4. Raw materials

To formulate their perfume concentrates, perfumers have two main families of raw materials at their disposal: natural products and synthetic compounds. Natural products still play an important role in perfumery. Various extracts, both plant-based (from flowers, leaves, roots, seeds, bark, resins, etc.) and animal-based, can be used to formulate a perfume. Two main families of extracts can be distinguished: those obtained by hydrodistillation, steam distillation or expression, known as essential oils or essences, and those obtained by extraction using an organic solvent, known as concretes, absolutes, resinoids, oleoresins or tinctures.