Stories by Bimbola Oyesola
Perfume is one of those products that people find important to own, especially to look good. Whether they are going for a social event or work, some people cannot do without spraying perfume on their bodies. Some even spray more than one to make them distinguished and keep people guessing what kind of perfume they may probably be using.
Perfume is simply the mixture of alcohol and fragrant essential oils extracted from flowers, leaves, stem barks, seeds, bud, roots, resin and petals or synthetically, used especially to ignite pleasant long lasting scent to the body. Wearing of perfume is another aspect of fashion or make-up for both males and females. This is because everyone wants to be noticed and envied by others, which creates self esteem and in turn, builds self confidence.
Perfumes can be manufactured both at home and at the laboratory just with a little sum of money. Perfume production enables one to have a choice of fragrance (essential oil) to experiment with, especially when producing for oneself or a friend’s birthday party. Yes! You can actually customise the perfume for special occasions besides your normal production and make good cash.
Also, it allows buyers to directly depend on you since you are the one that knows the perfume formula. This process is very simple and costs less.
However, starting your own line of perfumes requires a nose for great scents and some business savvy.
People wear perfumes for different reasons. Most importantly, perfumes help to relax or calm our minds through massage, shower-bath with the use of fragrance, which in turn help us to get rid of the stress we had during the day. It also helps to reflect our unique personality by creating self esteem and a feeling of attractiveness.
As producers, it is essential to note what makes most perfumes last longer than others and these are:
Skin type
Perfumes evaporate faster on dry skin because of lack of oil, which the perfume needs to absorb into the skin. This can be corrected by using unscented moisturizer (petroleum jelly or jojoba oil) before applying perfume on the skin.
Concentration
The higher the alcoholic content, the less the fragrance; while the higher the concentration, the more the fragrance.For instance, a body spray would be of less concentration than an “eau de toilette”.
Notes
Most fragrances have top, middle and base notes. These notes are scent with different molecular weights that appear at different rates when applied to the skin. For example:
Top notes
The top notes usually contain anti-viral properties and provide the first scent impression of fragrance once applied to the skin. They are usually higher with a more volatile aroma that evaporates easily. The scent sometimes lasts for about five-20 minutes. Example of top notes are citrus (orange, lemon and grape fruit), berries, sage, lavender, rosemary and pine, among others.
Middle notes
These are blends of warm and soft fragrances that take a little longer to be noticed at the start. They usually take 10-30 minutes before developing on the skin unlike the top notes. Often referred to as medium or heart notes, these show up after the top note has disapeared. Examples of middle notes include geranium, rose, lemon grass, eucalyptus, frankincense, cinnamon, peppermint, basil, ylang ylang, jasmine, cider wood, coriander, among others.
Base notes
These are the final scents or the full body of the perfume to develop and they last longer. They are regarded as heavy oil and are also known as ‘fixatives’ because they help other scents to last longer by helping to slow down the evaporation rates of the higher notes, giving the fragrance a holding. Example of base notes are vanilla, cassia, myrrh, amber, oak moss, cerder wood.
Below are important steps to follow in the business:
Starting a perfume business combines artistic personal expression and business know-how, and if approached correctly, it can result in an excellent profit margin. In-depth knowledge of chemistry and science is not necessary. All that’s needed is the desire to experiment with various scented essential oils, the ability to research wholesale suppliers of the necessary materials and the willingness to establish resale contacts or put in the time and effort for a sales website.
Business Plan
Draft a business plan for the perfume business. At a minimum, include a mission statement; statement of initial goals; statement of three-, six- and 12-month goals in terms of a desired number of product offerings; the desired number of retailers reselling the products and desired cash flow; and financial forecasts, including startup costs and budget, income, profit, loss and cash flow statements. Constantly update and tweak the business plan with real-world numbers as they become available.
Reseach
Investigate perfume recipes, or make distinctive blends by purchasing some small sizes of essential oils in fragrances that are of interest. Spend some time getting familiar with the scents. Start blending scents together, make notes and through this experimentation arrive at a few favorite scents to mass-produce.
Research perfume bottle, tester bottle and sample vial wholesalers and the designs they offer for each type of container. Choose a bottle shape and size to represent each of the fragrances, and contact the wholesaler that supplies this bottle. Ask how many bottles/units are required for a minimum purchase and how much that minimum purchase costs. Also inquire about the tester and sample sizes. Arrive at an agreeable price for all the containers required and place an order.
Packaging
Design a logo to represent the business, and incorporate the logo into a range of promotional materials. Make mock-up business cards, a promotional brochure, a label for the bottles and an ingredient list to hand to potential resellers. Print these out or order their production from a print shop.
Formulate whatever other packaging is desired for the perfume to make it a finished product, like boxes and bags or other outer wrapping. Find wholesalers for these items, inquire about price and then place orders.
Raw materials
Chemicals for perfume manufacturing
• Methanol, 1/2 litre
•Ethanol, 1/2 litre
•Essential oils (vanilla,geranium, rose or lavender, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, cinnamon Or clove.),10 drops.
Production
Steps on how to make perfume
a. Measure methanol and Ethanol in a bottle, Add any of the essential oil of your choice. You can use more than 10 drops essential oil, Shake well and filter it with a chiffon cloth, Pour into a spray bottle and use it whenever you want.
Note: Be sure to filter your perfume and to use clean containers. You don’t want to introduce bacteria, fungi, or mold into your perfume, nor encourage their growth. Many essential oils inhibit microbial growth, so this is less of a concern with perfume, but it becomes more of a concern if you dilute the perfume to make cologne.
Fill the bottles, testers and vials with the various fragrances intended for market. Fix the labels to the bottles, then arrange the bottles in any additional outer packaging.
Marketing
Investigate options for a sales presentation display case or carry mechanism, to appear professional and organized when making cold sales calls on potential resellers. Also devise a small commercial display for retailers that agree to resell the product.