The alchemy of perfumes goes back thousands of years. Here are the practical aspects of perfumes in ancient and medieval times, how they're made, traded and used for beauty, health and spirituality.
How Perfumes are Made in Ancient & Medieval Times
Components
The ingredients used in ancient and medieval perfumes are sourced from nature. They're popular on land and maritime trade routes with India, Africa, China and the New World.
Common elements include:
Flowers:
Roses, lilacs, and jasmine provide lovely fragrances.
Resins:
Frankincense (Boswellia) and benzoin (styrax) add depth and longevity. Avoid myrrh except in religious or death contexts as it can have a musty odor reminding one of old graves. It has spiritual connections to death and divinity. Try before buying.
Wood:
Valued for its warm scent, cedarwood is enjoyed as a base note in perfumes and contributes to lasting fragrances. Birch is a light pleasing scent with woody undertone. Sandalwood is also popular.
Roots:
Vetiver is a grassy woodsy scent like a forest meadow. Ginger and turmeric give a bright zing. Carrots are sweet, light and little bit earthy.
Spices: Cinnamon and clove contribute warmth and exotic notes. Saffron adds a deep leathery note with honey-like sweetness. Vanilla is an excellent base note. Spices can be ground and heated with other oils such as olive, or cold infused. Here's a quickie for star anise:
The essential oil, active ingredient trans-anethole, is extracted from star anise spice with direct steam distillation method. This technique involves generating steam by heating a mixture of ground dry spice material and water in the distillation flask.
Essential Oils or obtained through steam distillation, enfleurage (pressing flowers), or cold press methods, these concentrated essences formed the base of many fragrances. Cold pressing can be done in a mortar with pestle (labor intensive); a manual press or other power-driven cold press apparatus.
... the production of rose oil involves steam distillation. Steam permeates the petals, allowing fragrance to be captured in a pure and pleasant form. It ultimately yields a potent oil with alluring scent.
Basic Ancient & Medieval Processes
The crafting of perfumes in ancient times was a meticulous process involving various techniques:
Extraction: Ingredients are crushed and soaked in oils (infusion) or distilled with water. Citrus is best as a cold press or infused oil as heat degrades the fragrance compounds.
Blending: Different scents were combined in specific ratios to create unique perfumes, a process akin to alchemy where careful consideration was given to achieve harmony.
Aging: Similar to fine wines, some perfumes were aged to allow the ingredients to meld and mature, enhancing their aromatic complexity.
In medieval period advancements in these techniques develop. Perfumers in Persia and the Italian Renaissance further refining the craft, leading to richer and more vibrant scents.
Early medieval Persian physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna) is instrumental in development of attar or ittar, an essential oil derived from natural sources and water. He successfully creates attar of flowers. Most commonly these oils are extracted via hydrodistillation or steam distillation.
DIY Process to Make Your Own Perfume
Ingredients
Essential Oils: Choose a combination of top, middle, and base notes for balance (e.g., citrus for top, floral for middle, and musk or vanilla for base). See: DIY Perfume Artisans: Top, Middle & Base Notes
Carrier Oil or Alcohol: Jojoba oil, grapeseed, olive, almond, or neutral spirits like vodka can be used as a base. Oils can bring their own scent as well. Alcohol evaporates on skin, leaving the essential scents.
Distilled Water (optional): To dilute the fragrance.
Glass Bottles for mixing and storage.
Steps
Choose Your Scents: Designate top, middle, and base notes. A basic ratio could be 30% top notes, 50% middle notes, and 20% base notes.
Start Mixing: Begin by adding base note essential oil into the glass bottle 30%. Follow middle note 50% and finish off with top note 20%.
Combine Carrier Oil or Alcohol: Fill the rest of the bottle with your chosen carrier oil or alcohol, leaving some space at the top.
Shake and Rest: Gently shake the bottle, and allow it to sit in dark place for a few days to a week so the scents can meld together.
Test and Adjust: After the perfume rests, test the result and modify proportions as necessary for future experiments.
Typically, these perfumes are stored in containers of glass or ceramic. Today spray bottles, roll-on and other applicator styles are popular. This alchemical process uses the principles of natural science to produce elegant fragrances.
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