Perfume is a powerful tool to express our personality, build our
self-image and engage with others. Fragrances, in fact, accompany us in everyday life and tell something about us, raising memories and feelings.
Origins of perfume
The history of perfume is definitely not recent. The origin of perfume is commonly attributed to the ancient Egyptians. They utilized scents to celebrate prayers and religious ceremony by burning essential oils, resin, and perfumed unguents. This practice had several functions. First, the oils and unguents burned were necessary to ensure divinities’ protection and benevolence. Besides, scents were also used to convey messages and prayers to the dead, to purify the body and to conduct embalming ceremonies.
Over time, scents were not only confined to the sacred aspects, but they were also introduced in daily hygiene. Already at the time of the ancient Egypt there was an intense trade of spices, aromas and resins that were abundant in Egypt but also imported from distant lands such as the Middle East, Arabia and the Indians lands. From these trades were imported fine woods, scented resins, myrrh and incense that made up some of the main ingredients of the scents of the time.