).
the potential area available for Synthetic aroma chemicals, To simplify their work, perfumers
cultivation. In fact, only 2% of finally, offer perfumers an addi- also employ so-called bases.
all raw materials and ingredients tional source of ingredients for These are fragrance compositions
that are employed today consist their creative work and enrich fra- that can be added to a creation in
of natural products. grance compositions by providing the form of ready-made fragrance
unknown sensory impressions. modules. Originally developed to
Nature-identical aroma chemicals They enable unusual and highly imitate the scents of plants from
can often be produced at very low esthetic creations to be developed; which no extracts can be obtained,
cost, in unlimited quantity and in combinations of pure natural like lily of the valley, lilac or fruits,
uniform quality. Moreover, they substances would undoubtedly bases are also employed today
do not contain any environmental be too one-sided for today’s as a substitute for costly natural
impurities, i.e. they are “cleaner.” “consumer noses.” products.
10 H&R Scents
Modern fragrance
compositions
usually contain
both natural and
synthetic raw
materials and
ingredients.
In the headspace
technology
version shown
here, fragrance
oils are very
carefully removed
from the plant
for analysis.
H&R Scents 11
The Perfumer
12 H&R Scents
Perfumer and
trainee work
closely during
the training
curriculum.
H&R Scents 13
Fragrance Families
Fragrance Families...
There is no doubt that olfaction Just as we learn to give names The Fragrance Circle
is fundamentally a subjective to colors as children, we can also
sensory impression. “I like assign names to the various olfac- Located in the outer circle are the
lavender because it reminds me tory impressions. This produces above-mentioned fragrance fami-
of my grandmother’s dresser an olfactory language with an lies, at the center only one large
drawers. No, I don’t like laven- extensive vocabulary that can also group – that of the floral notes,
der because it always reminds be scientifically underpinned. which can be combined from the
me of having to stay after families in the outer circle. To a
school.” Is it possible to ob- As described above, molecules certain extent, the Fragrance Circle
jectively assess scents at all? with differing structures only fit corresponds to the structure of a
Is there an olfactory language on their intended receptors, thus perfume. A perfume consists of a
that rises above subjective evoking a wide variety of stimuli. top note, a heart note and a base
perceptions and memories? Molecules with similar structures note, and thus lives from the dif-
can be combined into olfactory ferent ways in which its fragrance
families, as shown in the Fragrance compounds evaporate. And both
Circle. evaporation as well as the olfac-
tory effect it triggers are governed
The Fragrance
The fragrance families that are of by the perfume’s chemical struc-
Circle importance in perfumery are ture – thus, related chemical struc-
Green
Citrus
ac
rb
He
tends to
An
cc
oss
be mas-
Leather
ba
ima
culine.
Oakm
To
Hexylacetate
imparts the
fragrance
impression of
ripe pears.
14 H&R Scents
“Green” smells
like freshly
mown grass.
So what are these families all related to the smell of human Herbal-spicy
about? skin and perspiration.Aldehyde The typical fragrance notes of
C10 offers citrus aspects, while such herbaceous kitchen herbs as
■ Top note: Aldehyde C11 undecylene thyme or mugwort. In addition to
produces an animalic effect and its herbaceous underlying scent,
Serves as the first impression of Aldehyde C12 Lauric a cool, there is also a pronouncedly unique-
a fragrance, is intended to arouse almost ozone-like note. spicy element, which produces an
curiosity and vanishes quickly. aromatic impression.
The families positioned in the upper Fruity-light
third of the circle are employed in Lively, light fruit fragrances, Coniferous
composing the top note. especially those from fruits with The fragrance note of whole or
green and yellow peels. This group crushed conifer needles or resins,
■ Heart note (bouquet): includes apple, pear, melon and which can also display citrusy,
Forms the actual fragrance character pineapple scents, for example. herbaceous or aromatic-spicy
of the perfume and lasts for hours. As we have already seen, citrus elements, in addition to its typi-
It usually consists of floral notes that fruits do not belong to this group. cally earthy note. Moreover,
can be accentuated with the adjacent Fragrance examples include hexyl these fragrances are more or less
families. acetate, which has a pear-like pronouncedly resinous and green.
scent, or melon bases. Pine needle oil is coniferous with
■ Base note: citrus-like accents, while fir balsam
Green tends to be aromatic-resinous
Serves as the foundation upon This group characterizes typical with sweet aspects.
which the perfume is based, is inten- botanical fragrance notes, like
ded to pleasantly underscore the those of leaves, stalks or freshly
fading scent, and can last up to a mown grass, as well as cucum-
day. It is composed from the fra- bery-violet-like green. Vertocitral
grance families positioned in the “Citrus” –
is reminiscent of leafy green, the fresh,
lower third of the circle. cis-hexenol of green grass, while invigorating
scent of citrus
nonadienol tends to be remini- fruits.
