The fragrance industry is changing to be more inclusive and representative of its roots, but that doesn’t discount its problematic past.
Perfume shop in Singapore. CC BY-NC-SA 2.0. Spreng Ben.
Perfume has become a very expensive commodity, and an art form often attributed to France, with brands such as Chanel, Dior and Yves Saint Laurent being some of the most famous for their luxury fragrance. Additionally, many of the most respected people who make the most money in the industry are men, despite most of the consumers being women. However, the roots of perfume have been tied to ancient Egypt, and there are many women and/or people of color owned perfume brands which are fighting against the idea that perfume is an elitist industry created by white European men.
While it’s true that Paris has become a hub for the industry, perfume by no means began in France or anywhere else in Europe. Scholars believe that the first perfume was created in Mesopotamia, located in modern day Western Asia. Mesopotamian perfume was made primarily out of incense, which is still a common note in modern day perfumery. Early perfumery has also been attributed to ancient Egypt, with the famous story of Cleopatra sailing to meet her lover Marc-Anthony on a ship with scented sails, so that her scent would arrive before she actually did. Later on, while liquid perfume was created in Greece, the distillation process that made it globally popular was created in Arabic countries in the ninth century. It was this Arabic distillation process of including oils in perfume as opposed to just alcohol — to increase the potency of the scent — that popularized perfume globally and facilitated its spread to France. This history indicates that perfume was widespread in areas of Asia and Africa long before the commodity gained popularity in Europe, despite it often being attributed to Europe today.
Perfume mixing. CC BY-SA 2.0. Vetiver Aromatics.
When it comes to ingredients in perfumes, one of the ingredients that has been gaining the most popularity in recent years is “oud wood”. Oud is found in South Asia and the Middle East, and is one of the most expensive ingredients in perfume. Oud also holds great cultural value for many people who grew up in the Middle East, surrounded by the scent. However, oud is also an extremely strong smell. While its relatively recent inclusion in western perfumery has made its already expensive price soar, many western consumers don’t have an appreciation for oud, and thus make offensive comparisons such as a “barnyard smell” or “animal urine”. This demonstrates how important it is to have an understanding of the cultural significance and artistry behind certain ingredients before they are co-opted for the larger Western market.
Another common critique of the fragrance industry is its continued use of outdated and offensive terms. A common term used to describe scents is “oriental”. This term is used to describe warm, spicy notes in perfume which are often exported from Asia, and it originated from an old fashioned and offensive way of speaking about Asia. Most modern audiences would recognize this term as offensive, so many in the industry have been questioning why it is still so widely used by many respected fragrance brands. This term contributes to the exoticization of East Asia, and does nothing to actually describe a scent. There’s been a major push to change that term to the word “ambery,” which doesn’t have racist roots and connotations and also does a better job of describing the warm, spicy, vanillic fragrance category.
Despite all of the problematic aspects of the perfume industry, there are people who are taking this art form and making it more inclusive and accessible. A major movement in the fragrance industry that has developed within the past few years is a push to recognize and appreciate Black perfumery and Black fragrance consumers. Black consumers purchase fragrance at the highest rates in the U.S., making up approximately 23% of fragrance purchases despite only being 14% of the population. Asof the end of 2021, there was only one Black-owned fragrance brand being sold in any of the luxury chains. This brand was World of Chris Collins. And it’s not that there’s a lack of Black-owned fragrance brands; there are a large variety at many different price-points, ranging from affordable to luxury, but they simply aren’t being backed in the way that brands owned by white business owners are. Black fragrance content creators have also spoken out about being undervalued in the industry, despite their content being extremely successful. Funmi Monet, a perfume content creator with over 305 thousand followers on Tik Tok, created her own fragrance, “Exalte” with Bella Aura Beauty. She was one of only a few Black women to ever create their own luxury fragrance in France. She worked with the best perfumers, used the finest ingredients, and her product sold out multiple times. Yet, she says she got a lot of criticism for the price of her product, despite it being right on par if not more affordable than other luxury fragrances, and says she continues to be undervalued by brands she works with despite having proven her success on a large scale. You can listen to an interview with Funmi Monet on this topic here.
Perfume bottles. CC BY-SA 2.0. Vetiver Aromatics.
In terms of fragrance brands to support which are owned by people of color, there are many options. Some Black-owned fragrance brands include Brown Girl Jane, Kimberly New York and Maya Nije. Asian owned fragrance brands to support include Yosh Olfactory Sense, D.S. & Durga and Nemat Artisan Perfumery. Most of these brands are also women of color owned, and they range from affordable pricing to luxury quality. There are so many more fragrance brands to support, and the ever-changing fragrance industry is an opportunity to be mindful of where your money is going.
Calliana Leff
Calliana is currently an undergraduate student at Boston University majoring in English and minoring in psychology. She is passionate about sustainability and traveling in an ethical and respectful way. She hopes to continue her writing career and see more of the world after she graduates.