Not all raw materials are obtained in the same way

When you read "rose" in an olfactory pyramid, there could be an essential oil, an absolute, a CO2 extract, or a synthetic molecule behind that word. Each tells the story of the rose differently. Here are the main methods by which perfumery extracts essences from nature.

Steam distillation

It is the oldest and most widespread method. Steam passes through the raw material (flowers, leaves, roots, woods), carries away the fragrant molecules, and then, upon cooling, separates into water and essential oil. This is how, for example, lavender, patchouli, vetiver, and damask rose are obtained. Several tons of petals are needed for one kilogram of rose essential oil: this is one of the reasons why some raw materials cost so much.

Cold pressing

For citrus fruits, the peel is used, where the oil is found in small sacs. It is cold-pressed, without heat, and produces a lively and brilliant essence: bergamot, lemon, orange, mandarin, grapefruit. This is why citrus notes have that "freshly squeezed peel" sensation.

Solvent extraction: concretes and absolutes

Some flowers are too delicate for the heat of distillation: jasmine, tuberose, mimosa. They are immersed in a solvent that captures their fragrance, and once the solvent is removed, a waxy paste called a concrete remains. Washing it with alcohol produces the absolute, the truest and richest form of the flower.

CO2 extraction

A more recent method: carbon dioxide, brought to specific pressure and temperature, becomes a delicate solvent that then evaporates without leaving a trace. CO2 extracts are very close to the original raw material; they are used for spices such as pink pepper and cardamom, for vanilla, and for ginger.

Resinoids and tinctures

Resins (benzoin, labdanum, frankincense, myrrh) are dissolved in alcohol or solvents to obtain resinoids, which are dense and warm. They are the base of many amber fragrances.

Enfleurage, the ancient method

It is the traditional method of Grasse: petals were placed on sheets of fat that absorbed their fragrance, day after day. Today it is used very little, almost exclusively for tradition or for small-scale production.

Natural and synthetic together

Almost all modern fragrances combine natural raw materials with synthetic molecules. This is not a compromise: molecules allow for notes that nature does not provide (white musk, marine notes) or that can no longer be used, and they make the fragrance more stable.

Frequently asked questions

What is an absolute in perfumery?

It is the essence obtained from delicate flowers (such as jasmine and tuberose) with a solvent and then washed with alcohol. It is richer and truer to the flower than a distilled essential oil.

How is bergamot essence obtained?

By cold-pressing the fruit peel, where the oil sacs are found. Without heat, the essence remains fresh and brilliant.

Why do some essences cost so much?

Because the yield is extremely low: several tons of petals are needed for one kilogram of rose oil, harvested by hand in the early morning hours. The same applies to iris, jasmine, and oud.