Real perfumes aren't cheap. What are they made of? To create perfumes, both natural ingredients and materials of chemical origin are used. Naturally, perfumes made using raw materials plant origin, will cost more than those made from synthetic aromatic substances. So what are perfumes made of?

Perfume is the most persistent flavoring agent. They consist of:

• Essential oils – 15-30%;
• 96% alcohol;
• Distilled water;
• Dyes.

It is this composition that allows the aroma of perfume to unfold gradually. When applied, we feel the top notes of the composition. Over time, the smell changes, revealing the “heart notes” of the perfume. After which the aroma changes again, and we feel the final “chords” of the perfume - the trailing notes. A perfume can contain up to 300 components, which together create a unique aroma.

Perfume raw materials

To obtain an interesting composition, perfumers use various raw materials. Currently, more than 6 thousand items are used. Not only flower petals are used, but also roots, stems, herbs, fruits, buds, and mosses. And how many of them do you need? For example, to get 500ml essential oil jasmine, we need to process two tons of petals from this flower. To obtain the same amount of rose oil you will need 2500 kg of rose petals. The most expensive component of perfume is iris. Its cost reaches 40,000 euros per 1 kg. But progress does not stand still. Chemists have long learned to synthesize oils from more accessible components. These substances are called aldehydes. This does not make the smell worse, but the price is lower.

Oils of animal origin play one of the important roles in creating perfumes. Their task is not only to add an interesting note to the composition, but also to achieve harmony between the smells of human skin and perfume. There are four such components:

• Ambergris is a hardened fragrant product formed in the intestines of the sperm whale.
• Castoreum is secreted by the endocrine glands of beavers.
• Musk is an odorous secretion obtained from the glands of the male musk deer (roe deer family).
• Civet is a substance secreted by the glands of some animals from the civet family, civets.

Unfortunately, the animal does not always remain alive, so one cannot help but appreciate the contribution of chemists who search for and find substances that can replace these components.

Chanel

Some people are interested in the composition of Chanel No. 5 perfume. I would like to note that the creation of this composition would not have been possible without chemical synthesis. The basis of perfumes is dominated by aldehydes - chemically synthesized components. Top notes are pink pepper, iris, hyacinth, pineapple and patchouli. The heart of the composition is citruses and jasmine. Well, the final chords are vanilla, white musk, vitiver and patchouli.

And finally, I would like to note that real perfumes “last” on the skin for 5 hours or more, and on clothes for up to 30 hours. On different people the same aroma “reveals” in different ways. And if you liked any of your friend’s perfumes, don’t rush to take the same one for yourself. First, spray a little on your wrist and sniff after a while, maybe it’s not your scent.

Homo sapiens has always loved creating fragrances. At first it was the usual stench of an unwashed body, but then, in order to somehow disguise it, he began experimenting with natural scents. Was this done to improve the smell of the home or to please the gods or simply to disguise unpleasant aroma body, perfume has become an integral part of human life.
The first perfumes consisted of natural ingredients one hundred percent. Fragrances for rituals of worship of the gods were made mainly from resins (frankincense, opopanax and myrrh) and precious woods, while floral and fruity notes were added to body perfumes. By the end of the 19th century, scientists discovered that the results of numerous experiments led to the appearance of previously unknown aromas, and then the development of modern chemical perfumery began. For the first time in history, unusual new chemicals began to be added to the natural components that still dominate the composition.
More than 100 years have passed, and perfume now consists primarily of synthetic chemicals with a trace amount of natural oils. However, many canonical components are still present in modern perfumes.
WARNING!!! After reading this article, many may feel the urge to take a shower and throw out all their perfume. It is not known who was the first to discover this fact, but today we can safely say that even the most beautiful perfumes can be improved by adding unpleasant, and sometimes even repulsive, components.
10. Musk of musk deer.

We start the list with the least offensive-smelling possible ingredient in your perfume - musk deer musk. Males of certain species of deer have a gland on their bellies that they use to spray their habitat with musk and attract mates. People have been using it for over 1000 years to increase the longevity of perfume aroma.
Musk can be obtained without killing the animal, but it is easier to obtain it if the deer is dead. This component was so highly valued that it was used in almost every perfume until the 1970s, when its extraction was limited by CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora). People have also used it as a dietary supplement.
The aroma of musk deer musk is not particularly pleasant, which is quite expected, but if it is thoroughly diluted, it becomes floral and delicate. It was most often used in a 3% solution as a fixative, although larger quantities were added to some perfumes to impart a distinctive animalic aroma. Today, perfumes with the musk of the poor deer are practically impossible to find, but some such perfumes are still sold, although they have only a passing resemblance to the original. This is Chanel No. 5, which used to contain a whopping 15 percent deer musk and 15 percent civet (more on that later). It goes without saying that the original Chanel No. 5 had a real animalic scent, as opposed to today's light floral scent. Bottles of the original are available on eBay and are very expensive.
9. "Beaver stream".

