Perfume is a captivating blend of aromatic compounds designed to evoke emotions, enhance moods, and express individuality. It’s composed of top, middle, and base notes, which unfold over time to reveal a complex and layered scent experience. Whether floral, woody, spicy, or citrusy, a perfume’s character is shaped by the delicate balance of ingredients, carefully crafted by skilled perfumers.
How perfume is made
Perfumers experiment endlessly to create fragrances with both naturally sourced and lab created ingredients which follow the standard regulations set by the International Fragrance Association (IFRA) for safe-use (fragranceconservatory.com, n.d.).
Step-by-step
According to Miller (2022), these are the following steps to craft perfume:
Sourcing Ingredients
More than just a fragrance, perfume is often a statement of style and identity. It can trigger memories, boost confidence, and leave a lasting impression. From luxurious designer bottles to artisanal blends, perfume is an invisible accessory that complements any look and elevates everyday moments into something special (ChatGPT, 2025).
On the other hand, flowering plants that do not contain oils are manufactured synthetically.
Extraction
There are various ways to extract the oils from flowers and plants with the main ones being:
- Expression – squeezing out the oils of mainly fruits
- Steaming/boiling
- Enfleurage and maceration – pressing petals against glass surfaces
- Solvent extraction – chemicals dissolve the plants leaving the oil floating above the alcohol.
Blending oils
These oils are subsequently blended with alcohol (ethyl) and water.
The content matter depends on the product being developed (Deurloo, 2025).
Perfume: Contains between 20-35% of oil
Eau de parfum: Contains between 10-20% of oil
Eau de toilette: Contains between 6-12% of oil
Eau de cologne: Contains between 2-5% of oil
Eau fraîche/body mist: Contains between 1-3% of oil
Ageing Process
The ageing process is an important step of crafting perfume to make the scent last longer. It typically involves the perfume being stored in cool and dark areas.
Testing
The final step of the process requires an expert to smell and test out the perfume and advise the perfumers to make suitable and appropriate adjustments before it makes it into the market for sale.
References
Deurloo, T. (2025). Perfume concentrations explained. [online] Perfume Lounge. Available at: https://www.perfumelounge.eu/scent-stories/perfume-concentrations-explained [Accessed 24 Feb. 2025].
fragranceconservatory.com. (n.d.). How fragrances are created. [online] Available at: https://fragranceconservatory.com/how-fragrances-are-created. [Accessed 24 Feb. 2025]
fragranceconservatory.com. (n.d.). The history of fragrance. [online] Available at: https://fragranceconservatory.com/history-of-fragrance.
Miller, N. (2022). How Perfume is Made. [online] Discovery UK. Available at: https://www.discoveryuk.com/how-its-made/how-perfume-is-made/.