The History Of Perfume

Much of the history of perfume is a mystery. Perfume is thousands of years old. Most of the oldest uses of fragrances come from incense and aromatic herbs, primarily used in religious services. The Egyptians were the first to use perfume followed by the Arabs, Carthaginians, Chinese, Greeks, Hindus, Israelites and Romans. The Egyptians were the first culture to invent glass; and therefore, the first to use perfume in bottles.

There is evidence that perfumery began with the burning of resins and gum for incense as early as 7000 B.C. Papyrus manuscripts, indicating the use of herbs, perfumes, different oils and incense used for healing salves, were recorded during the time the great Pyramids were built in 2700 B.C. When King Tutankhamen’s tomb was opened thousands of years later, there still existed the faint odor of spices such as frankincense.

There are many references to fragrances in the Bible. The formula for anointing oils used by Moses is given in the Book of Exodus. Among the other references are those given in Proverbs and the Song of Solomon.

The Greeks were very active in making perfume. By the seventh century B.C., Athens had hundreds of shops selling perfumes.

Africa, Southern Arabia and India become very active in the supply of spices as trade routes expanded. Myrrh and frankincense reached the Mediterranean by 300 B.C. by way of Persian traders. Rome was using approximately 2,800 tons of imported frankincense and 550 tons of myrrh per year by the first century A.D. The Roman Emperor Nero spent the equivalent of $100,000 on scents for one party! The proprietors of shops who sold perfumes were called “unguentarii” and were as highly regarded as doctors. Romans referred to their loved ones as “my myrrh” and “my cinnamon” much as we say “honey” and “sweetie”.

Chinese elite made lavish use of fragrances beginning in the seventh century A.D. Numerous tests relating to aromatherapy were published in China as early as 1100 B.C. Some of the items and uses were – Jasmine as a general tonic; rose improved digestion, liver and blood; chamomile reduced headaches, dizziness and colds, while ginger treated coughs and malaria.

By the fourth to sixth century, the Japanese turned the use of incense into an art form. Among its many uses, the Geishas calculated the cost of services according to the amount of incense used.

In the Middle Ages, the spread of Islam helped to expand appreciation and knowledge of fragrance. Mohammed is said to have loved children, women and fragrance above all else.

Italy monopolized the Eastern trade established during the Crusades (13th and 14th centuries). The purpose of Marco Polo’s journey to China was to eliminate the 300% mark up in price of the Moslems by convincing the Orient to trade directly with Italy. Christopher Columbus stumbled on the New World when he intended to make Spain more important in the spice trade by eliminating the competition.

In 1498, Vasco de Gama of Portugal established a route around the tip of Africa, the Cape of Good Hope, to India and her supply of cloves, ginger, benzoic and pepper.
Thus, trade shifted from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic.

Italy has always been the leader for cosmetics and perfume. The Italian influence infiltrated France when Caterina de Medici married Prince Henri II of France. Moving with her to Paris were her alchemist and perfumer who opened a shop. Therefore, France’s growing fragrance trade took over that of Italy.

In 1867 at the Paris International Exhibition, perfumes and soaps were shown apart from the pharmacy section. It was there that “cosmetics” were first established. After that, in 1868, the first synthetic fragrance was produced.

After the perfume industry had been apart from medicinal remedies for 50 years, the French reclaimed its medicinal heritage. “Aromatherapy” was introduced by the French in 1928. Most importantly, the revival of aromatherapy, having been turned into a disciplined healing art, has swept throughout the world.

Perfumes are used for their magical and therapeutic values before being appreciated for their power of seduction. There are currently more than 30,000 fragrances manufactured throughout the world.

As you can see, fragrances have played a large part in all civilizations since antiquity and will continue to do so for time eternal.