Unlike ancient times when a fragrance almost always contained a single herb mixed with a carrier oil, today, the fragrance world of natural perfumes uses various plant-based ingredients to create a unique scent representing the product made by a brand. Typical ingredients in a natural perfume will include plant extracts that capture the plant’s scent. Examples may consist of orange blossom, roses, lavender, or jasmine. These normally form the top note of the perfume, which a consumer experiences immediately.
These ingredients are mixed with highly concentrated oil-soluble plant extracts, which are used for their rich, long-lasting scents. These will form the middle notes, and examples may include absolutes of jasmine or rose.
The base note that adds to the depth and longevity of the fragrance often contains balsams and resins like benzoin, myrrh, and frankincense. These are our popular Biblical favorites referred to in the Bible verses.
Some perfume makers add fresh, zesty scents from citrus oils like bergamot, lemon, and orange. Others add earthy and spicy notes like patchouli, cinnamon, clove, or vanilla to warm and sweeten the fragrance. Amber is sometimes added to give a warm, woody, and slightly sweet scent.
Orange blossom
Citrus-derived oils, extracts, juices, powders, waxes, and water are widely used as cosmetic ingredients. Popular citrus plants include lemon, Citrus aurantifolia, grapefruit, orange, bergamot orange, and bitter orange. The peel of the fruit, flowers, and even the leaves are used to extract aromatic essential oils.
Citrus aurantifolia’s orange blossoms are white and used as a top note in perfumes. The floral scent has bitter top notes of green citrus. The entire bitter orange tree is used in perfume making. The peel is used to make essential oil, the leaves petitgrain oil, and the flowers are used to make neroli oil and orange blossom absolute.
The blossoms are hand-picked in the spring when they are at their peak. The petals are distilled with water vapor to extract the essential oil known as neroli. It takes a thousand pounds of flowers to make a pound of essential oil. The oil is used in perfumes, cosmetics, cooking, flavoring cakes, jams, and other food products. The Neroli perfume starts sour but becomes sweet and floral.
According to Grandview Research, the global citrus market was $4 billion. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 6.1 percent and touch $6 billion by 2032. Citrus essential oils are used in aromatherapy, cleaning products for their natural antimicrobial and bactericidal properties, flavoring agents, and personal care and beauty products. Citrus flavonoids have anti-cancer and anti-inflammation properties. (Manthey, J. A, et al. 2001)
Citrus use dates to ancient Rome and Greece. Theophrastus said that the fruit of the citron tree, when placed among clothes, kept them from being eaten by moths. It was also used as a breath freshener, and the inner part of the fruit was boiled to form a sauce to give it a fresh taste. (Arias, B A, et al., 2005)
Citrus essential oils can photosensitize the skin. Avoid using them in skin care products if you spend time in direct sunlight after application. The fragrance blends floral, woody, herbal, and spicy notes.
Learn more about fragrances and top, middle, and base notes in Holy Beauty, available on Amazon. It is the second book in the Connecting Science to the Bible series.