Capturing Fragrance in Its Purest Form
Perfume adds an air of uniqueness to every person who wears it, and many people have an aroma surrounding them that forms an integral part of who they are and how others know them. Perfumes are made from numerous parts of plants—mainly flowers—but also herbs, fruits, resins, seeds and roots. The primary process used to extract scents is distillation.
How Distillation Works in Perfumery
Distillation—when the vapor of a warm liquid returns to a liquid state—extracts and captures the raw scent essence of botanical sources. The end products are called distillates and essential oils.
- Steam distillation—a time-trusted distillation method still used today. To do steam distillation, perfumers must place the plant parts in a still (a specialized steel tank) that positions them above a body of boiling water. As the water boils, steam envelopes the plants and collects their fragrance. The distillation still will have a pipe system to collect and condense the steam, dripping the resulting liquid into a separate vat. This liquid is a mix of oil-based and water-based fragrances.
- Hydro distillation—another ancient technique that involves water and a distillation still. This time, plants are submerged and boiled with the water instead of having the steam pass through them. The liquids you collect from hydrodistillation are called hydrosols or floral waters. Hydro distillation is most commonly used to produce rose water.
Distillation is only an appropriate scent extraction method for plants that contain volatile fragrance compounds. Some common distillates we use for perfumery include rose, patchouli, orange blossom, ylang-ylang, jasmine, and lavender. For spices, flowers, roots, and leaves with a weaker fragrance, perfumers incorporate solvents into the distillation process to optimize scent collection.
What About Sustainability
When humans first started distilling plants, most perfumes were made in small batches for the few who could afford them. Since then, the demand for fragrance has rocketed, and nowadays, making perfume places considerable strain on natural resources. According to Guerlain perfume master Sylvaine Delacourte, it takes 4,500 kg of fresh rose petals to make just 1 kg of rose distillate. Distillation is also water- and energy-intensive.
Scientists today are exploring biotechnology to improve distillation and make scent extraction greener. Most of these innovations are patented secrets that perfume producers keep close to their chests. However, some methods are becoming public.
For example, some biotechnologists are experimenting with growing individual plant cells in labs instead of collecting whole plants from nature. The botanical matter produced this way would still have the same strength of aroma as a natural flower or tree. Extricating distillates and essential oils from these cells would allow us to make our favorite perfumes without culling plants en masse.
Why Do We Still Use Distillates in Perfumery?
Regardless of the resource-intensive methods used in manufacturing, extractions are still critical ingredients in perfume manufacturing. Modern technology has been enhanced over centuries, and its outputs are compelling and superior. Finding a better way to capture fresh, natural scents may not be easy.
Advanced Biotech relies on premium raw materials to produce distillates of exceptional purity. Our perfumer clients use them to craft long-lasting scents, while our food producer network uses them to flavor beverages. Request a sample today to expand your perfume organ with new and inspiring scents.