Top notes scent of violet and cucumber.
Citrus Herbaceaous
Fresh, invigorating scents of Fragrance notes from the plant
citrus fruit, like lemon, orange, kingdom that are closely related
bergamot or grapefruit. to green. More complex than the
actual green scents, herbaceous
Aldehyde fragrances are more aromatic,
Olfactory chain of the long-chain generally with camphorous,
fatty aldehydes. This is a typical, minty, eucalyptus-like or earthy
fatty-sweaty, somewhat pungent nuances. They are usually found
and soapy olfactory note. The on low-growing, unobtrusively
spectrum ranges from almondy- blossoming plants, i.e. herbs.
fruity green nuances to ironed Typical examples include rosemary
laundry fragrances and metallic or sage, as well as peppermint
nuances right through to ozone, and lavender, a fragrance that
ocean-like and waxy scents. Some is both herbaceous and floral at
of the aldehyde fragrances are once.
Fragrance Families
Animal
In addition to amber, there are
three further notes of animal
Sandalwood – origin that are still employed in
a representative
of the “Woody” perfumery today – although they
fragrance display the typical note of excre-
category.
ment, they offer an incomparable
erogenous rounding-off effect in
diluted form and in compositions.
16 H&R Scents
Musk was originally obtained Tobacco
from the olfactory glands of the Fragrance notes that are
musk deer that is native to Asia. inspired by all tobacco-
This tincture smells sweet and like notes, ranging from
urine-like, as well as somewhat aromatically sauced
medicinal. Genuine musk tincture pipe tobacco to cigar
is priceless today and is very rarely tobacco right
used. When speaking of musk through the smell
notes today, what is generally of a stale ashtray.
meant are aroma chemicals that Tobacco absolue
are largely reminiscent of this offers a typical
note, although they typically have scent.
a more powdery and significantly
less animalic scent. Civet absolue Aromatic-spicy
is obtained from the secretions of Invigorating aromatic spice
the olfactory glands of an African notes that can also contain
cat, the civet. As these animals are bitter and/or piquant ele-
captured to obtain the secretions, ments. Typical examples of “Tobacco” in
all of its facets
without causing them any harm, these fragrances include is an interesting
civet is still in very widespread cardamom, nutmeg, fragrance
use today as an animalic note. Its curry, clove and cinna- element.
scent is fecal-acidic with a slight mon.
honey note.
Balsamic
Leather Heavy, sweet, rich fragrances remembered that the first im-
The fragrance notes of genuine with chocolate-vanilla-like, cinna- pression of a perfume is produced
leather and Russian leather. This mon-like to resinous fragrance by the interplay between all of
term is interpreted very broadly. elements. These scents were al- the fragrance materials that are
The typical components of leather ready popular “Oriental” notes in employed in it – while leather, for
compositions include birch tar ancient times, such as Peru balm example, is a base note, it is
oil, for example. Isobutyl chino- or olibanum, i.e. frankincense. responsible producing the overall
line often serves as an important Nuances of this family can also character of the perfume, and is
leather element. The leather Vi- be found in many orchid notes. not just present in the after-scent.
tessence offers a clearly leathery The name is derived from the
smell. word “balsam,” which
is used to denote
Oakmoss certain kinds of resins.
This fragrance class refers to
extraction products of specific Sweet-aromatic
lichen – especially those that grow Pronouncedly sweet
on oak trees. The typical oakmoss fragrances that smell
note smells uniquely dry, algae- like honey, almond,
like, with a cheese-rind note and marzipan, anise or
a tar-like, phenolic element, in woodruff, e.g. cou-
addition to green nuances. Lichen marin, often with rich-
Cinnamon
that grow on other types of fruity or spicy nuances. is a typical
trees supply extraction products In Spite of the segmen- representative
(tree moss) that smell woodier tation in the Fragrance of invigorating
aromatic Spice
and more resinous. Circle, it should be notes.
H&R Scents 17
Application
Household products
This category comprises all of the
products that are employed in the
household. These include clean-
sers and care products, all launde-
ring and fabric care products, as
well as air fresheners.
18 H&R Scents
A perfume’s
wide range of
tasks
The purpose of the
perfumes from the
fine fragrance group
is to use harmonious fra-
grance development to reflect
and underscore the wearer’s
individuality and personality. In
selecting a fragrance, consumers
often also identify with a brand,
a fashion trend or a philosophy of should not only “washed especially gently”,
life. They associate their favorite be visible, it should “washed especially clean” or
fragrance – either consciously or also be “smellable.” “was hard on the laundry”.
