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| Fragrances | ||||||||
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| Fragrances have been used throughout history,
and were probably in use before recorded history began. Records going back
for thousands of years show that wealthy and powerful women used natural
perfumes obtained from plants and animals as subtle agents of seduction.
In ancient Egypt, strongly perfumed extracts of spices were used in the
embalming of the dead. The early Romans were fond of using rose water, and
the streets of ancient Rome were lined with shops selling perfumes. Although not strictly a part of skin care, fragrances are intimately associated with skin. The sense of smell Smell is one of the most powerful senses present in all mammals, including humans. It helps protect us from danger and helps locate food. Throughout the animal kingdom, the sense of smell plays a significant part in the search for a mate. People's ability to perceive both strong and subtle odours varies widely, and depends in part on both sex and age. Women are believed to have a more sensitive sense of smell than men, and have the highest sensitivity from their mid-twenties to the mid-thirties. Many individuals find that their sense of smell becomes less acute as they grow older. As far as humans are concerned, about 400,000 chemicals have odours: some odours are found pleasant by most people, others are not. The words 'fragrance' and 'perfume' are generally used to describe pleasant smells, whereas the word 'smell' is a neutral term used to describe both pleasant and unpleasant odours. |
Fragrances
and cosmetics The relevance of fragrances to skin care is that they are added to both skin care and cosmetic products in order to give these a satisfying scent, thereby making people who use them feel more attractive. On the whole, similar fragrances are used throughout the range of a brand of body care products. Some cosmetic ingredients have disagreeable odours, which can be masked by adding perfumes to make the product acceptable. Smell is also one of the first characteristics of the cosmetic that the consumer experiences and may become vital to the success of the brand.
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