: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z

 

Absolute	Highly concentrated perfume ingredient obtained by the alcohol extraction of the concrete. Absolutes usually come in the form of oil, much like essential oil, but are differentiated by the extraction method and odor intensity.
Accord	The basic character of a fragrance. Perfume accords are a balanced blend of three or four notes which create a completely new, unified odor impression.
Aldehyde	Aldehydes are an essential class of perfume ingredients that impart a vivid top note to the perfume. Aldehydes were first successfully incorporated into a perfume by Ernest Beaux in 1921 in Chanel No 5.
Amber	as a perfume group, amber is often synonymous with Oriental. However, amber also describes scents that are sweet, woody and earthy. Labdunum, vanilla and benzoin all have amber qualities. Amber as a note is almost always a blended scent rather than one particular ingredient.
Animalic	Characterized by bodily aromas or aromas most associated with traditional animal materials such as musk, civet and castoreum. These materials are now rarely used in commercial perfumes and have been replaced with musks obtained from plants and civet and castoreum smelling molecules obtained synthetically.
Aroma Molecules/Aroma Chemicals	Molecules obtained from natural products or made by synthetic organic chemistry that have an aroma. Most of the synthetic aroma chemicals are nature identical, i.e., identical to the same molecule obtained from a natural product. Aroma chemicals can be found in food, wine, spices, flowers, perfumes and essential oils. Many form biochemically (naturally) during the ripening of fruits. In wines, most form as byproducts of fermentation.
Aromatherapy	The use of volatile plant oils, including essential oils, for psychological and physical well-being. The therapeutic use of pure essential oils and herbs in body massage,which is described by proponents as “healing, beautifying and soothing” the body and mind.The history of aromatherapy stretches as far back as 6,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. It wasn’t until the 1920’s,  however, when the term was actually coined by a  French chemist, R.M. Gattefosse.
Aromatic	Fragrance family or type denoting intense a spicey-grass scent embodied by a combination of citrus and woody herbs, particularly lavender.
Attar	(Otto) From the ancient Persian word “to smell sweet.” Attar or otto refers to essential oil obtained by distillation and, in particular, that of the Bulgarian rose, an extremely precious perfumery material.
Ayurveda	A system of wellness with roots in India.

 

 

 

Aromatic: Fragrance family or type denoting intense a spicey-grass scent embodied by a combination of citrus and woody herbs, particularly lavender.

Attar: (Otto) From the ancient Persian word “to smell sweet.” Attar or otto refers to essential oil obtained by distillation and, in particular, that of the Bulgarian rose, an extremely precious perfumery material.

Ayurveda: A system of wellness with roots in India.

Balsamic: Sticky, resinous materials obtained from trees or shrubs which give a combined sweet-woody odor associated with well-seasoned, nonconiferous woods such as maple.

Base Note: The base notes or “fond” (meaning “bottom” in French) are the underlying, most enduring tones. They are responsible for a fragrance’s lasting qualities.

Camphoraceous: a bracing, intensely green and pungent scent as found in eucalyptus, tea tree or bay leaf.

Chemical: Put simply, a chemical is a form of matter having constant composition and characteristic properties. Everything you can breathe, see, ingest or touch is made up of chemicals. Water is a chemical: Dihydrogen monoxide.  The air we breathe is made of chemicals: Oxygen, Nitrogen, Hydrogen and many more. All matter, including us, is made of chemicals. An aroma chemical is simply a chemical that has an odor. There is no form of artistic expression more intimately connected with chemistry than perfumery.

Chypre: The French word for 'cypress' and often synonymous with the modern term Mossy-Wood. Chypre is a fragrance family or type describing a complex of moss mixed with woods, flowers or fruit odors.

Citrus (Hesperidic): Odors from citrus fruits such as orange, lemon, lime, mandarin and bergamot which give fresh, fruity top notes used especially in eau fraiche, classical and men’s colognes.

Civet: Also called Civet Musk, is obtained from the odorous sacs of the civets, animals in the family Viverridae, related to the Mongoose. TPA does not use naturally derived civet because we love animals.

Cologne/Eau de Cologne: Contains the lowest concentration of 2-4% base. It’s light, refreshing and can be applied often.

Concrete: Solid waxy substance obtained by the solvent extraction of plant material, e.g., flowers, bark, leaves, etc. The absolute is obtained by alcohol extraction of the concrete.