Our next natural fragrance is also pretty safe, but it's quite strange that someone would think it should be used to make our bodies smell good.

The beaver stream is the internal secretion of one of the glands of beavers. It is located right next to the anal glands. The beaver uses their contents to mark their territory, and in technical terms this is considered musk.
The aroma has a pleasant resemblance to the aroma of wood and leather, which led to its inclusion in perfume components. We can say that before there was simply no alternative to this scent. Most modern perfumes no longer use beaver spray. However, it is still considered necessary component in luxury perfumes, where it is often combined with synthetic leather scents to create a more natural scent.
One of the most famous perfumes, Francois Coty's "L'Origan" from 1908, contained a large dose of beaver stream at 0.5 percent. Like deer musk, this ingredient acts as a fixative and is a significant part of the melody of the fragrance. Unfortunately, L'Origan, like most modern perfumes, has been reformulated to be safer and friendlier. Once again, you'll have to head to eBay to try the original.
And guess what? Beaver stream is still used as a natural food additive to enhance the flavor of strawberries and raspberries. Perhaps you not only sprayed your skin with this ingredient, but also took beaver stream internally.
8. Ethane sulfide.

Ethane sulfide is one of the most powerful chemicals in perfumery. It has a strong, repulsive aroma of sulfur and onion. Not surprisingly, it can be found naturally in onions, asparagus, durians and the dead horse lily. Despite the nasty aroma, it can also be found in roses and geraniums.
Ethane sulfide is used in perfumery to enrich rose geranium oil, creating a more natural rose scent base, and, believe it or not, to replicate the scent of the seaside, as this chemical can be found in the air on beaches.
Ethane sulfide should not be confused with ethane sulfate, which also smells like onions but is a toxic material used in chemical weapons.
7. Costus oil.

Costus oil is another recently banned ingredient in perfumery. Partly because it is in danger of extinction in its native India, and partly because it sensitizes receptors, although this is still disputed. This oil was a common ingredient in classical perfumery and was included in some of the most popular men's perfumes, such as Aramis and Patou Pour Homme, which have now been reformulated to remove this ingredient.
To imagine the smell of costus oil, you have to be an animal lover, because the aroma of costus oil is strangely reminiscent of the smell of wet dog hair. He is incredibly strong, and it is unlikely that anyone would find him pleasant even in his diluted form. The real magic of costus oil comes when combined with other animal-derived ingredients such as beaver sprout and civet.
When blended correctly, the oil adds a hint of unripe melon and iris flowers - flavors that are very difficult to create using only natural ingredients.
There are synthetic substitutes for costus oil available these days, but none manage to replicate the complex flavor of the natural ingredient.
6. Phenols.

Phenols occupy a very important place in perfumery. In the natural environment, they are produced by a fairly large number of plants. Phenols are the result of plant defense mechanisms against insects and the environment in general. Phenols used in perfumery are commonly called cresols because they are originally synthesized from creosote, a byproduct of bitumen production.
Like their namesake, cresols have a very pungent industrial aroma. But importantly, many of them bear similarities to the smell of horse and human urine, which is not surprising given that both contain large amounts of pelargonic acid.
This may seem like a rather strange aroma for a perfume, but phenols are important for maintaining certain floral scents such as jonquil and ylang-ylang. They are also used to create fancy bouquets of lilac and hyacinth.
It should be noted that most perfumes contain phenols, added there as a synthetic or natural component. I wonder what salicylic acid, important element aspirin is also a phenol.
5. Amber.

Ambergris is a secretion from the intestines of sperm whales. Scientists are still not sure exactly which animal organ produces ambergris, but what is certain is that perfume ambergris must spend years floating in the ocean to be suitable for use. Fresh ambergris, which you can find by killing and gutting a sperm whale, is absolutely useless for perfume because it has an incredibly unpleasant aroma.
After a long aging process, ambergris loses much of its off-putting aroma and becomes softer and slightly floral. Amber is also used as a fixative because even a tiny amount will allow the perfume to stay on the skin for several days even after just one application. Therefore, this ingredient was previously added to almost all perfumes.
Unlike many other items on this list, the use of this ingredient in modern perfumes is not limited to animal welfare or unpleasant smell, but rather its incredibly high cost, prices start at $26,000 per kilogram and rise sharply depending on the quality. The price of ambergris is so high because most of it is found on beaches and many people pass by without realizing that a stinking piece costs a lot of money.
In the past, ambergris was used as a dietary supplement, for example King Charles II was very fond of it and regularly ate it with scrambled eggs.
4. Indole

Indole is a chemical that can be found naturally in large quantities flowers (mainly white ones such as orange blossoms, jasmine and lilies). This is a very strong chemical with a distinct fecal odor. Its use in perfumery adds naturalness to floral compositions. Synthetic jasmine root will not smell like jasmine until a small amount of this poop-like scent is added to it. In modern minimalist perfumes, indole is often used to add a hint of jasmine.
Interestingly, indole is formed from a chemical that behaves much like serotonin, interacting with receptors in our brain and causing us to feel euphoria. In fact, LSD is an indole alkaloid, and this reaction is the reason why so many people take it. Of course, a healthier choice is to simply inhale the scent of a bouquet of jasmine flowers, which will give you the same pleasure without the risk of seeing insects crawling out from under your skin.
3. Civet musk.

