The origin and history of perfumes.docx

1. The Origin and History of Perfumes Perfumes have been a part of our lives for as long as we have lived. We cannot imagine a time when the perfumes were not seen on our dressing tables and makeup cabinets. Our mothers, fathers and great grandparents have had their favorite perfumes that they shared with the new generations before they passed on. All of us have at least one flacon de parfum vide of our favorite perfume because we have emotional attachments to it. Perfumes are a part of our lives and we love them. Just like our lives, perfumes have a strong presence in our history as well. Some of the most advanced societies first invented and then perfected the art of perfume making. The history of perfume making is ingrained in the history of civilization. No one civilization takes credit for making perfumes, in fact there were a whole host of different regions and their geniuses to make perfumes what they are now. Here is a brief look into the history of perfumes and what you should know about it. It All Began in Mesopotamia It all started with a woman named Tapputi, a perfume maker in Mesopotamia. That is the first record of a perfume being made in the world. It was the year 1200 BCE and the record was found on a Cuneiform tablet. She was the first person ever to develop different methods to extract oils from the ingredients. Indus Valley Civilization Took Over It was the year 3300 BCE to 1300 BCE when the Indus Valley civilization was mastering the art of perfume making. Ittar is the oldest and the purest form of perfume that you can find and the texts from those times reflect that. Granted, the perfumes and the art of perfume making was reserved for the royals and their harems, but that was the beginning of something fantastic for the region. Cyprus Worked Its Magic The island of Cyprus has the world's oldest perfumery. The excavation process of the perfumery was begun in 2004-2005 when the evidence of an enormous factory was seen. The factor belongs to the bronze age, which is 4000 years ago. The perfumery covers 4000m square feet and the perfume made in the factory was used by just priests. Fun Facts About Perfume History Here are some fun facts about perfumes that you should know. They are great conversation starters, that is for sure. ● Most of the modern-day perfumes are not made with flowers, which makes their life expectancy higher. Some of the modern perfumes include animal ingredients that are somewhat disgusting, but most of the perfumes today are made from synthetic ingredients. If applied directly to the body, the perfume can last for 6 or more hours. ● ●

2. ● ● ● On average, a modern perfume contains as little as 10 or as many as 250 ingredients. Most of the perfumes made for men are mostly worn by women. The jasmine scent in most perfumes is taken from coal tar. Needless to say, perfumes have a strong hold on our lives and none of us are ready to let it go yet.