subconsciously – with the emotio- The importance of this fra-
nal brand image they have seen grance-effect relationship A finished perfume oil is
from advertisements or TV com- was demonstrated by a simple not created over night
mercials, which is usually also experiment. Consumers were
reflected in the product’s packa- asked to test three “different” If a new product from one of the
ging and flacon design. laundry detergents. What they above three segments is to be
did not know was that while the brought to market (launched),
If, for example, an extraverted fragrance was different, the other the manufacturer usually turns to
woman reaches for a transparent ingredients in the laundry deter- a fragrance producer, a fragrance
bluish or greenish flacon, she gent were identical in all three house, to obtain a perfume oil
expects a fresh-floral fragrance cases. The results were as unam- that is custom-tailored to its
that reflects her temperament. biguous as they were surprising: needs. Only few companies that
An introverted consumer will Depending upon the fragrance use perfume oils in their finished
likely select a flacon in red or effect, the effectiveness of products have their own in-house
gold, which means she wants the detergent was assessed as perfumers.
a warm, Oriental scent. So the
perfumer’s creations not only A “briefing” is used to explain
have to be esthetically upmarket the assignment to the perfumers
“olfactory garments” for the from the fragrance house. The
wearer, they also have to blend briefing contains information
in harmoniously with the accus- about the nature and design of
tomed brand image. the new product, about the
defined target group for which
A product fragrancing has a the product was developed and,
different purpose. In this case, of course, about such technical
the fragrancing is intended to requirements as usage rate and
make the product pleasant for fragrance profile. And the price
the consumer to use. The hands that will have to be paid for the
should smell fresh and clean after perfume oil also plays a major
they have been washed with soap. role.
And a freshly mopped floor
should smell clean – but it should The briefing serves as the basis
be a different kind of “clean” for the work of a team that con-
than freshly washed hands. sists of a perfumer, evaluator,
Perfumers marketing specialist and usually a
In product fragrancing, the scent develop fragran- product specialist. The members
ces for widely
is expected to impart a message – differing product of this team work together to
a product’s effect or effectiveness groups. translate the briefing into a
H&R Scents 19
Application
20 H&R Scents
Both the scent
of the fabric
softener itself
as well as the
scent of the
washed laundry
are assessed.
machine. When the wet laundry substances that can react with their thumbs-up to the aging
is removed from the machine, both one another as well as with sample is the fragrance develop-
the dried laundry is hanging on the medium that is being frag- ment process concluded. Only
the clothesline and is later ironed ranced. In either case, this could now will a presentation be made
– the fragrance always has to be cause the fragrance to change to the customer. If the customer
noticeable and pleasing. The significantly, and often in an is satisfied with the fragrance,
same also applies in developing unpleasant way. Discoloration of the composition – which has thus
a fragrance for a shampoo: It is the product is also possible. To far been compounded only on a
necessary to assess fragrance avoid both of these risks, special scale of grams – can now be
development and substantivity endurance tests were developed produced on a production scale.
on both wet and dry hair. Air in which the fragrance compo- Fully automated, computer-con-
fresheners or cleansing agents, sition is subjected to weeks of trolled compounding equipment
too, are assessed with respect to exposure to heat and light in the then uses the perfumer’s formula
their effect in the room in stan- product. Only when the evaluator to produce batches of up to
dardized, individually ventilated and the perfumer have given several tons in size.
olfaction chambers. Only when
all of these tests have produced
satisfactory results is the first step
in the development of a fragrance
completed.
H&R Scents 21
Cosmetic Ingredients
Cosmetic
Ingredients...
The history of cosmetics is The ancient Egyptians bathed Today’s consumers, though, not
inseparably linked with that in ass’s milk and were the first to only use cosmetics for utilitarian
of perfume. The Egyptians, master the art of producing purposes – in addition to wanting
Greeks, Romans and Chinese – ointments. Lavishly perfumed mildness and environmental
all of the high civilizations of ointments were stored in artistic compatibility, their focus is pre-
the ancient world – not only vessels and traded by the Phoeni- dominantly on protection and
endeavored to capture the cians. Decorative cosmetics were sensory experience. Modern
magic of fragrance in tiny also very widespread – the black cosmetic ingredients are available
bottles and vessels, they also of animal-based kohl was used to for achieving this kind of product
had a pronounced knowledge accentuate the eyes, the intense profile. Just as malachite lent
of the healing and beautifying green of crushed malachite to color to the eyelids of the ancient
effects of natural extracts, color the eyelids. Egyptians, precisely defined pro-
which were the only cosmetic ducts can be employed to create
ingredients that were available Like perfumery, modern cosmetics a highly specific, desired effect
to them. as we know it today is closely today.
