Abstract:
F'el-fume is a substance that gives off a pleasant
odOtJr~ Many perfuRIss have odours similar to those
of fresh flowers. Almost all perfumes are blended
1:ronl natural and ·syrlthetj.c' (artificially
created) substances. The most expensive pel'fumes
contain oils fronl flo~Jers~
People use perftJmes in many ways tel Cl-eate a
pleasant odour. They apply paste and liquid
perfunles to their bodies and clothing. Anc:ient
peoples burned fr'agrarlt resins, gums and woods as
incense at ttleir religious cel"enloniesu Thev
enjoyed the pleasant smell of the smoke from t~\e
burning incense. The weIrd 'perfume' comes 1,'O'fl
I:he L.atin L~J(Jr'd~:f
'f(JffiUS ', meaning snloke.
Perfumes have been found in the tombs of Egvptian
F'harao~\s who lived more than 300() years ago. 1"he
Egyptiarls soaked fragrant woods and resins in
water and oil~ ar~d therl f"ubt)ed their- bodies with
the liqllid. They also embalmed or preserved their dead wlth those liquids. The allClsnt Greeks and
Romans learned about EJerfumes fl-orn the Egyptians.
For hundreds of years, perfume maklng was malnlv
an Orierltal art. In the early thirteenth century
the crusaders br'oLAght pel-fLlme frclm Palestine to
England and France. By the sixteentll centLlry
perfumes had become popular throughout Europe.
Synthetic chemicals have been used extensively in
perfumes since tt'\8 late l1irleteenth century.
T(J(jay~ throllgt10ut tile world, ttle pel-fume lndustry
is a multi - million - dollar - a - year
