Perfumes have been popular luxury items for centuries, but the manufacturing processes for modern perfumes are a world away from those of ages past. With higher demand and significantly larger quantities to produce for mass markets, traditional methods of extracting and combining fragrances have largely been rendered out of date - apart from in some cases, where traditionally produced perfumes can fetch premium prices from collectors.

Many modern perfumes now substitute natural ingredients for synthetic alternatives, which can be easier and cheaper for companies to manufacture than carefully cultivating rare plants. However, natural plants still account for a large proportion of perfume contents, and these can be harvested from different locations around the world, depending where the plants are capable of growing.

These raw materials are brought to processing centres, where their oils can then be extracted using different techniques - including enfleurage, expression, maceration, solvent extraction and steam distillation.

This latter process involves passing heated steam through the plant in a still, thereby converting the oil into vapour form which then passes through tubes and returns to a liquid state. Solvent extraction involves dissolving unnecessary flower parts in rotating tanks, leaving only the oil behind which is then further dissolved in ethyl alcohol and evaporated.

Other extraction processes, such as enfleurage and maceration, involve the use of glass sheets, which are covered in grease-covered sheets. Expression is the oldest extraction process still used in the creation of fragrance today, which sees plants being mechanically or manually pressed until all the oil has been released.

Following the extraction of oils, they are ready to be combined in the formula - which is usually a trade secret, and can take many years of dedicated research and testing to perfect. Scents are mixed with differing amounts of alcohol, depending on their intended effect and price - with luxury perfumes often containing between 10 and 20 per cent perfume oil - and these formulations will then usually be left to age, after which time their preferred scent will have been achieved.

The creation process of scent can be extremely delicate and precise, so quality control is vital at all stages of the process. There are many factors that can potentially impair perfume creation, particularly in regard to shortages of plant supplies or problems with cultivation resulting in different oils being produced. Manufacturers have much greater control over synthetic ingredients, which can be produced easily under factory-controlled conditions.

Clint Starr writes for a digital marketing agency. This article has been commissioned by a client of said agency. This article is not designed to promote, but should be considered professional content.