Civet musk (civet) is an extract from the gonads of the palm civet, a mammal that lives in Africa and India. The most expensive civet musk comes from farmed animals in Ethiopia. The aroma of musk is rotten and extremely strong. It has been used in perfumery and as a food additive for a very long time.
Like many of the ingredients on this list, when highly diluted, civet musk produces a unique and very attractive floral aroma. It was used in very large quantities in the famous "Chypre" by Francois Coty's (1 percent of the formula) and, as noted earlier, in the original "Chanel No 5" by Ernest Beaux. Most perfumes until the end of the 20th century contained civet in small quantities. Even today, luxury perfumes still use this ingredient, although the most popular perfumes use synthetic substitutes, as in the case of "Jicky" by Guerlain, who no longer use natural animal products in any of their perfumes.
In the past, civet musk was counterfeited to increase traders' profits. The main impurities were honey and baby feces, which really smell terrible. The standard test for the purity of civet musk was a tongue test.
2. Mercaptans.

Mercaptans are a foul-smelling group of chemicals. They have a sulfuric aroma reminiscent of rotting cabbage. Since all mercaptans have a sulfuric aroma, their use in perfumery is dictated mainly by the subtle differences between their types. For example, ribes mercaptan has a blackcurrant aroma, while furfuryl mercaptan has a coffee aroma. A good perfumer knows how to use these ingredients in a way that minimizes the sulfur aroma and enhances the accents.
Mercaptans, along with the ethane sulfide mentioned above, can be found in human gases.
1. Skatol.

Skatole is the most repulsive of the scents listed here. Even when diluted, the smell is unbearable. So unless you combine it with other ingredients, it won't even come close to being a floral scent. Skatole is a compound that can be found naturally in excrement and bitumen. It's a real stench. It's essentially the scent of shit.
While skatole is actually part of the indole family, it is so nasty that it really deserves its own place on this list and most definitely the top spot.
Skatole is also part of the aroma of animal waste and can also be found in trace amounts in many flowers, such as jasmine and orange blossom. When combined with indole, skatole helps give these flowers a strong erogenous tone.
Perhaps the most famous perfume containing skatole in doses that could easily be considered illegal was "Nuit de Chine" by Maurice Schaller from 1913 for Les Parfums de Rosine. "Nuit de Chine" was a fougere (fern) based perfume built around the scent of sandalwood, skatole, peach and rose. If you open a bottle of this fragrance, skatole will be the first thing you smell, but it is so well balanced with the other components that you won't be able to stop sniffing it.
And therein lies the reason why these strange ingredients find their way into the perfumes we love: they cause a very intense and positive psychological effect in our brain, unlike artificial substitutes that cannot cause such a strong reaction.

Perfume Component

The first letter is "a"

Second letter "m"

Third letter "b"

The last letter of the letter is "a"

Answer for the clue "Perfume component", 5 letters:
ambergris

Alternative crossword questions for the word ambergris

and. an fragrant substance found in clods along the seashore, believed to be from the intestines of whales (sperm whales). Black ambergris, in trade, black amber jet. The amber smell is only detectable when smoking it

Waxy substance from sperm whale for perfumery

A substance used in perfumery to make the scent of a perfume last longer.

whale incense

"wax" in the gut of a sperm whale

Incense (obsolete)

Perfume aroma fixer

Whale's gift to perfumers

Incense

Definition of the word ambergris in dictionaries

Great Soviet Encyclopedia The meaning of the word in the dictionary Great Soviet Encyclopedia
(from Arabic anbar), a waxy substance formed in the digestive tract of the sperm whale; It is also found floating in the water or thrown ashore by waves. Pieces of A. have a round shape, weigh from several kg to 300≈400 kg; density 900≈920 kg/m3,...

Examples of the use of the word ambergris in literature.

He had already encountered many of these materials before, in the market - in the flower and spice aisles, others were new to him, and he filtered them from aromatic mixtures and stored them nameless in his memory: amber, civet, patchouli, sandalwood, bergamot, benzoin, hop color, beaver stream.

Of course, neither musk, nor civet, nor rose oil, nor ambergris, it is clear.

Here ambergris merged with rose water, And the atlas was decorated with lines: Like, if a daughter gives birth to Shahra, then the mother is obliged to give her to the King.

Saffron and musk, rose and narcissus, and myrtle and ambergris- everything for dear Vis.

Like milk and wine, they merged, They grew together, like a rose and a daffodil, Mixed like ambergris and aloe, As with pearls - a golden sparkle.