linked with the emergence of
synthetic chemistry, which enabled Several examples from daily life
new and more effective ingredients will now be used to illustrate the
to be produced in larger quantities interrelationships that exist be-
and purer quality. Today, the wide tween cosmetic ingredients and
variety of cosmetic ingredients the subject of fragrance materials
enables sophisticated cosmetic and aroma chemicals:
products with a complex product
The ancient
Egyptians used profiles to be manufactured, Sunscreen products
the green of prompting lawmakers in
malachite as eye Germany, for example, to It might come as a surprise to
shadow. Today, a
greater selection issue a clearly defined consumers to learn that fragrance
is available. definition: compounds and sunscreen ab-
sorbers – two classes of products
“Cosmetic ingredients to which a cosmetic ingredient is
in the sense of this added, but for entirely different
Act are substances reasons – possess similar chemical
or substance pre- structures. However this is also
parations which the case in cinnamic acid deriva-
are intended to be tives, for example. Since fragrance
employed externally or compounds with this kind of
in the oral cavity of human structure had already been pro-
beings for the purpose of clean- duced for use in perfume oils,
sing, grooming or influencing it was an obvious step to develop
appearance or body odor or to light-absorbing substances for
impart olfactory effects, unless use in cosmetic products.
they are predominantly intended
to ease or remedy illnesses, afflic- As late as the beginning of
tions, injuries or pathological the past century, white skin was
infirmities.” considered to be a mark of the
22 H&R Scents
in the form of microfine pigments
in cosmetic formulations. Their
protective effect is based upon
a combination of reflection and
absorption of the UV light.
H&R Scents 23
Cosmetic Ingredients
24 H&R Scents
Peppermint leaf
and synthetic
l-menthol.
H&R Scents 25
Quality Assurance
Quality Assurance
and Product Safety...
“To err is human,” goes the purchase of the raw materials form to standardized, traceable
old saying. And it is precisely right through to delivery of the “standard operating procedures”
because of this that a respon- finished products, with ongoing in order to assure a consistently
sible company not only has to tests and inspections being per- high level of quality in all areas of
respond to potential sources formed at these critical points in operation. Quality coordinators in
of problems but must also the production process in order the individual departments assure
work proactively to identify to assure the stipulated standards that this quality management
and prevent them. This is of quality. system is instituted and followed.
one of the goals of quality The proper functioning of a sys-
management, which has Testing and managing tem of this kind can be reviewed
become a crucial aspect of quality in an audit. Satisfaction of all
operational processes. stipulated requirements is con-
The foundation for this consists firmed through the issuance of
In order to produce perfume of a documentation and admini- a certificate under ISO 9000ff.
oils of consistently high quality, stration system that governs oper- This certification is reviewed every
potential sources of problems ational procedures. Under this three years through a new audit,
must be ferreted out, from concept, all process steps con- and then either confirmed or
withdrawn.
H&R Scents 27
Quality Assurance
The most sensi- problematic aspect of the olfac- consignment reference samples,
tive testing is tory assessment. Consequently, are kept in a storeroom that is air
still performed
with the nose. in-process samples are sent to an conditioned to a temperature of
“olfactory lock,” which separates 18°C. They can naturally also be
the production or receiving area employed for any other desired
from a neutral sensory analysis kind of analytical comparison.
room that is equipped with This collection also includes
its own ventilation system. Here, samples of raw materials and compounding error. But it is not
the fragrance specialists can ingredients, which are employed just the first impression, the impact,
evaluate the sample and pass as the reference standards for that is compared. The olfactory
on the results directly. Outgoing receiving inspections. impression of the finished pro-
consignments of products, i.e. duct must also agree with that
finished perfume oils, are also Both a fine nose and experience of the standard after two hours.
inspected in this kind of room. are important factors in reliable Assessment by two different
In this case, the samples are olfac- olfactory sensory assessment. The testers guarantees the most
torally compared with a standard scent of the finished perfume oils objective possible results. How-
consisting of previously produced always has to agree with that of ever the work of Sensory Analysis
products that have been found to the standard. However perfume includes more than just a critical
be of proper quality. Depending oils typically consist of complex assessment of odor: Color and
upon the size of the perfume oil blends of natural fragrance mate- appearance, too, are checked,
producer, some 50,000 to 75,000 rials and aroma chemicals, which and these results, too, are stored
of these standards, so-called “mature” with storage, while in the database.
28 H&R Scents
Microbiological
testing of fragrance
materials.
Microbiology
In Microbiology, selected prod-
ucts are tested for the amount of
certain microorganisms they con-
tain. There is no problem of
microbial impurity in the case of
aroma chemicals. And most of
the natural substances that are
employed in the production of
perfume oils, such as essential
oils or absolues, generally have
an inherent preservative effect.
What are tested, though, are
thick plant extracts, for example,
which are processed upstream
in the production of cosmetic
ingredients. Close collaboration
H&R Scents 29
Product Safety
30 H&R Scents
Perfume oils are Skin compati-
a complex blend bility tests of
of raw materials aroma chemicals
and ingredients – are conducted
however their by independent
production and pharmacologists,
employment are toxologists and
governed by in- dermatologists.
ternational rules.
H&R Scents 31