We all wear perfume every day, and it’s one of those things we take with us during a trip as well. But we have to wonder, who created perfumes and how have they become such a necessity in our society? The truth is that perfumes have been around for a very long time, and people have always tried to improve and enhance them in a clever way.
The origins of perfume
It can be difficult to pinpoint the exact year when people have started creating perfumes. At first, it was an air freshener, and it was also used in various ceremonies with a religious feel to them. So it took a while until people started using these perfumes on their own skin. What we do know is that the oldest perfume that was discovered by archaeologists was in Cyprus, this is where they discovered a perfumery and it was around 4000 years old.
However, the first civilization that actually manufactured perfumes to be used by humans were the Egyptians. They had a vast range of products like resin which was dissolved with wine, ointments and oils that were used for embalming, medicine and many others. They even had Nefertem that was then god of perfumes at that time.
Ancient Rome and Middle Ages
Romans were also known for the fact that they had a very good hygiene and they started to use perfumes early on. In fact, all social classes were using them. Actually, there are a variety of recipes from the Greek and Roman civilizations that still exist today. As Christianity evolved, people didn’t use them as much, only the elite continued using perfumes at that time.
When the middle ages came, personal hygiene was not very popular. However, women were the ones that were interested in perfume, and they were mostly using amber and other compounds with scents that would last for a very long time. Alchemy soon arrived and that’s when perfumes started to shine. The Arabs in particular were the ones that were experimenting with adding alcohol as a solvent, so you can have scents which would last for a very long time. Perfume arrived in Europe mostly via Arabs through Spain.
Perfumes in the East and today
Chinese people have been using perfumes for quite some time too, and they continue to impress with their focus and resilience. They have always been focused on the idea of acquiring new, innovative and creative perfumes, and they were the ones cultivating flowers, then pressing them to extract the essence.
Nowadays, perfumes have evolved quite a bit. There are synthetic aromas and new methods that help us extra essences. This leads to a vast range of perfume options that you can find on the market, all of which are very creative, innovative and downright incredible to say the least. It really goes to show how perfumes have managed to evolve over the years, and you will be amazed with the results once you start trying out new ones!
