Frequently asked questions about the history of perfume

The house of Farina in Cologne, founded in 1709, is generally recognised as the oldest perfume factory still in operation in the world. In Florence, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella, open to the public since 1612, is older still, but it is first of all a pharmacy. In France, Houbigant (1775) and Lubin (1798) predate Guerlain (1828).

Chanel N°5 is regularly cited as the best-known and one of the best-selling perfumes in the world since its creation in 1921. Chanel does not publish its sales volumes, and no public worldwide ranking allows this to be verified. N°5 has been among the best-selling perfumes for decades, but other successes (J'adore, La Vie est Belle, Sauvage…) outsell it in some markets.

Grasse owes this title to a unique combination of factors: an exceptional microclimate favouring the cultivation of the centifolia rose and jasmine, artisanal know-how passed down since the 16th century (originating in scented gloves), and the concentration of major companies in the sector (Robertet, Charabot, Chiris). At its peak the town supplied a large share of the natural raw materials used by the great Parisian houses. The inscription of the know-how linked to perfume in the Grasse region on the UNESCO heritage list, in 2018, recognised this legacy.

A “nose” is a professional perfumer, a creator of fragrances. Training was long done through apprenticeship with a master perfumer. Today, schools exist (ISIPCA in Versailles, the Grasse Institute of Perfumery, in-house schools of the major composition companies), and training continues for years in the company. A professional perfumer must be able to identify blindfolded several hundred raw materials and to memorise more than a thousand. It often takes about ten years of practice before fully mastering creation.

This question is at the heart of a complex debate. 100% natural perfumes are rare, costly and often less stable. Synthetic molecules make it possible to create olfactive effects impossible with natural ingredients alone (white musks, marine notes, metallic accords), to control allergens and to guarantee reproducibility from one batch to the next. Most of the great perfumes of history (Chanel N°5, Shalimar, Angel) include a significant proportion of synthetic molecules. The quality of a perfume lies in the coherence and interest of its composition, not in its natural or synthetic origin.

No. Distillation apparatus existed long before him (some were found at Pyrgos, in Cyprus, about 4,000 years old), and Al-Kindi was already describing the distillation of rose water in the 9th century. Tradition attributes to Avicenna the distillation of floral essential oils; he is sometimes credited with inventing the cooled coil, without solid proof. His role in spreading this knowledge is real, but the original invention does not belong to him.

To a certain extent, yes: the link between smell, emotion and memory is well documented. Smell is the only sense whose signals reach very directly the limbic system (the centre of emotions) and the hippocampus (the centre of memory), without a compulsory thalamic relay. Studies in experimental psychology suggest effects on mood (a calming effect of lavender has notably been observed in several trials), but they remain modest and vary from person to person: cultural associations and each person's memories play an important role.

These terms designate different concentrations of aromatic concentrate in alcohol. An eau de parfum (EdP) contains between 15 and 20% concentrate, which generally gives it more intensity and longevity. An eau de toilette (EdT) contains between 5 and 15% concentrate: it is lighter and generally lasts less long. The choice between the two depends on the desired use, the season (EdT is often preferred in summer) and personal preferences. For the same perfume, the EdP and the EdT do not always smell strictly identical, because the proportion of the various raw materials may be adjusted according to the concentration.