A Trail of Scent through Time Immemorial

From Egyptian apothecaries to the streets of Arab and until modern laboratories today, perfumes have travelled a long way. Be it the traditional notes drawn from flowers or chemical concoctions, perfumes are a way of expressing personality. 

Perfumes originating in the Middle East around 3000 B.C. soon made their way to the rest of the world. The connection between fragrances and how they impact the human psyche has enriched the history of perfume with cultural and spiritual elements. Today, let’s trace back the story of the origin of perfume.

Perfumes in the Early Civilizations

The etymology of the word “perfume” comes from the Latin words - “per” which means through, and “fumus” which means smoke. It was from here that the French called the smell of a burning incense as “parfum.” 

Well, the first kind of perfumes was actually incense, originating in the Middle East. Egyptians in 3000 B.C. came across oils, woods, and resins that exuded scents upon burning. These soon became raw materials for incense which were confined to priests for religious uses only.

The feeling of luxury from scents wasn't limited for too long. Soon, the citizens discovered the elegance of perfumes and used essential oils for bathing. 

Perfume manufacturing and commercialisation began with the discovery of distillation, which introduced liquid perfumes. The process soon enhanced into extracting fragrances from herbs, spices, myrtle, conifer resins, citrus fruits, and flowers. Further, experts at this wrote down their formulas in books and the knowledge passed on. 

Perfume’s Journey Ahead

The splendour of scents soon spread from the Arabian countries to the royal courts of Europe. The French adored these scents and built upon them, emerging as one of today’s finest perfumers. The infamous Marie Antoinette was a perfume enthusiast and demanded fragrances as per occasions and moods, much as we do today. 

Soon, perfumery mixed with apothecary and pharmacy because of its healing abilities. Scents were also mixed in leather production to mask the odour of rotting leather from goods.

The Industrial Revolution era witnessed the production of British fragrances for commerce. From here, the distribution of perfume moved forward to immediate and further neighbouring countries. 

Indian History of Perfume

Perfumes add to the diversity of Indianness, with varied herbs, spices, flowers, and oils, available throughout the country. Historians traced perfumes in the Indus civilization, unearthing a legacy of Indian scents. 

Similar to the Arabic origins, perfume in India was also extracted from woods, flowers, and resins. Medieval times saw the usage of sandalwood, camphor, and saffron as a sign of luxury and prestige, mostly offered to the divine.

Southern India was rich in sandalwood forests and the North was a hub of saffron plantations. Besides, the unending variety of sweet and strong-smelling flowers also encouraged perfume trading. 

The use of different scents for different Gods and religious rituals was also prophesied in traditional texts that guided a connection between man and divinity. Scents in the form of oils, burning camphor, incense, and more are still part of Indian households and religious practices.

Perfume Manufacturing Today

With limited resources and science, perfume extraction was initially limited to drawing scents from nature. Perfumes were derived from flowering plants, citruses, oil from wood, seeds, and nuts. 

Since then, the evolution of science has over time added to the technique behind perfume-making. While the traditional methods still survive, they’ve developed through easier automated processes. Science allows synthetic production and modification of natural scents, allowing their abundance. 

Besides, science also brought new notes into the myriad of existing aromas, all adding to new emotional and personal experiences. From sacred symbols to that of personal luxury, perfumes have travelled a long way, stirring cultures, science, identities, and memory.

Indian perfumery continues to celebrate its nuanced expertise through diverse fragrant items. Discover your signature smell with us as our range of products takes you through the timeless connection of scents and individuality.