Between May and June, in the centifolia rose fields of Grasse near, the French Côte d'Azur, the working day starts at five in the morning . The sun had not yet been increased, but the flowers had just opened, and their perfume concentration was maximum.
The essence obtained from its petals, collected manually at a rate of between six and seven kilos per hour, will give character to some of the most valued perfumes on the market.
It is estimated that each worker takes about twenty days to collect the necessary petals to obtain a liter of the essence.
The perfume industry is increasingly looking at the subtle substances of rare perfection that nature offers, whether French roses, Himalayan tuberose, or Polynesian Tiare flowers.
Its objective is to obtain fragrances with better olfactory qualities and respond simultaneously to the demand for less synthetic and skin-friendly cosmetic products.
Are synthetic perfumes toxic?
In most cases, these are still half-hearted gestures since most of those plant substances are obtained with the same care as some vintages of wine, treated as precious and fragile elixirs. They are mixed in the stills with other synthetics. For example, fix them, and make them more durable.
The natural aromas, in the end, constitute only about 20% of its total ingredients, which do not usually go below eighty. But the step forward is significant.
Most perfumes have been created in laboratories using synthetic oils that mimic botanical essences in the last century, although without ever getting a replica. The advantages? They are cheaper and can be obtained at any time of the year.
One of these synthetically recreated substances that enjoy great success for being considered very sensual is the musk or mush, which was extracted from the male musk deer and had a pungent and persistent odor in ancient times.
Instead, the actual natural fragrances are prepared with essential oils distilled from flowers, citrus, woods, leaves, and resins often produced in plantations of small organic growers.
Their chemistry is more complex : the smell of jasmine, for example, cannot be artificially reproduced in its entirety, only its most essential notes.
Also, unlike perfumes that use synthetic ingredients, natural ones do not carry phthalates, components derived from alcohol that make the perfume last longer (the natural ones evaporate quickly) but have been linked to reproductive disorders.
Nor do they carry synthetic musks used for their ability to fix odors but also it is suspected that they may act as endocrine disruptors.
Effects of perfumes on health
There is no conclusive evidence on the toxic effect of phthalates and synthetic musks, which come into contact with the skin and could pass into the bloodstream. Still, the Greenpeace report in 2005, after chemically analyzing 36 cologne and perfumes, concluded that they are widely used in the perfume industry, warned of their potential toxic effects, and called for more research.
A genuinely natural perfume, with organic certification as it begins to exist, includes most ingredients from organic farming and is free of parabens and phenoxyethanol to fix the aroma of flowers and other natural substances.
In any case, perfumes are made up of so many ingredients, some of them hidden by trade secret under the term "perfume" or "perfume" as permitted by law, that it is difficult to find one that can be considered 100% natural.
We should not be alarmed since the doses of perfume that we pour on our skin are tiny.
Simply the main argument that invites prefer a natural perfume over an artificial one is the exceptional quality of its raw materials and the fact that a vegetable substance should, in principle, suit human beings better than one from the petrochemical industry. After all, plants and men are living beings and, therefore, unite us with meaningful biological affinities .
Keys to choosing a perfume
Scent type: Clean aromas with a fruity solid note stimulate. Floral essences give a romantic touch. For something more sophisticated and sensual, better floral fragrances with wood notes. It is advisable to try several scents: smell them, apply them, and wait to see how they evolve on your skin.Concentration and dose: The freshwaters can be used in large quantities, giving a sensation of freshness and well-being. On the other hand, you have to be moderate with concentrated perfumes such as "Eau de perfume" or extracts, which are practically 50% oil. It is advisable to apply only a few drops to the back of the neck or wrists. Experts also recommend doing it on the hair so that they last longer without having to abuse the quantity.