Coniferous: Odors reminiscent of cone-bearing trees and shrubs like pine.

Dry: A sensation produced by certain perfume ingredients which give a woody, masculine effect.

Dry Down: The final phase of a fragrance – the character which appears several hours after application. Perfumers evaluate the base notes and the tenacity of the fragrance during this stage.

Dry Wood: Part of the broader Wood Family, fragrances that are detectably drier through elements of cedarwood or burnt wood. Dried tobacco and leather are often characterised as dry wood.

Eau de Parfum: A perfume containing 8-20% pure fragrance mixed with alcohol or oil. The Parfum Apothecary perfumes are all eau de parfum to parfum grade at 20-25% concentration, meaning you can use less for the same impact, making each perfume last much longer.

Eau de Toilette: Contains 4-8% base. This form is light yet relatively lasting. 

Essential Oil: The “essence” of plants obtained by distillation of the plant material or its concrete. Plant materials include flowers, grass, stems, seeds, leaves, roots, bark, fruits, tree moss and tree secretions.

Ethanol: Denatured ethyl alcohol is added to a fragrance compound to serve as the carrier. It modifies the fragrance intensity and makes application to the skin easier. The concentration of alcohol to perfume oils varies from perfumer to perfumer.

Family: Fragrances that are constructed in a similar manner and have key ingredient combinations in common are said to be in the same fragrance family.

Floral: Fragrance family or type; either characteristic of a specific flower or a blend of several flower notes.

Floral Oriental: A fragrance note or family denoting a sweet, powdery base with deep floral and spicy elements.

Fougere: The French word for “fern.” Fougère fragrances depend on aromatic chemicals to produce the fern-like notes that combine well with lavender, citrus and coumarin in fragrances for men.

Fragrance Layering: A fragrance application technique where different forms (soap, lotion/oil, perfume) of the same or similar fragrance are applied to make it last longer on the body.

Fragrance Oil: either straight aroma chemicals, or a mix of aroma chemicals and natural ingredients like essential oils, extracts, and resins. Fragrance oils are often used in high-end scented candles for their fragrance strength.

Fragrance Wardrobe: A collection of fragrances that a person owns to meet different moods, occasions, and even times of day.

Fruity: A fragrance family or type indicating scents of sweet, fresh or tart edible fruits, such as coconut, peach or pear. Citrus tends to not be included in this category as they have a classification all their own.

Glycerin: a sugar-alcohol obtained from natural sources, it is used as a skin protectant and moisturiser in soap, because of its water-retaining properties.

Gourmand: A food-like quality in a fragrance, most commonly associated with sweet fruit or dessert-like scents, e.g. coconut, pear or vanilla.

Green: Fragrance family or type whose odor is reminiscent of fresh-cut grass, leaves or a warm, moist forest. Green notes are characteristic of some lighter herbs, green tea or cucumber.

Heady: An exhilarating, rich and stimulating scent.

Heart Note/Middle Note/Body: The middle or “heart” notes make up the main blend of a fragrance that classifies the fragrance family or accord. It usually takes from ten to twenty minutes for the middle notes to fully develop on the skin.

Herbaceous: A fragrance note that is grassy-green, spicy and somewhat therapeutic, e.g., thyme, chamomile.

Lauric Acid: a saturated fat found in plants, particularly coconut and palm kernel. It is used in our soaps for its skin-soothing and anti-microbial effects.

Leather/Cuir: Fragrance type and odor resembling the sweet, pungent smokiness characteristic of the ingredients used in the tanning process of leathers.

Mossy Wood: often referred to as Chypre fragrances, it is characterised by wet, grassy woody scents, like oakmoss.

Muguet: The French term for Lily of the Valley. One of three most used florals in perfumery.

 

Musk: adds a warming and sensual element to perfume. Originally derived from the perineal glands of the Tibetan musk deer, the animal is now endangered and protected. Because we love animals, TPA only uses musk odors derived synthetically or from plants to achieve the same fragrant result.

Natural: in perfumery, refers to aroma chemicals that are produced by or using living organisms, such as plants or animals.  Aroma molecules are produced naturally inside a living organism and then isolated as a distinct aromatic chemical. From a chemistry perspective, natural perfume ingredients are identical to lab-made aroma molecules. They have the same structure, behave the same way in and on the body and are identical in virtually every way. Perfumes labeled 'natural' perfumes commonly use essential oils, absolutes and concretes as opposed to fragrance oils.

