Essence Absolue Épurée

You might encounter a bottle labeled "Essence Absolue Épurée" and wonder about its nature. This intriguing essence, known as "Purified Absolute Essence," originates from a substance called concrete, which is a natural, waxy material extracted from flowers. Concrete captures the aromatic compounds of flowers in a semi-solid form, retaining the rich and complex scents of the blossoms from which it is derived.

The transformation of concrete into purified absolute essence involves a meticulous process. Initially, the concrete is washed with potent alcohol in specialized machines known as batteuses. These machines are designed to shake the mixture vigorously, ensuring that the alcohol thoroughly interacts with the concrete. This washing process helps to dissolve the aromatic compounds while leaving behind less soluble substances such as waxes.

Following the washing phase, the mixture undergoes cooling, which plays a crucial role in the purification process. As the temperature drops, the wax and natural pigments present in the concrete begin to precipitate out of the solution. This separation is essential for achieving the desired purity of the final product. The cooled mixture is then filtered to remove these precipitated components, resulting in a substance that is free from wax and pigments.

The resultant product of this rigorous process is highly concentrated and is referred to as "absolute essence." This absolute essence is a potent and pure form of the flower's fragrance, capturing its essence in a way that is both intense and refined. It is this concentrated nature that makes absolute essence highly valued, particularly in the fields of perfumery and aromatherapy, where a little goes a long way in imparting the desired aromatic qualities.

In summary, "Essence Absolue Épurée" or "Purified Absolute Essence" is a highly refined product derived from concrete through a process of alcohol washing, cooling, and filtration. This process eliminates wax and pigments, leaving behind a pure, concentrated essence that embodies the true fragrance of the flowers from which it originates.

The ingredients used in making perfume are quite expensive, particularly because producing the essence requires a significant amount of high-quality materials. A prime example of this is the process behind one of the most costly perfume ingredients: jasmine. Jasmine's rich, intoxicating scent is a staple in many luxurious perfumes, but obtaining this essence is labor-intensive and requires a vast quantity of flowers.

To extract just one gram of absolute essence from jasmine, about five thousand flowers are needed. Each of these delicate flowers must be meticulously handpicked at a specific time of day when their fragrance is at its peak, usually early in the morning. The sheer volume required is staggering, as it takes approximately 2,000 hours of manual labor to pick around one million jasmine blossoms. These flowers are then processed to produce just one kilogram of absolute essence, highlighting the tremendous effort and resources required for this small quantity of perfume ingredient.

The production methods used also impact the yield and purity of the jasmine essence. In traditional enfleurage, a process where flowers are spread on a layer of fat to absorb their fragrance, it takes 1,000 kilograms of jasmine flowers to produce 5 to 6 kilograms of pure concrete. This concrete is a waxy substance that holds the aromatic compounds. When using extraction with petroleum ether, a more modern and efficient method, the yield is significantly lower, producing only about 1 to 3 kilograms of absolute essence from the same amount of flowers. This demonstrates the efficiency trade-offs between different extraction methods.

The concentration of jasmine absolute in perfumes has varied over time. In the 1930s, some perfumes contained as much as 10% absolute essence of jasmine, making them exceptionally fragrant and luxurious. However, by the mid-1990s, the concentrations had decreased significantly, with most perfumes containing only one or two percent of jasmine absolute at most. This reduction in concentration reflects both the high cost of jasmine essence and changes in perfume formulation trends over the decades.

In summary, the production of jasmine absolute essence is a complex and costly process that requires an immense amount of flowers and labor. The meticulous handpicking of jasmine blossoms, the varying yields from different extraction methods, and the historical changes in perfume formulation all underscore the challenges and expense involved in creating this prized perfume ingredient.

Back to the Essence Absolute Purees:

The "Essence Absolue Épurées" mentioned were manufactured at either Pierre Chauvet et Cie (now known as Firmenich) or P. Robertet et Cie, which were two of the largest suppliers of raw materials and essential oils in Grasse, France. These companies supplied raw materials and oils to luxury fragrance brands like Guerlain, Jean Patou, and Chanel. These brands would then use these materials in the production of their fragrances.

The "essence absolue épurée" typically represented the factory's rendition of popular fragrances from that time period, and they were commonly available for purchase in the gift shops of the Chauvet or Robertet factories. These factories often conducted public tours to demonstrate the intricate process of distilling or extracting, blending, and bottling these essences. To signify their authenticity, the caps of these bottles were dipped in red sealing wax. Visitors had the opportunity to buy these bottles as keepsakes of their factory tour experience. It's reasonable to assume that these bottles contained the highest concentrations of absolute essences, which were carefully blended to create the signature scents of the respective perfumes.

