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SCMP Reporter

CREATING a perfume is a highly specialised art. It takes years to develop a new fragrance. Blenders, known as ''noses'', spend 10 years familiarising themselves with the thousands of scents that can go into the composition of a perfume.

  An expert nose must 'possess' the creativity and imagination required to develop new fragrances, and reliable senses that must be continuously cultivated.

  Many of the world's top designer fragrances are created in Grasse, the perfume capital of the world, in the south of France.

  The composition of a perfume involves the use of a wide variety of natural ingredients. The major ones are essential oils, alcohol, natural preservatives and fixatives.

  Synthetics are added to widen the possibilities and ensure the perfume's stability. These can be as costly as natural ingredients.

  The first blend is left for a few weeks to allow essential oils to blend and mature.

  The liquid is then diluted in alcohol and placed in copper containers to blend for a further two to six weeks, depending on the desired fragrance.

  Alcohol is used for its chemical neutrality and its volatility. This prevents it reacting to the concentrate. Instead, it acts as a vehicle to carry the perfume into the atmosphere, evaporating on the skin and leaving the perfume itself behind.

  The variance in concentration is determined by the quantity of alcohol that is added to the extract.

  Fragrances come in various concentrations that are determined by the quantity of alcohol that is added to the extract.

   Eau de cologne has the highest ratio of alcohol to essential essence and is, therefore, the least expensive scent to buy: Eau de Toilette is twice as concentrated.

  Perfume is the most luxurious and costly fragrance, being three to five times more concentrated than Eau de Toilette.

  Somewhere in between is Esprit de Parfum, or soft perfume, which has 85 per cent the strength of perfume. Most of them, however, are closer to Eau de Toilette.

  Good perfume should last on the wearer for six hours and even longer on those who are dark-skinned. Fair-skinned women should use more delicate fragrances than those with darker skin.

  Perfume is there to be enjoyed, so indulge.

   Use it on ''pulse points'' such as wrists, the back of the neck, throat, inside elbows, behind knees and on ankles.

  The aroma of perfume will change as it evaporates on the skin. Its top notes create the first impression, and will disappear quickly.

  It is the middle notes that develop the personality of the fragrance, and mingle with the chemicals in the skin.

   The base notes reach your senses last of all and can take several minutes to begin to develop their fullness.

  Almost everyone is born with a beautiful complexion. You only have to look at a baby's skin to appreciate its softness and smoothness. Yet, within a short while, rashes, scratches, and skin irritations plague the skin.

  In the teenage years, major signs of trouble emerge - visible pores, blotches, little red veins, oily skin, blackheads, blisters and pimples. Then, just as adolescent difficulties seem to be resolving, along comes dry skin, wrinkles, bagginess around theeyes and brown ''liver'' spots.

  Protecting and caring for your skin to minimise damage is a wise investment in the present, and a safeguard towards your future looks. Nothing enhances your personal appearance more than a healthy, youthful-looking skin.

  The skin is the largest organ of the body and has many important functions. It is waterproof and acts as a protective barrier against bacteria. It also helps dispose of toxins and waste matter, and regulates the body temperature, through perspiration. These processes can clog the pores.

  The skin is made up, primarily, of two layers - the epidermis and dermis.

  The epidermis (outer skin) shows all the skins problems and is composed of dead cells.

   Below this is the dermis, or true skin, composed of live cells. This is a soft and fibrous substance.

   The dermis contains important structures such as oil glands, sweat glands, hair follicles, and blood vessels.

   The condition of these will contribute to the many problems seen in the epidermis. Finally, there is a layer of fat.

  Skin must be kept clean to enable it to function properly. Continual washing will remove valuable moisture, oils and its protective acid mantle. To care for it properly requires five main treatments: cleansing, cell renewal, toning, moisturising and sun protection.



Protection of skin wise investment