While he doesn't claim to be a scientist himself, Abdulmalik Adbul Mohsen has always been fascinated by the science behind his favourite scents. In this presentation, he looks at how perfumes are made, right from the fruit or flower to the finished product we know. Answering your questions about chemical composition and how our noses smells, he breaks down the jargon so you can understand it all with ease.

1. The science behind
scent
Abdulmalik Abdul Mohsen

2. The basics of scent
• People have been wearing perfume for thousands of years, with the
very basics of this being people rubbing sweet smelling flowers on to
their skin. A far cry from the chemically complex perfumes we know
today!
• Essentially the perfumes we know of are made up of alcohol, water
and molecules which is light enough to evaporate at room
temperature.The things we smell are the cells our nose recognise as
evaporating molecules, which then sends different types of electrical
messages to our brain.

3. The basics of scent
• This goes through less brain processing than other senses, and the
olfactory nerve that does this is close to our emotion sensor the
amygdala.This is why the fragrances we wear can create such an
animalistic response.
• You may think that the alcohol in fragrances is just there so perfume
houses can save money, but this is not the case. In fact, the alcohol
suspends the perfume oils and allows them to release separately,
giving you the multiple notes you enjoy.
• Since the smell is given a boost by evaporation, if you rub your wrists
vigorously on application you will weaken the sillage and longevity.

4. The basics of scent
• Fragrances are released from fruits and flowers in a variety of ways.
This may be through steam distillation, cold pressing or using a
vacuum.
• As with any science experiment, this will be done multiple times to
gain the exact scent the perfumer requires, and measured in tiny
increments in the overall bottle.
• It will also be tested on skin on a number of people due to the
variations that can occur on different people, and the possibility that
different (and unpleasant) notes may come through.

5. Essentially, perfume is a complex art and is subject
to many of the same scientific rules as experiments
done in labs. So, next time you apply your favourite
scent, remember all the effort that went into it.
Abdulmalik Abdul Mohsen