Ingredients Used
Let’s start with the ingredients first. We already know that fragrance is derived from certain plants using a chemical process. Various floral essences are gathered following which they are tested thoroughly. The ambrettolide manufacturers in India have their own fields where they plant the flowers from which they derive the fragrance. Two commonly used and expensive ingredients used in the making of perfume include deer musk and ambergris from sperm whale.
Methods of Extraction
What generally come to use in the plants are the oils that need to be extracted. This involves the method of expression where the plant is squeezed so that the oil comes out. While this is the simplest of methods, other methods for extraction of oil from the plants include maceration and enfleurage. The process of steam distillation used by the ambrettolide manufacturers in India requires the plant part to be boiled or exposed to steam in order that the oil comes out. There is yet another process that makes use of chemicals for extracting the oils – the solvent extraction process. This process involves dissolving the plant part in benzene before exposing it to ethyl alcohol.
Blending and Mixing the Oils
Arriving at the desired formula takes years of research and testing. The oils are mixed in different proportions with different ingredients in order to get the desired result. The formula that has been arrived at is blended with the oils. Following the mixing of oils with the formula, the resultant mixture is diluted in alcohol. The amount of alcohol used determines the kind of fragrance. Among all kinds of fragrances, perfume contains the least amount of alcohol and has the strongest scent.