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The History of
Perfume
Perfume remotes to
thousands of years back. It has been used by our ancestors for
centuries, and will continue to be used by new generations to come.
Perfume or
fragrance
was first used by the Egyptians in their religious ceremonies, both as
balms or ointments and as part of preludes for love making. People
have used
perfume on
their bodies, both as oil (balm) and ointment (unguent), for thousands
of years in lesser or greater amounts dependant of the occasion.
The word “perfume”
comes from the Latin per fume, which means “through smoke”. Egyptians
used to burn
incense and
aromatic herbs to be used in rituals and religious services. Such
fragrances were extracted from trees
back then. We know for a fact that frankincense and Myrrh were among
their favorites. Their scent was perfect for their ritual atmosphere.
Other plants, such as rose and peppermint were also used as oil and
unguents to be rubbed into the skin with cosmetic or medical purpose.
Followed by the Egyptians we find large lists of
perfume
lovers such as the Ancient Chinese, Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians,
Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. It was around 1000 BC that Egyptians
invented glass and perfume bottles.
Perfume use declined
during early Christianity, but was revived again during the twelfth
century thanks to the development of international trade. By the
seventeenth century
perfume
popularity in France grew steadily. The court of Louis XV was called
“The perfumed Court” for the vast use of
perfume.
A revolutionary advance in perfumery was seen in the eighteenth
century when Eau de Cologne was invented. You could be able to find
different uses for Eau de Cologne. Following this period and with the
opening of the Baccarat glass factory in 1765 perfume and perfume
bottles became increasingly popular.
Eau de
Cologne was at that time something similar to what we now know as Eau
de Toilette. It was the cheapest of all perfume type. Perfume oil or
pure Parfum continue being the most expensive of all types. Of course,
Eau de Toilette, now days, can last longer than Eau de Cologne; all
this due to the machinery revolution, Alchemy and chemistry.
There has always been a trade in scents and their raw materials. By
the year 2007 perfume had become a $12 billion industry. Nowadays,
women and men have
fragrance
wardrobe of at least half dozen different scents, rather than a single
perfume; one perfume scent for every occasion, saving that special
fragrance for that special moment.
Fascinating is the fact that nowadays we do exactly what our ancestors
did. Looking for high quality perfumed oils to improve the smell of
the body and the ambiance around us it’s been in our culture for
centuries. |
