Synthetic Perfume Versus Natural Scents – Which Is Better?
Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel did not literally create the fragrances that bear her name. Her first creation occurred as she was on the brink of stardom, about to launch a new line of fashion. She wanted a perfume to symbolize that line of clothing, so she sought out the services of a Russian-born perfumist living in Paris at the time. The year was 1923. Still, she had some very specific ideas about fragrance. She told Ernst Breaux, the perfumist, to come up with something “completely artificial.” Up until that time, fragrances were completely natural. Natural ingredients were all that were ever used to create scents, which varied widely not only by geography but also from batch to batch. In regions that grew lavender, there were lavender scents. If you were fortunate enough to have gardenias and roses, they showed up in the perfume. Exotic ingredients like sandalwood from India were rare and extremely costly. Coco Chanel had a different vision not only for fashion but for fragrance. Her ide