Niche Fragrance: Boutique artisanal perfumes produced on a small scale. Presence in mainstream retail stores is minimal or non-existent. These are the scents you might likely find at a perfume specialist or high-end fragrance boutique (and on this site!).

Note(s): Borrowed from the language of music to indicate an olfactory impression of a single smell, or to indicate the three parts of a perfume – top note, middle note, base note.

Olibanum: Commonly referred to as Frankincense, is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia

Oriental: Fragrance family or type denoting heavy, full-bodied and tenacious perfumes. Amber notes are dominant in this category.

Oud: Also Agarwood, aloeswood or gharuwood, is a fragrant dark resinous wood formed in the heartwood of aquilaria trees when they become infected with a type of mould.

Parfum/Perfume: Most highly concentrated form of fragrance, the strongest and the most lasting. Perfume may contain hundreds of ingredients within a single formulation.

Pentasodium Pentetate: Includes calcium and magnesium, and is used to maintain the stability of soap.

Perfumer:  an expert or professional creating perfume compositions, sometimes referred to affectionately as a 'Nose' due to their fine sense of smell and skill in producing olfactory compositions.

Petrichor: the pleasant smell that accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather. To be more precise, it’s the name of an oil that’s released from the earth into the air before rain begins to fall. Some scientists suggest that humans inherited an affection for the smell from our prehistoric ancestors who relied on rainy weather for their survival.

Powder(y): Sweet, dry, somewhat musky odor, reminiscent of talcum powder or rose.

Propylene Glycol: is an organic alcohol used in our soaps in small amounts to ensure the lather washes off cleanly with water.

Resin/Resinous: Extracts of gums, balsams, resins or roots (orris), which consist in whole or in part of resinous materials. They are generally used as fixatives in perfume compositions.

Sillage: the aura created by a perfume when it is worn on the skin.

Smokey: mostly refers to scents that are reminiscent of incense, burnt wood or amber.

Sodium: Common table salt and an umbrella chemistry term for various elements used in soap to produce bubble and lather.

Soft Floral: is a fragrance family or type that has a soft, warm, powdery base softened by intense freshness of a floral bouquet. It one of the oldest and most important fragrance families, typified by Chanel Nº 5. Today it is one of the most under-represented families in terms of new releases. TPA hopes to change that.

Soft Oriental: A fragrance family with tones of incense paired with flowers, spices and amber creating a softer style of Oriental.

 

Sorbitol: a naturally occurring sugar-alcohol used in soap to prevent moisture loss,

Spicy: Piquant or pungent notes such as clove oil, cinnamon; characteristic of notes of carnation, ginger, lavender or the chemical spicy notes of eugenol or isoeugenol.

 

Stearic Acid: a fatty acid found in plants, especially cocoa and shea butter.

 

Sucrose: Common sugar derived from plants. In soap, it helps retain moisture and conditions the skin.

Synthetic: Perfume ingredients that are produced by synthetic organic chemistry rather than bio-synthetically by a plant. In most cases the synthetic ingredients used in perfumery are nature identical, i.e., identical to the same molecule made by the plant.

 

Tetrasodium Etidronate (EDTA): molecules used to bond ingredients together and is used in soap to make sure it washes clean off the skin and your shower.

 

Tincture: Fragrant materials produced by directly soaking and infusing raw materials in room temperature or warm alcohol.

 

Titanium Dioxide(TiO2): an earth mineral ideal for sensitive skin. It is used for colour in soap.

Top Note/Head Note: The first impression of a fragrance when sniffed or applied to the skin.

Undertone: The subtle characteristics of the fragrance background.

 

Unisex: a fragrance designed to be suited to all genders.

Water/Ozonic: an aquatic or oceanic fragrance that has a clean and aquatic scent.

 

White Flowers: Literally flowers that are white! But particularly jasmine, tuberose, gardenia, freesia and similar smelling flowers. The fragrance is heavier, richer and sexier than rose or iris, for example.

 

Wood: A fragrance family and odor which is linked to the aroma of freshly cut, dry wood or fibrous roots such as sandalwood or vetiver.

 

Woody Oriental: A fragrance group or type characterised by spicy oriental elements with warm wood accords like sandalwood or vetiver.