Perfumes, Fixation and the Perfumer

By Remy Baker

Fixation is one of the biggest challenges faced by a perfume maker.

It is also one of the most important factors that stand between the success and failure of a perfume composition. This is why the perfume industry spend millions if not billions of dollars on research every year to continue to create better products.



The big players in the industry are well aware that perfume buyers on the whole like value for money; no one wants to buy a perfume that doesn’t last beyond 20mins after application. Buying a perfume that is here now and gone in the blink of an eye would be just like flushing money down the drain, and I don’t see anyone deliberately choosing to go that route.



So what exactly is fixation? In perfumery, the act of fixation is the process or action taken while creating a fragrance to ensure that has lasting presence when worn. In short, fixation promotes the retention of a fragrance on the skin or body for as long as possible.



This brings us to the question of what perfume fixatives actually are. Perfume fixatives are non volatile substances used to slow down the evaporation of other more volatile components of/in a perfume. These compounds can either be of natural or synthetic origin. They are used to reduce the evaporation rate of the scent of a perfume; thereby allowing it to last long on the wearer’s body. Fixative raw materials are indispensable tools of trade to perfume makers; they help perfumers to perfect their blends.



So what are the qualities and characteristics of a good fixative? Well, for starters, it would need to be reasonably non-volatile (not evaporating too quickly). It would also need to add a special something, in terms of nuances and or enhancement to perfume compositions which will help the blends to develop and retain their full intensity for long periods.



Within the perfume industry, synthetic fixation is the preferred choice of most perfumers because there are a lot more variables of raw materials to work with. This type of fixation is also a lot easier to work with because the character of the materials/compounds used doesn’t really change. A with synthetic formula will always produce a familiar and consistent result every time in the absence of human error.



Synthetic fixation is also more flexible because it gives the perfume making industry a lot more scope of ways to effectively fix perfumes without significantly altering the original fragrance theme. For instance, Isopropyl Mysristate is a man-made aroma chemical diluent that is commonly used for fixing perfumes from the top note, right through to the base note. It is practically odorless but highly effective as a fixative in alcohol based perfumes.



For those who prefer the natural route, fixative materials like Patchouli, Vetiver, and Labdanum which are in the base notes category have great fixation ability. However, their fragrance can easily dominate your entire perfume blend or alter it if light hand is not applied during the composition process.



What’s more, it’s worth knowing that when the composition of the perfume is well thought out, quality perfume ingredients used and the accords balanced, the base notes shouldn’t require too much "fixing”. What is most surprising however, is that extreme fixation in a perfume is no guarantee of good scent retention. As a matter of fact, excessive fixation in a perfume can result in the fixative agents inhibiting each other, thereby hindering fragrance diffusion. This simply means that the odor of the perfume is trapped on to your body and cannot be smelt around you.



About the Author: Remy Baker is a successful perfumer, entrepreneur and the author of Scent2Riches Perfume Making From Home Guide. Remy loves everything about perfume making and enjoys showing others the tricks of the trade; especially how to make perfumes for less than $5. If you've found this article helpful, you can find out more about how to make your own perfume for pleasure or as a means of earning an income here: http://www.scent2riches.com



Source: www.isnare.com

Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=1350382&ca=Womens+Interest