Natural perfumes, the predecessors to today's synthetic perfumes, were used by many ancient civilizations; in ancient Egypt, many perfumes were solid. There were many ancient perfumes of Pompeii and these were recently discovered in archaeological excavations of old Pompeii; however perfumes were created historically, the ingredients of perfumes were usually derived from nature.
The Early History of Solid Perfumes
It was more usual to find the earliest form of perfumes in solid form instead of the liquid form of many of today's perfumes; early solid perfumes were known as unguents. However, unguents referred to both solid fragrances and liquid based perfumes. There are records of unguents being used in ancient Egypt and also in the Roman Empire; in Pompeii, excavations have discovered the use of natural unguents.
Use of Unguents in Ancient Egypt
Popular unguents in ancient Egypt were rose cones. Fresh, macerated roses were worn in a cone on the head of a Egyptian woman; heat from the body melted the fat base, which the roses were immersed in, and trickled rose-scented oil down the neck and face. Unguents were also used by early Romans.
Later Use of Solid Perfumes
In later history, it became popular to use solid perfumes in different forms. Pomanders became common; these were usually jewelery balls worn on a chain. The pomander was filled with a solid perfume mix of benzoins, labdanum, amber, rose buds, musk and boiled with gum tragacanth and other fragrances. In the Middle Ages, smelling boxes were introduced, largely to mask the many unpleasant smells of the time; these were filled with similar ingredients to those of pomanders.
The Creation of Natural Unguents Today
Today, solid perfumes can be created with a combination of jojoba oil, beeswax and natural essences; the mixture is heated and poured into a jar to set, imitating that of earlier unguents. The natural essences are the core ingredients of a successful solid perfume; natural essences of perfumes may take the form of essential oils, resins, balsams, concretes or absolutes. Essential oils are popular due to their use in aromatherapy. Balsams and resins help to 'fix' a perfume. Concretes and absolutes are usually obtained from fresh flowers; balsams and resins are usually obtained from trees.
The Use of Solid Unguents
Solid unguents can be used for both pleasure and for the treatment of various ailments; similar to the use of essential oils in aromatherapy, natural solid perfumes have the ability to heal, when used correctly, much in the way they were used by the Egyptians, Romans and others throughout history.
References:
- Lawless, Julia 2001 An Aromatherapy Garden UK: Kyle Cathie Ltd
- Giordano, Carlo, Casale, Angelandrea, Profumi, Ungenti e Acconciature in Pompeii Antica (Perfumes, Unguents and Hairstyles in Pompeii) Roma, Italia: Bardi Editore
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