A Brief History of Perfume

Perfumes are often fragrant, pleasant smelling liquid-based products that many people employ in their everyday lives. Whether it be part of a daily routine, or strictly for special occasions, there is no doubt that perfume today plays a fundamental part in an individual’s personal identity and taste. However, the question remains of how perfume has evolved from its inception and how it has played a larger social and cultural role on the individual throughout history. We will first explore the beginnings of perfumes in ancient history, then delve into the more modern establishment of its popularization and commercial availability, and finally, analyze how perfume is perceived and used today.

The earliest appearance of perfumes can be traced back thousands of years ago. The oldest perfume found was in Cyprus, dating to around 1850 B.C.E. The site was actually a perfume-making workshop that was preserved by an earthquake that covered the various bottles, mixing bowls, and other tools in earth. Evidence of perfume production has also been found in the Minoan civilization in Crete in the Bronze Age. The ancient Egyptians also took part in perfumery, yet the fragrances were at mostly used in religious rituals, like in the process of mummification. However, personal use did occur among the higher classes, an example being where the wearer placed a wax piece infused with herbs, flowers, or spices on their head which would gradually melt and the scent would envelop them. The first “chemists” of perfumery were women, one of whom is known to be Tapputi-Belatekallim. Evidence found on cuneiform tablets in Mesopotamia dating to around 2,000 B.C.E. details the processes and tools needed in order to create perfume, almost similar to a cookbook. Moving onto the Middle Ages in Europe, liquid fragrances similar to perfumes, along with herbs and flowers, were generally associated with medicine. A ninth century English manuscript on herbal remedies, called the Leech Book of Bald, details how to care for ailments, instructing usages of fragrant plants in herb baths, garlands, or vapors. In 1307, the first modern perfume – “modern” meaning that it is similar to the ingredients used in perfumes today; scented oils blended in an alcohol solution – was created. Queen Elizabeth of Hungary popularized this kind of perfume in Europe, and as the Renaissance approached, perfuming became a highly fashionable trend among the aristocracy. Now, for example, the bourgeoisie could distinguish themselves from common people through their scent. There was a certain “hierarchy of scents”, where the richer would smell nicer than the poor, who could not afford such a luxury.

Fragrance and perfume production was turning into an industry in the nineteenth century; its use was becoming more widespread as sensitivities to “foul” odors and personal hygiene became more common. Along with the heightened sensitivities to offensive smells, perfume began to become more conservative in its use, with the belief that too much of a smell could be bad. Additionally, perfume scents began to be gendered, with lighter, floral scents becoming feminine and sharper, woodsy scents associated with the masculine. Innovations in creating synthetic compounds in the late nineteenth century reduced the cost of production and made perfume more widely consumed, allowing people who could not afford the luxury perfumes to obtain a cheaper one. Once chemistry was added to the equation, perfumists were able to create much more complex scents, essentially becoming artists of the science of smell. One of the most popular and well known perfumes is No 5 by Chanel, created in 1921. Gabrielle Chanel, at the time a French fashion designer known for her simplistic style, wanted to create a perfume that would be inimitable and distinct, using a combination of rich natural materials and synthetic aldehyde complexes. It was the first perfume that used synthetic materials. Along with Chanel, this notion of perfumes signifying social status and luxury was repeated in other brands like Guerlain, Lanvin, and Caron.

Perfume was advertised mostly towards women during the start of its commercialization, although the male market slowly followed the same trend. The popularization of perfume in America shortly followed the boom in France. Perfume makers tended to imitate what was popular in Europe until the 1970’s, when New York-based cosmetics brand Revlon released “Charlie” in 1973. From there, the American market for perfumes became independent and distinct from the French and European.Notably, the market for perfumes has majorly been among women. Chanel herself is quoted as saying “a woman without perfume is a woman without a future.” The idea of perfume being a necessity, not just for smelling nice, but in order to be a functioning woman in society is a wildly preposterous statement, but one that does show the dated stereotype of how women needed to be seen, and scented, as elegant and feminine. Hollywood stars, like Marilyn Monroe, promoted the use of perfumes, and despite the overall conservativeness of the 1950s in America, women were drawn to using perfumes to enhance their attractiveness. Perfume continues to be a fashionable and popular item today. As of 2015, the sales value of perfumes in America was at $8 billion, and the global number at $46 billion, with Europe being the largest consumer of fragrance products. There are still various niche perfume makers that cater only to the wealthy, but perfume can be enjoyed at many lower price points. Clothing designers, celebrities, and other notable people are often found promoting or creating scents for popular consumption. Perfume may not be seen as a necessity to many people, as general cleanliness practices can take care of disguising one’s natural smell, but to some, it is a staple in their daily lives. Perfume is a highly personal item, one that an individual may choose to either reflect their personality, brighten their mood, or influence how they want to be perceived, and it can play a crucial role in the identity of a person. Picking a perfume has similarities to how we pick our clothes. We all have some kind of style and preference, especially among scents, and even if we are not consciously wanting to make an impression on other people through wearing these items, it does so either way.

Most people have dabbled in the world of perfumery, whether it be by a daily dousing of a parfum or even just by using a scented deodorant. Instances of people using perfumes have dated from thousands of years ago, and we still continue to use them today. Although we do not specifically use perfumes for religious purposes or for the hopes of curing sickness, variations of it still exist. Practices like aromatherapy, using incenses, or even spritzing Febreze in a stale room are all essentially acts of perfuming, whether it be on oneself or for a whole area. Perfumes are still seen as a sign of social status, with luxury brands creating their sought-after scents, but with not nearly the amount of exclusivity in the earlier era of perfumery. Ultimately, the use of perfume has historically continued to revolve around the awareness of one’s own body and the power of scent in one’s perception of themselves to make an impression on the world around them.

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