Focus on Parfum de Grasse

Visit parfum de grasse is well known for its emblematic city, "the perfume capital of the world". Indeed, Grasse has a rich history of scents and creations, a worldwide reputation that the city has built up over the centuries. The cradle of great creations, Grasse is a city to be cherished and cultivated! To this end, let's discover the perfume of Grasse.

What is Grasse perfume? 

Did you know? The perfume of Grasse was born out of unpleasant smells! Surprising, but true! Indeed, the Middle Ages as we know them were a particularly dirty period, and the town of Grasse was no exception.

This town near the Côte d'Azur was home to tanneries that fed the flourishing hide trade. However, this activity generated strong odors. These unpleasant odors made it increasingly difficult for customers to wear their gloves. That's when the tanner Galimard who came up with the idea of perfuming to cover bad smells. He soaked his confections in scented waters, and this seduced his increasingly curious and numerous customers!

The idea worked well and seduced other tanners, the method evolved and progressed to give birth to the trade of perfumer !

Today, the Grasse perfume is as recognized and cherished as ever. These creations are exported all over the world, and are renowned as true luxury products. The richness and quality of the city's raw materials are the key to its reputation and expertise.

In addition, the Grasse flowers have made history! Indeed, these rare local flowers have given birth to treasures. You'll find a variety of floral fragrances in the city's products, including orange blossom, mimosa, rose, lavender and myrtle. Jasmine is the most widespread, and is recognized as the city's flower.

In fact, it's here that many legendary perfumes have been created. Grasse charms and delights perfumers! Not surprising when you consider that Chanel, Dior and Rochas were all born here.

The city of Grasse: excellence 

With theevolution from the idea of tanner Galimard, the perfumers and farmers who worked with fragrant plants realized that the town of Grasse was a treasure trove. In fact, the town is a veritable source of wealth, thanks to the many fragrant scents it has to offer.

From the 18th century onwards, tanners abandoned glove-making to concentrate on the perfume industry, which grew rapidly. Perfumers gained in expertise and the town of Grasse in renown!

Today, the city of Grasse has maintained its status. And more than 10 % of the city's residents work in the perfume industry. The city boasts a large number of perfumeries, including Fragonard and Galimard, as well as museums dedicated to the history of perfume. The city's many players are still emblematic of the perfume industry today, and have earned it the title of perfume capital of the world!

What's more, since 2018, Grasse has been listed as a Unesco intangible cultural heritage site for the city's "perfume know-how". This is recognition of a cultural wealth and ancient tradition that needs to be protected.

The Grasse perfume tradition 

LThe world of perfume from Grasse represents many professions. Above all, however, it is associated with an art and a historic know-how. Far beyond its unquestionable expertise, it is an art that has been passed down for many centuries.

The extraction methods developed in this town are recognized the world over.

Let's take a look at them together:

Enfleurage is a Grasse invention developed in the world of perfumery and used worldwide. However, this method is hardly ever used anymore, due to its high cost and the progression of other processes.

This technique dates back to antiquity, but became widely used in the early 18th century. It was used for plants that retained their fragrance after picking, and for fragile materials that could not be processed by distillation.

The method involves working the perfume with grease. The flowers are arranged on wooden frames previously coated with grease. This grease plays an essential role: it absorbs the flowers' fragrance until it is saturated. One kilo of grease usually absorbs 2 to 3 kilos of flowers.

Next, the fat is decanted and then treated with alcohol to recover the perfume. Enfleurage can be carried out either hot or cold, depending on the technique used. However, hot enfleurage is mainly used for more resistant plants.

Nowadays city of Grasse wavers between tradition and modernity as they work on their fragrances.

Today, this technique has been replaced by volatile solvent and CO2 extraction. This technique dissolves the plant's odorant in a solvent. The solvent is then decanted, filtered and evaporated to recover a scented paste, the concrete and the resinoid. After a few washes with alcohol, the concrete becomes the absolute, a pure essence used in perfumery.

How to use Grasse perfume 

Grasse perfume is world-renowned, so it's vital to use it right! Here are a few tips:

• Perfume your skin :

Perfume's first destination is the skin! But you still need to know where to apply it! There are well-defined areas not to be missed. These special places, to be favored, are pulse points such as the neck, the hollow of the wrists, or the back of the ears.

Joints are also strategic areas. So don't hesitate to spray them.

• A few sprays on your clothes:

You can also scent your clothes. However, be careful not to stain your clothes with too much spray.