26/12/2020
Understanding the Science of Perfume
Know the different notes. Perfumes are
a blend of different levels of scent, also
called “notes”. When you spray a fragrance
on your skin, it moves through these notes in
the following order:
Top notes are what you smell first. They
are also what disappears first, usually
within 10 to 15 minutes.
Middle notes appear as the top notes
die off. These are the fragrance’s core,
determining which family the perfume
belongs to — for example, oriental,
woody, fresh, or floral.
Base notes accentuate and fix the
fragrance’s middle notes, also known
as its theme. They comprise the
fragrance’s foundation, making the
scent last up to 4 or 5 hours on your
skin.
Familiarize yourself with popular top
notes. Popular top notes include basil,
bergamot, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, lime,
mint, neroli, rosemary, and sweet orange.
Familiarize yourself with popular
middle notes. These include black
pepper, cardamom, chamomile, cinnamon,
clove, fir needle, jasmine, juniper,
lemongrass, neroli, nutmeg, rose, rosewood,
and ylang-ylang.
Familiarize yourself with popular base
notes. These include cedarwood,
cypress, ginger, patchouli, pine, sandalwood,
vanilla, and vetiver.
Know the ratios. When mixing a
fragrance, first add your base notes,
then your middle notes, then finally, your top
notes. The ideal ratio for blending notes is
30% top notes, 50% middle notes, and 20%
base notes.
Some perfumers recommend combining
a maximum of 3 to 4 dominant notes.
Know the basic recipe. To make a
perfume, you need more than just the
top, middle, and base notes: you also need
something to add them to.
Your process begins with a carrier oil.
Popular choices include jojoba, sweet
almond, and grape seed oil.
Next, you’ll slowly add drops of your
base, middle, and top notes to the
carrier oil.
Finally, you’ll add something to help
merge the ingredients together. Alcohol
is a popular choice because it
evaporates quickly and helps diffuse the
perfume’s notes. A common choice