What is Perfume?

fragrance

Understanding perfume and the language it speaks

Stephen Dowthwaite, PerfumersWorld

What is perfume? This might seem to be Shampoos and toiletries

30 a simple question for professionals in the
trade, but is it really? may only contain 0.5–1%
perfume compound by
“Make for thyself a definition or weight of a product, yet
description of the thing which is pre-
sented to thee, so as to see distinctly
perfume typically accounts
what kind of thing it is in its sub- for 10% of the raw material
stance, in its nudity, in its complete manufacturing cost of the
entirety, and tell thyself its proper
name, and the names of the things of product.
which it has been compounded, and Stephen Dowthwaite
into which it will be resolved. For
nothing is so productive of evaluation of mind as
to be able to examine methodically and truly every “Through smoke” indicates perfume’s early use in offer-
object which is presented to thee in life, and always ings made to God or gods during religious ceremonies,
look at things so as to see at the same time what kind offered up to the skies as in prayer or song.
VOL. 35 JULY 2010

of universe this is, and what kind of use everything So I propose this answer to the question: Perfume is
performs in it ...” communication. According to the fourth edition of The
American Heritage Dictionary, communication is: The
—The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius AD 121–180
act of communicating; transmission. The exchange of
(translated by George Long, M.A.) Eastern Press
thoughts, messages, or information, as by speech, signals,
(1993)
writing, or behavior. … The technology employed in
transmitting messages. [In] Biology: The transfer of infor-

T
his was put more concisely and chillingly in the mation from one molecule, cell, or organism to another, as
movie, The Silence of the Lambs, in which Hannibal by chemical or electrical signals or by behaviors.
Lecter (Anthony Hopkins), from his prison cell, This is not merely semantic, arguing over the connota-
tells FBI Agent Clarice Starling (Jody Foster) how to tive meanings of words, but is rather meant to empower
catch a serial killer. He says, “First Principles, Clarice. the student perfumer to think much more widely about
Simplicity. Read Marcus Aurelius, of each particular thing, what perfume is, about its essential nature and what it
ask of it, What is it in itself? What is its nature?” does. However, when speaking about communication, we
PERFUMER & FLAVORIST

Similarly, “What is perfume?” is usually the very first are provoked to think about what the language of com-
question I like to pose to students on day one of a per- munication is in perfume, how it works and how we are
fumery class. I encourage each one of them to answer the communicating with our perfumes.
question, and the answers typically include one of these: The modern understanding of perfume, especially
Nice smell, mixture of odoriferous materials, mixture of in the context of a manufacturing industry is merely
natural and synthetic materials, a smell to invoke a feeling, part of a commercial product. Take pause, and think
a mixture of art and science, essential oils, fashion state- about this for a moment. Why do manufacturers add
ment, something added to a product to give a nice smell, perfume to their shampoos, cleaners, or powders? A
smell worn to attract a partner, the smell of a flower. breakdown of the manufacturing cost of a product
I cannot dismiss any of these answers as wrong; usually indicates perfume as the most expensive compo-
however, I suggest the Latin origins of the English word nent. Likewise, shampoo and toiletries may only contain
perfume, “per fumum,” which literally means “through 0.5–1% perfume compound by weight of a product, yet
smoke” and hints toward a more empowering meaning. perfume typically accounts for 10% of the raw material

PF1007_Dowthwaite_fcx.indd 30 5/28/10 11:08:08 AM

 manufacturing cost of the product. So, despite these and thus loses confidence in “Brand X.” This breakdown
considerations, if perfume is added in a product, it in communication results in a lost customer. We use our
should be there for good reason. senses, including olfaction, to perceive outside stimuli in
It might go without saying that perfume masks the world around us. A perfume is created as the stimulus
unpleasant odors in the products, increases sales and for our senses, so we have smelling (similar to perceiving-
helps differentiate products. But there is much more to listening) and perfume (similar to stimulating-messaging),
it than that. and the communication is complete.
Let’s think about why a consumer buys a product. Mar-
keting courses teach us that the customer does not buy a Address correspondence to Stephen Dowthwaite;
product for the product itself, but rather for the benefit perfumer@perfumersworld.com.
that it confers or promises to confer. If so, perfume should
not be simply considered as a material or product, but To purchase a copy of this article or others,
more like a method of communication, “speaking” with visit www.PerfumerFlavorist.com/magazine.
the consumer. It tells the con-
sumer about the functions and
benefits of the product.
Let’s take an example:
Jenny is sitting at home, 31
watching TV. She sees a com-
mercial featuring a beautiful girl
with flowing, healthy, sleek hair.
The commercial is for “Brand X”,
a 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner.
Jenny desires such hair, and the
image is strongly planted in her
mind. Soon she picks up the
product from the supermarket—
the bottle is a rich golden yellow
in color, and the label says “for
flowing, healthy, sleek hair.” This
gives Jenny the same reassurance
she gets from the TV commer-
cial. She purchases the product.
The very next day when Jenny
showers, she wets her hair and
reaches for “Brand X.” But with
her eyes closed against the water
running off her hair and down
her face, Jenny cannot see the
dollop she squeezes into the palm
of her hand. At this moment, the
advertising is gone and the elo-
quent slogans on the bottle out
of sight. Now, the product alone
must do the talking, yet there
are no words, no advertising, and
no bottle. How does the product
talk? It talks to her through its
color, its texture, and most impor-
tantly, its smell. Together, these
three things give Jenny the same
message as the advertising, the
bottle, and the images of flow-
ing, healthy, sleek hair. Jenny is
reassured, uses the product each
day, and eventually she buys the
product again.
But what if Jenny doesn’t
receive the product’s message?
She becomes confused, unsure

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