Perfume making

Art

• The student learned about color, balance, and composition when mixing different essential oils to create a fragrance.
• They explored creativity and self-expression by designing their own custom perfume bottle labels.
• Used elements of design in the packaging and presentation of their final perfume product.

Math

• Calculating and measuring precise amounts of essential oils and carrier liquids for the perfume recipes improved their understanding of fractions and ratios.
• Implemented basic arithmetic skills when adjusting the quantity of ingredients in the different perfume formulas.
• Explored the concept of percentages when diluting the concentrated essential oils with carrier liquids

Science

• Explored the science of scents, learning about the properties of different essential oils and how they interact with each other.
• Understood the process of distillation and extraction of essential oils from natural sources.
• Studied the concept of solubility and the chemistry behind blending different essential oils and carrier liquids to create stable perfumes.

For continued development, students can investigate the history and cultural significance of perfumes in different societies. They can also experiment with creating more complex perfume blends using a wider variety of essential oils and conduct research on sustainable and ethical sourcing of fragrance ingredients.

Book Recommendations

• The Secret of Scent by Luca Turin: Explores the science and art of perfume making, delving into the molecular architecture of fragrances and the olfactory system.
• The Apothecary by Maile Meloy: A historical fiction novel set in 1952 about a young girl who becomes involved in the world of alchemy and espionage, with a focus on creating magical elixirs and potions.
• The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro: A novel following the journey of a young woman who inherits a collection of rare and exquisite perfumes, unraveling secrets about her own identity and her family's history.