Perfume in Numbers: Statistics, Yields, and Manufacturing Secrets

The Market and Creation

• 2,000: this is approximately the number of perfumes launched in 2018, compared to 170 in 2006.
• 365 days: this is the average time to develop a perfume. With an average of 500 trials. But rumor has it that Fracas and other masterpieces were written in a single day!
• 100: the number of ingredients that go into the composition of a perfume. Contrary to popular belief, the simpler the formula, the harder it is to master, for the slightest defect then takes on full magnitude. Thus, one can say the shortest formulas are the best!
• 1,000: this is the number of natural materials available to a perfumer.
• 3,000: this is the number of synthetic materials available. But 1,000/1,500 maximum (natural and synthetic) are on the perfumer’s organ commonly used by raw material companies (Givaudan, IFF, Firmenich, etc.) or in-house perfumers (like Guerlain, Chanel).
• 10,000 to 45,000 euros: this is the price of a bespoke perfume (serious ones: with dermatological tests).

Raw Materials: Yields and Varieties

The Rose

• 700: the number of rose varieties, but only two roses are used in large quantities in perfumes: the Damascena rose and the Centifolia rose.
• 5 kg: the quantity of May rose (Centifolia) picked in Grasse per hour, i.e., 40 tonnes per season.
• 400 kilos: the quantity of Centifolia rose petals (with one hundred petals) or May roses necessary to yield one kilo of concrete and 600 grams of absolute. It was in the 17th century that this rose appeared in the Grasse region.

Jasmine

• 200: the number of jasmine varieties in the world, but only two are used in perfumery: Sambac jasmine and Grandiflorum.
• 700 kilos: the quantity of Grasse jasmine flowers (Grandiflorum) necessary to produce 1 kilo of absolute: the quintessence of perfume.
• 8,000: the number of flowers per kilo gathered.

Iris and Tuberose

• Iris Pallida: 3 years is the time the rhizome spends in the ground. 3 years is the drying time of the rhizome.
• 2.8 tonnes: the quantity of iris to yield one kilo of essential oil, called iris butter because it solidifies at room temperature.
• 16 tonnes: the quantity of iris to collect 1 kg of absolute.
• Tuberose: 20 flowers per floral spike, 1,000 flowers per kilo gathered.
• 2 tonnes: the quantity of tuberose flowers allowing to obtain 1 kilo of concrete.

Biology and Expert Tips

• 5,000: the number of olfactory receptors located in a small part of the nasal epithelium, which detect odorous molecules. It seems that our nose is sharpest at the age of 10.
• 12°C: The ideal temperature to store perfumes (a wine cellar is ideal).
• 15 seconds: the recommended time not to saturate the sense of smell between two perfume trials.
• 4: the maximum number of perfumes to try on the skin, 3 being ideal.

Hoping that all these numbers haven’t given you a headache!