The creation of fragrance has been a long domain in which a woman’s creativity and intuition shine, but while these have been often underappreciated, women have often been overlooked. By paying tribute to women who were pioneers in the world of female essential oil perfumers, we explore how these women shaped history and influenced modern perfumery today. Although women in perfumery appeared long ago from ancient civilizations to today’s thriving fragrance industry, we’ve come a long way!
Ancient Beginnings: Priestesses and Early Perfumers
The origins of perfumery can be traced thousands of years to civilizations that understood the sacred and animate importance of scent in their spiritual life and daily tasks. Essential oils were often the work of the women in ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, and India, who prepared essential oils for rituals and ceremonies as well as for personal adornment. Especially, priestesses and healers were the first female perfumers and they used essential oils such as myrrh, frankincense, and cedarwood to make oils that would purify, heal and lead to divine worship.
For example, in ancient Egypt, perfume and aromatherapy were revered art and women’s healers made blends that were thought to bring us in contact with the divine. This spiritual and healing knowledge handed down from generation to generation was a phase of more structured ways to use essential oils. Inspirational that some of the methods women were using thousands of years ago are used in essential oils like frankincense or myrrh, which are still useful for their soothing and grounding properties.
The Middle Ages: Apothecaries and the First Female Perfumers
Women’s addition to perfumery in the Middle Ages was to become a new role to women in apothecaries, selling already developed herbal blends for therapeutic and aromatic purposes. A large number of these apothecaries were run by women who made use of essential oils from things such as lavender and rosemary to make their own natural remedies and aromatic concoctions. In these early years, these were women who knew herbs, essential oils, and fragrances well and used their knowledge to create a thriving niche in which women could wield both franchise and expertise.
To name but a few, convents were places of botanical knowledge, where nuns were able to make medicinal and aromatic remedies. Gardens, in which nuns in convents could cultivate lavender, chamomile, and other plants for oils and infusions, were open to female religious figures. I also saw the beginning of mixing essential oils with alcohol-based solvents to make modern perfume. During this time women were proving their place and prowess in expertness at botany and fragrance making – and their expertise was actually helping both communities and subsequently laying an essential foundation for what would become the fast and growing fragrance industry.
Renaissance Europe: Women Perfumers Gain Recognition
During the Renaissance, perfume was appreciated to a high degree and European women began to become real artisans in perfumery. Italian noblewomen were famous for their elaborate scents of essential oils especially lavender, rose, clary sage, and so on. When Caterina de’ Medici married, she introduced a new scent practice, and brought along her perfumer to France, setting the stage for the development of the French perfume industry.
Italian and French women, countries known for their work in scent-making, were instrumental in clearing up scent-making techniques. But female perfumers took a chance with the possible combinations of rose, orange blossom, and sandalwood oils to create unique, layered fragrances that found a following. The perfume was celebrated in this ‘era’ as an art and a science and it was finally acknowledged that female perfumers had something to give.
The 19th Century: The Blossoming of Female Perfumers
By the 19th century, the perfume business increased in terms of acknowledging women’s involvement. Women became involved in the business of fragrance creation in an authorized capacity, and perfume-making became an established art in essential oil perfumery. While it’s true that male names top the charts in the fragrance world, women were making serious strides, too. In Europe, where female perfumers were exploring patchouli, jasmine, and vetiver blends, they achieved new fragrances that became popular among both the aristocracy and the emerging middle class.
Women’s role in the world of perfumery reflected the emergence of women involved in this industry in other codes and the growth in influence they were gaining in all fields. They made an impression on the world of fragrance with bolder, more exotic scents. These were dealers of pioneering women, blending the oils of artistry and making the first appearances of women that would continue to make an impact in the industry.
Modern Perfumery: Women at the Helm of Fragrance Innovation
In the 20th century, women became recognized in the perfumery field as renowned perfumers and the world started to celebrate their creations all over the globe. More women perfumers found center stage in the quest to redefine what fragrance could be as aromatherapy rose and interest in natural essential oils acquired a renewed interest. Yet they also created scents that denounced the traditional and elaborated oils such as eucalyptus, tea tree, and sandalwood thanks to their restorative and refreshing qualities.
Essential oils became more accessible and more popular. Aromatherapy was their thing: they blended lavender, peppermint, and lemon oils to create scents that were wonderful but good for well-being too. Modern women perfumers respect the complete state of essential oils as they emphasize the quality of scent that uplifts, comforts, and heals. But given the current popularity of essential oils, it also pushed for sustainable practices in sourcing and production — an area where women perfumers have been shaping practices in recent years.
Women and Essential Oils Today: A Lasting Legacy
The fragrance industry is still being shaped by the influence of women’s essential oil perfumers in the present day. Essential oil blending is still first reigned upon by women creating scents of nature’s gifts and artistry. Ethical sourcing and sustainability is a movement that they support where they fight for good selective sourcing and sustainability to save both the earth and the quality of essential oils. Perhaps that’s why we see modern female perfumers changing the face of fragrance today by adding transparency, wellness, and individuality, all while luring in the nose with essential oil blends.
This historical female figure’s legacy lives on in the great line of fine essential oil by HBNO. HBNO’s collection celebrates the very essence of women’s contributions to the art of fragrance — from tea tree and eucalyptus oils for relaxation to chamomile and lavender for soothing the spirit. Today’s female perfumers have these historical icons on their shoulders, innovating, blending the new with the old, and finding new ways to appreciate the beauty of essential oils.
Conclusion
There’s a women’s story in the fragrance of creativity and resilience, of the power of essential oils. Just like the women who have worked to create the world of perfumery and essential oils over the ages (from ancient priestesses to modern-day perfumers) have been so important to the development of natural cosmetics so too are these women.
This legacy is honored by HBNO by offering a huge range of high-quality essential oils to give everyone the ability to make their unique aromatic moments to draw on the foundations of centuries of women’s knowledge of scent. With each hand-blended sweet-smelling oil, HBNO invites you into women’s perfumery, the magic of essential oils in daily living, and the long history of women making oils.
