Fragrance compound

A chemical substance used to give a fragrance a particular scent or modify its overall odor. It may be natural or synthetic and is selected for its smell, stability, and behavior in a formulation.

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Olfactory receptor: A sensory protein that detects odor molecules and helps trigger the perception of smell. Fragrance compounds produce scent when their molecules activate patterns of olfactory receptors.
Odorant: A volatile chemical that stimulates the olfactory system and produces a smell. Fragrance compounds are selected odorants used deliberately in scented formulations.
Perfumery: The art and practice of creating fragrances from aromatic materials. Perfumery combines fragrance compounds to build a coherent scent over time.
Natural fragrance: A fragrance made from materials obtained from natural sources, such as plants or animals. It contrasts with fragrance compounds produced through chemical synthesis.
Steam distillation: A separation method that uses steam to recover volatile substances from materials. It is a longstanding way to obtain aromatic compounds from plants.
Odor threshold: The lowest concentration of an odorant that can be detected by a defined portion of a population. A compound’s threshold helps determine how little is needed to affect a fragrance.
Essential oil: A concentrated mixture of volatile compounds extracted from aromatic plants. It is a complex natural ingredient, unlike a single fragrance compound.
Fragrance wheel: A diagram that organizes perfume families by perceived similarities and differences. It provides a vocabulary for describing the scent direction a compound supports.
Synthetic fragrance: A fragrance made using synthesized aromatic substances, which may reproduce natural odors or create new ones. Many individual fragrance compounds are manufactured synthetically for consistency or distinctive effects.
Enfleurage: A traditional extraction method that captures flower scent in fat. It illustrates how delicate floral fragrance materials were collected before modern techniques.