Raw Materials Overview
An overview of the main raw material groups used in perfumery
A PERFUME CONCENTRATE, known in the trade as a "COMPOUND" is typically a liquid made up from a mixture of aroma materials of synthetic and/or natural origin from the following groups.
The percentage indicates the proportions that might be found in modern perfume compounds but of course perfumes can be completely natural or synthetic too.
| PERFUME CONCENTRATE ("COMPOUND")
is typically a liquid compound made up from a mixture of,aroma materials of synthetic and natural origin,from the following groups: |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essential Oils & Extracts
0-30% |
Animal Products
0-0.1% |
Aroma Chemicals
70-100% |
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| Distilled
Steam evaporates volatile oil held in plant material which floats on the cooled water allowing it to be separated.The Oil is usually a light colour as colour molecules are generally large and not volatile. |
Expressed
The oil is is expressed directly from the peels of citrus fruits or separated from the juice. Expressed oils are usually a lighter colour version of the fruit they come from. |
Extracted
Solvents dissolve oil, wax and colour in the plant material. Solvents are evaporated off to produce a CONCRETE.Waxes can be removed using alcohol to produce a dark coloured ABSOLUTE |
Tinctures
Animal Secretions or glands are steeped in alcohol. A dark coloured ABSOLUTE can be produced by removing the alcohol. |
Crude Oil Isolates
Single chemicals separated from crude oil by fractional distillation which then go through a series of reactions. |
Natural Isolates
Single chemicals separated from essential oils and the recovered vapours from wood pulp vats during paper making. (Often used to produce other chemicals by simple reactions such as acetylation or as starting materials in long series of reactions) |
| Flowers:
Lavender Ylang |
Fruits:
Orange Lemon |
Flowers:
Jasmin Rose |
Beaver:
Castoreum |
Benzene:
P.E.A Galaxolide |
Turpentine oil:
Pinene (Linalool) |
| Leaves:
Eucalyptus Geranium |
Gums:
Benzoin Labdanum |
Cat (like):
Civet |
Toluene:
Benzyl Acetate |
Lemongrass oil:
Citral (Ionone) |
|
| Buds/Seeds:
Clove Cardamom |
Lichens:
Oakmoss Treemoss |
Deer:
Musk |
Napthelene:
Methyl Anthranilate |
Clove oil:
Eugenol (Vanillin) |
|
| Grasses:
Vetiver Lemongrass |
Whale:
Ambergris |
Phenol:
Eugenol Evernyl |
Vetiver oil:
Vetiverol (Vetiveryl Acetate) |
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| Woods:
Turpentine Sandalwood |
Xylene:
Musk Xylol Musk Ketone |
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