What are perfume oils?

Perfum or "per fumum" in Latin means "through the smoke". The origin of perfume is the blending and burning of fragrant resins in ancient times. Today there are thousands of perfume compounds, some distilled from natural sources and others created articially in labs.

Many experts believe that perfume oils originated in ancient Egypt and were given as gifts to nobility. Today, perfume oils are sold at pricing ranging from a few dollar an ounce to $150 an ounce.

When most people hear the word "perfume", they think of eau de toilette or eau de perfumes that are sold in department stores. These designer fragrances contain various ingredients, but the two main ingredients are alcohol solution and concentrated fragrance oil.

Generally, perfumes contain 15-30% oil and the rest is alcohol. The amount of oil used will vary depending on the strength of the oil and the manufacturer that makes the perfume. Pure perfume oils are rarely sold in department stores, but are instead used to manufacture perfumes and other fragrant products.

Perfume oils are the scented ingredient that give perfumes and colognes their smell. They can also be used to make scented soaps, shampoo, candles, lotions, potpourri, incense, air fresheners, and other scented products. Perfume oils penetrate the pores and linger - they are most known for their long lasting smell.

Here are some types of perfume products that are commonly sold in stores:

• Pure parfum - Parfum contains 40-50% perfume oil. However, note that it is not the same as pure perfume oil.
• Eau de perfume - Eau de perfume contains about 20% perfume oil.
• Eau de cologne - Eau de cologne contains 14-16% perfume oil..
• Eau de toilette - Eau de toilette generally contains about 10% perfume oil.
• Aftershave - Generally, aftershaves will have about 5-6% perfume oil.

The purpose of alcohol

Alcohol serves as a carrier in perfumes, causing the scent to be released into the air. The fragrances is the strongest after initial application, but can fade fairly quickly as the scent continues to evaporate. In oil based perfumes, carrier oils like jojoba oil or grapeseed oil replace the function of alcohol.

How perfume oils are different from perfumes

Most people who try perfume oils prefer them to perfumes, although some do not. Some reasons people prefer perfume oils are:

1. Low cost - Many places that sell perfume oils sell them for much cheaper than store perfumes
2. Long lasting - Since oils are not diluted with alcohol solution, they tend to last longer on the skin. Also, a 1oz bottle of oil will typically last as long as a 4oz bottle of perfume.
3. Small size - The smaller size makes them portable and easier to travel with.
4. Designer type oils - A high quality designer type perfume oil is extremely difficult to distinguish from the actual designer perfume.

Some reasons that people may prefer perfumes instead of oils:

1. Packaging - Designers perfumes have nicer packaging. Most people feel better about giving out such items as gifts. Also, some people like to collect the fancy bottles.
2. Fragrance complexity - The alcohol causes scent notes to evaporate, which means in some fragrances, the scent may actually change over time. Usually, such changes occur within the first few minutes of wearing the perfume. Most oil scents have a constant scent and don't change much over time.
3. Wide variations in perfume oil quality - There are many types of perfume oils and everyone claims to be selling the best. Finding a good quality source for purchasing perfume oils is difficult and many people prefer to stick to recognized brand names.
4. Less intense - Some fragrances, especially specific types of women's fragraces, have a more delicate smell when diluted with alcohol solution. The concentrated oil version may lack the delicacy of the perfume version.