Perfumes are essential to our daily lives, whether going out for a date or attending a corporate meeting. But have you ever wondered how perfumes are made? How does the scent work, and what steps are involved in manufacturing a natural fragrance?
The First Manufacturing Step: The Perfume Concentrate
The first step involves creating a perfume that reflects the personality of the brand or individual who desires an exclusive fragrance. Then, Françoise Rapp, a well-known perfumer, selects each ingredient for its olfactory and therapeutic virtues on the body and mind. Once the composition of the formula is ready, the different components are weighed and mixed together. The personalized perfume is handcrafted by Françoise Rapp at each stage. At the same time, industrial production is carried out by a factory that manufactures the juice or perfume concentrate. The concentrate is packaged in barrels and enters the maturation phase, lasting between one and two weeks, depending on the expected final result.
From Maturation to Maceration
The second step is the alcoholization of the perfume concentrate. The maturation phase determines the percentage of perfume concentrate used to create the final product. For instance, the perfume extract is a pure concentrate not mixed with alcohol. Eau de parfum is diluted in alcohol between 12 and 25%, eau de toilette is lighter and less tenacious, ranging between 6 and 12%, and Eau de Cologne is known for its freshness and airy side, ranging between 1 and 5%. Beyond 25%, we are talking about perfume extract. The decrease in the percentage of concentrate in the alcoholic solution usually follows the store price.
Glazing and Filtration of Natural Perfume
Once the maturation time is over, the concentrated mixture of perfume plus alcohol is cooled to around 0 degrees to precipitate the less soluble substances. Filtration is then carried out to remove these impurities and make the scent limpid, ready to be bottled in glass, closed, and boxed. This is how the life of a fragrance unfolds until the bottle is empty.
The Coloring of the Natural Perfume
Although certain ingredients naturally color the concentrate initially, it is not recommended to color a natural perfume. The essences already color it naturally, and subject to heat or light, this natural coloring will develop normally. It is the guarantee that your scent is natural.
Now that you understand the manufacturing process of natural fragrances, you can perfect your scent design process skills with our Scent Design & Formula Building Masterclass. During this class, you will gain professional knowledge on how to structure your perfume organ and technical documents and build efficient formulas following two methods. The course starts each first Monday of the month.
For brands, Françoise Rapp is a creative natural fragrance director who can follow your project in full service: from creation support to the final product. Read more about our services.