The miraculous universe of perfumes - Middle Ages

by Oana Maria Dan

Did you know ...
• The first perfume made trough the process of distillation (method most commonly used today) was destinated for  the Queen Elizabeth of Hungary,  in the year  1370, made from the flowers of rosemary and rose water? Consecrated as Hungarian water, underlying essence is still used today by the large perfume houses under this title.
• The profession of perfumer existed in France since the twelfth century?
• The persistence of a perfume  does not rely on it’s  scent, but on it’s quality? The fragrance has the highest concentration of flavor,  lasting between  4 and 8 hours. It follows water perfume, lasting between  3 and 6 hours and then, eau de toilette, between 2 and 4 hours.  Keep in mind all these,  when you walk into a perfumery and  you intend to purchase a perfume (not only to try on all testers)!

Significance of perfume in the Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, knights crusaders brought from the Orient the prime materials and techniques to obtain the scented essences. Especially after Marco Polo's journeys into the Orient, the trade in spices and perfumes has been intensified.
The process of extracting the oil from flowers by the method of distillation was discovered by the Arab alchemist and physician Avicenna. Initially, he experimented with roses. Rose water became this way immediately known.
During the reign of Catherine de Medici, in France, using perfumes can be said that has flourished. Catherine de Medici, together with master perfumer Rene Le Florentin, created a personal perfume. The laboratory was connected with queen’s apartments by a secret passageway, so that formulas cannot be stolen en route.

Suitable perfumes  grow self confidence
Beyond the undeniable effects of aromatherapy,  scientific researches have also demonstrated the unquestionable psychological effect of using a fragrance that is suitable for your being .
 Craig Roberts from the University of Liverpool , working with a research team from Unilever laboratories , investigated this  matter. Roberts 's team conducted psychological tests on two groups of volunteers, some who have received a scented deodorant spray and others who received an identical spray in appearance, but without perfume. Those who had received the perfume, looked very self-confident  and were remarked even by women who could not smell them, but only see them in the footage .
The conclusion of the research team was that, when a man perfumes his body, it simply increases his self confidence, in such measure, that this changes his  attractiveness level in front of women. In other words, if he like it’s scent, he feels more self-confident and that makes him more attractive to women.
What do you think, the results of these studies can be applied also to women? I personally confess that, every time I use a perfume that I like, I feel more feminine, more beautiful and full of confidence !!!

 

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