Fixatives & INCREASING the LONGEVITY of your perfume

Summary

In this video, the host explains the role of fixatives in perfumery, addressing the common question of how to make perfumes last longer. Fixatives help slow down the evaporation of fragrance molecules, but their impact on longevity is modest. While they can help extend the life of base notes, they may reduce a perfume's projection. The video highlights that to create long-lasting perfumes, one should focus on using lasting base notes from the start of the composition. The video also touches on how fixatives like Ambroxan can contribute to the longevity of a fragrance without drastically altering its overall performance.

Takeaways

• 😀 **Fixatives in perfumery** help make perfumes last longer by binding molecules and reducing their evaporation rate.
• 😀 **Vapor pressure** is a key concept in fixatives—lowering it prevents perfume molecules from evaporating quickly, thus enhancing longevity.
• 😀 **Common fixatives** include substances like coumarin, vanillin, labdanum, benzoin, and Ambroxan. These ingredients act as binders to slow down evaporation.
• 😀 **Adding a fixative** may slightly extend the longevity of top notes (e.g., citrus), but the effect is usually minor and won't drastically lengthen the fragrance's life.
• 😀 **Fixatives can impact projection**—while they help with longevity, they can also reduce the strength or projection of the fragrance in the air.
• 😀 **A misconception** is that fixatives will double or triple the longevity of your perfume. The increase is often minimal (e.g., extending 10 minutes by 1–2 minutes).
• 😀 **Fixatives have their own scent**—while they help other notes last longer, they may also introduce an additional fragrance that must harmonize with the composition.
• 😀 **Base notes are crucial** for long-lasting perfumes. These notes, like musks and resins, form the foundation of a fragrance that stays with you for hours.
• 😀 **Ambroxan** is often seen as a fixative, but it contributes its own long-lasting scent to the perfume, helping the fragrance stay longer due to its enduring musk-like qualities.
• 😀 **Perfume composition** is key. Building a fragrance around a good balance of top, mid, and base notes is essential for creating perfumes that last long naturally.
• 😀 **Linear perfumes**, made predominantly of base notes, can last longer but may lack complexity. If projection is important, consider balancing high-projection base notes.

Q & A

What is a fixative in the context of perfumery?

A fixative is a substance that lowers the vapor pressure of other molecules in a perfume. This helps to bind molecules and prevent them from evaporating too quickly, thereby extending the longevity of the fragrance on the skin.

How do fixatives work to make perfumes last longer?

Fixatives work by binding to other molecules in the perfume, effectively trapping them and slowing their evaporation. This prevents the perfume’s top notes from dissipating too quickly, although the effect is typically subtle.

Can fixatives significantly increase the longevity of a perfume?

No, fixatives generally only extend the longevity of the perfume by a small amount, usually about 10-20%. They can slightly increase how long a note lasts, but they won’t dramatically prolong the fragrance’s overall life on the skin.

What are some examples of raw materials that act as fixatives?

Common fixative raw materials include coumarin, vanillin, labdanum, benzoin, and evernyl. These are typically solids or resins, and they help to trap other molecules within a sticky matrix.

What side effects can occur when using fixatives in perfumes?

Adding fixatives to a perfume can introduce new smells, which may or may not be desirable. They can also reduce the projection of the perfume, as they prevent molecules from evaporating as quickly, leading to less scent in the air at any given moment.

Why do fixatives decrease the projection of a perfume?

Fixatives decrease projection because they slow down the evaporation of molecules. As fewer molecules are evaporating at a given time, there’s less scent released into the air, which reduces how far the fragrance can be detected from a distance.

What role do base notes play in creating long-lasting perfumes?

Base notes are crucial for creating long-lasting perfumes because they last the longest on the skin. When composing a fragrance, it’s important to start with base notes to ensure longevity. These notes can be blended with mid and top notes to create a well-balanced composition.

Can a perfume made with only base notes last a long time?

Yes, perfumes made primarily with base notes can last a long time. However, the projection may be weak, as many base notes have low projection. To balance this, high-projection base notes like isoe super or strong musks should be used.

Does adding Ambroxan to a perfume make it last longer?

Adding Ambroxan to a perfume does make it last longer, but not because it extends the longevity of other notes. Ambroxan itself is a long-lasting ingredient, so its inclusion will make the overall fragrance last longer by adding a persistent scent to the base.

What is the main takeaway regarding the use of fixatives in perfumery?

Fixatives can be useful in prolonging the longevity of certain molecules, but they are not a magic solution. The key to creating a long-lasting perfume is to use a good proportion of base notes from the outset, ensuring the fragrance is built for longevity from the start.