Based on my research, I've discovered that the majority of these "Essence Absolue Épurée" perfumes were produced between the 1930s and 1960s, aligning with the popular fragrances of that era. To determine the approximate manufacturing date of your perfume, you can identify Chauvet or Robertet's versions of the following fragrances along with their respective introduction dates. This way, you'll have a reference point to ascertain that your Essence Absolue Épurée perfume was made after those dates.

• Guerlain's Mitsouko (1919)
• Chanel's famous No. 5 (1921) 
• Lanvin's My Sin (1924)
• Guerlain's Shalimar (1925)
• Caron's Bellodgia (1927) 
• Jean Patou's Joy (1930)
• Ciro's Surrender (1932)
• Guerlain's Vol de Nuit (1933)
• Caron's Fleurs de Rocaille (1933)
• Schiaparelli's Shocking (1937)
• Lucien Lelong's Tailspin (1940)
• Evyan's White Shoulders (1949)

It's important to clarify that these "dupes" were not crafted by renowned companies like Guerlain or Chanel. Instead, they were manufactured by either Robertet or Chauvet.

The labels often featured copyrighted names of well-known perfumes. However, legal action from the original owners prompted the factories to adopt a workaround by using abbreviations instead. Here are some examples:

• White Shoulders can be found labeled as "WS-E"
• Fleurs de Rocaille is found labeled as "F de R-C"
• My Sin was labeled as "MS-L"
• Bellodgia is found as "Bel-C"
• Joy was found as "J-P"

However, original names like "Chancino" were still discovered on some labels.

More on perfumery manufacture:

Perfumery Processes by Edwin H. Burr, 1906:

The industry of natural perfumes existed in France for ages. It is in the department of the Alpes and in the case of certain special products in some of the neighboring departments. Its center is Grasse where factories are collected which are fed the floral plantations of the district. Grasse and its district are placed as regards climate in an exceptional situation. Its inhabitants who have been able create this industry there and who may be said have always kept it line with the march of ideas and of in the methods of and appliances will not easily allow to be despoiled of the supremacy they have acquired.  The considerable development and the remarkable progress of the method of volatile solvents in the south of France is a manifest proof of the care with which the perfumers of the Alpes Maritimes are constantly seeking to improve their products Grasse supplies the perfumery trade with products extracted from the flowers which grow upon its soil the rose, orange flower, violet, jasmine, cassie, mimosa and tuberose, processes employed for this extraction three in number. The first the most ancient is with steam It is practiced to with highly perfected apparatus heated steam. It yields essential oils which generally oily liquids almost insoluble water which do not always resemble the perfume of the flower but which nevertheless possess special properties mainly of tenacity which cause them enter into all the preparations of perfumery.

 The second process for the extraction of the perfume of flowers is that of fixed solvents. It also has been practiced for a very long time and consists in placing the flowers in contact with fatty bodies either solid or liquid which absorb the perfume. There are thus obtained pomades or perfumed oils which are then carefully exhausted with alcohol which extracts the perfume and thus be utilized by the perfumer. Lard is generally employed as the solid fatty body. It is melted and mixed with the flowers. After remaining for some time in contact the perfumed fat is separated from the exhausted flowers by the action of filtration and pressure. Several successive can macerations are performed with fresh flowers. This is the process of hot maceration. In the cases of jasmine and tuberose, the flowers are placed in contact with the fat at the ordinary temperature in wooden frames having glass bottoms on which the fat or oil held by a coarse cloth is spread. This is the process of cold enfleurage. 

The third process is that of volatile solvents. It is more modern than the preceding ones. Its origination is attributed to a chemist named Robiquet. After numerous experiments the manufacturers of Grasse succeeded a short time back in completely solving the problem of extracting faithfully with all their characteristics the subtle aromas of flowers. The perfume solids thus extracted by digestion of the flowers with light petroleum spirit and evaporation of the latter under vacuum, occur in the form of waxy masses frequently colored. As a matter of fact, the solvent becomes charged not only with odoriferous matter but also with vegetable fatty matters, similar to beeswax and with coloring matters. Roure Bertrand Fils who have succeeded particularly in this branch of the industry, have conceived the idea of preparing in a more utilizable form the odorous bodies thus extracted. Their essences liquides contain the same quantity of perfume as an equal weight of the parfum solide. Proceeding further they have prepared by methods which are not have prepared by methods which are not divulged the actual odorous matter of the flower without any vehicle. Some of these Absolute Flower Essences have a considerable intrinsic value. The Absolute Essence of violet costs no less than 15,000 francs per kilogram. Side by side with these products yielded by French soil, the perfumer also employs a multitude of materials imported from abroad which are mostly derived from the Far East. I will mention the essential oils of Mexican linaloes of the female rosewood of Guiana, those of ylang ylang from the Philippines, and cananga from Java, the various oils from the British Indies, the various oils of cinnamon from China and Ceylon, and of cloves and patchouly. For the majority of these products we are indebted to the British colonies.