The history of perfume dates back to the ancient world. The Egyptians were the first to use it. Natural ingredients such as peppermint and roses are common in early perfumes.
The Egyptians invented materials such as glass and used glass perfume bottles to store their perfumes. They also used gold, hard stones and other materials to make their perfume containers.
The Greeks classified perfumes according to the part of plant they came from and kept records of their ingredients.
Historians have also confirmed that Islamic, Chinese and Indian cultures had been using perfume as part of their religious ceremonies and social activities as well.
The 18th century brought a great advance in perfume industry with the invention of eau de Cologne- "water from Cologne". A young Italian invented it in the city of Cologne, Germany. This was a blend of various herbs and flowers and it was very refreshing.
In the 19th century there were many changes in Europe. Modern chemistry and advanced technology made it possible to create new ways of extracting perfumes from flowers.
The biggest of all technological advances was the ability to create artificial ingredients in the place of natural perfume ingredients that were hard to find or very expensive.
Both men and women continue to enjoy wearing perfume and cologne. Perfume makes people feel good.
Today, you may be in countries thousands of kilometers apart, and yet you can still be able to buy the same brands of perfume.
Nowadays perfume is cleverly advertised, attractively bottled and sold at a price that many can afford.
