Although the word, vanilla, refers to something dull or unoriginal in current usage, it is no such thing and is highly desirable within the realms of both gastronomy and perfume. For almost five hundred years, the intriguing and regressive fragrance of vanilla …

Formally known as Oriental fragrances and generally comprised of tonka bean, elegant vanilla, almond-like vanillin, nutty coumarin, leathery labdanum and sensual patchouli, amber fragrances represent a growing category of fragrance compositions our …

Sandalwood blends are fragrances well known for their bright fresh aromas, and are always used in perfume formulations as woody base notes that serve as fixatives, which both complement and enhance other facets. They are particularly popular …

The fragrance wheel, which is also known as an aroma wheel, fragrance circle, perfume wheel and other monikers is a circular diagram that explains the differences and similarities among diverse olfactory families. While our perfumes at Alpha …

Leather perfumes, or leather fragrances, have a long and colorful past, and their olfactory family has always been atypical and rarer than others. Usually synthetic or naturally derived in the state of the art laboratories of our hallowed halls …

Vetiver, which is also known as Vetivert and Khus-khus grass in its native Western and Northern India, is a perennial grass, the roots of which contain an oil that is often used in everything from scented candles to perfumery. Vetiver derives from …

Grapefruit is among the most commonly used essential oils in the top notes of many modern perfume formulations. It is also one of the major components of woody, aromatic and lighter summer fragrances.  Although technically a member of the citrus …

Woody fragrances are like no other, as they feature base notes that add richness, intensity, luxury and warmth to any given fragrance. Notes derive from Nature; namely, trees, resin, moss, bark, pine cones, bushes and also roots. Fragrances emanated …

Usually associated with the warmer months of the year, citrus perfumes are generally characterized as those containing notes that are fresh, zesty and include fruits such as: sweet orange; juicy clementine; green, sunny mandarin; uplifting grapefruit …

Any company that manufactures automotive car wash products, such as window cleaners, air freshener products, polish, wax, tire shine and carpet shampoos just to name a few, is well aware of how important freshly cleaned and detailed car interiors are to the customers who bring their vehicles …

Flowers have been the essence of delightful fragrances since the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans blended plant-based ingredients including: blooms, leaves, seeds, woods, resins and gums to create scented oils that both adorned the human body and were burned as incense in homes and sacred ….

The timeless mystery and allure of the sea has been a source of inspiration for poets, writers and artists from every corner of the globe sun the beginning of time. Humans remain small standing against the majesty of the sea and all the hidden wonders yet to be discovered under its briny depths. Ozonic fragrances …

When one hears the word, classic, several things may come to mind. For some, it may conjure images of a sleek Lamborghini or Model T Ford. For others, it could be a vintage Dior gown or a perfume, such as Chanel No. 5. One quality that defines all products that are considered classic is the …

Musk is and always has been a favored base note in perfume formulation for a vast array of commercial products. Originally comprised of glandular secretions from the abdomen of the musk deer, this base note is also derived from both synthetic and other natural sources like …

Let’s face it. Sweat happens and always has since the dawn of man and stressful situations. It is a natural cooling mechanism that helps the body shed excess heat. Armpits, particularly, have a higher density of sweat glands than other areas of the body. Sweat itself does not have a strong odor, but the …

Candles come in all shapes, sizes, colors and scents and their manufacture is a multi billion dollar industry. In fact, according to the National Candle Association, an estimated 75 to 80 percent of all candles sold in the United States are scented. Annual retail sales are estimated at approximately …

To follow the tales of Ali Baba and his many escapades and the mystical adventures of Aladdin and his wondrous lamp as revealed in the pages of One Thousand And One Arabian Nights is to cross a rich and colorful threshold brimming with vivid images and dazzling aromas …

What do women really want in their personal care products? The answer seems to continually haunt cosmetic, personal care I&I (Industrial and Institutional) packagers with turnkey opportunities as well as product manufacturers, mainly because the modern woman has a dynamic …

Lip makeup, particularly lipstick shades, have the distinction of being the only aspects of the medium that truly reflect the cultural climate, historical events and rebellious aspects of the time period in which they have gained popularity. During the 1920s, for example, lipsticks …

Fragrance has the ability to do many things for an endless array product manufacturers and retail environments. It can lure unsuspecting consumers; it can recall past memories and, by virtue of that, increase sales; it can even help to establish a firm foothold for products in otherwise crowded marketplaces …

The realm of retail perfume bottle design is both puzzling and paradoxical, despite the fact that their function is rather simple. Their dazzling beauty set in glass separates them visually from conventional liquid dispensers, but in reality they serve the same purpose. The narrative of perfume …

At Alpha Aromatics, we like to think of ourselves as “fragrance people.” To earn that title, we have to stay on the pulse and know everything that’s going on in the fragrance world—attending conferences, talking to our colleagues around the world, and visiting with others in the industry …

The global air freshener market is estimated to reach $12 billion by the year 2023, registering a CAGR of 3.2% from 2017 to 2023. Interestingly, an increasing portion of that market is expected to consist of room sprays. While this growth is great for room spray manufacturers, it also makes for …

Our faces are and always have been the manner in which we show ourselves to the world, and down through the ages, skin care has been an essential aspect of daily life. Even in primordial times when humans lived in caves, early men and woman soothed dry skin by rubbing fat into it. In fact, archaeological e…

There was once an old George Gershwin/Cole Porter tune called: Anything Goes. Written in the 1930s, the lyrics were shocking for the times. Today, however, their risqué implications would be considered commonplace and hardly raise an eyebrow even among conservative listeners. Still, changing times …

A turnkey packaging company (aka TPC) is a boon to fragrance industry newcomers who lack the knowledge and experience needed to avoid the many pitfalls associated with proper scent layering and the development of fragrances that will provide lasting impressions. The devil is in the details, as they say …

Today, our cats, dogs and other animals have become much more than pets. They have been relegated to the status of humanization as beloved family members in every way except maybe sitting at the dining room table and eating with the family, and in some instances, even that is true! Human caretakers …

Perfume and the delicate art of its creation is almost as old as time. When the world was young, there were only natural fragrances that were painstakingly extracted from essential oils and spices and flowers. The ancient Egyptians scented their tombs and their bodies and the Romans their baths. In 2003 …

Often found as a base note in floral fragrances, lily-of the-valley blends well with woody notes like sandalwood, patchouli, and vetiver as well as green notes such as herbs and foliage; but why is this fragrant gem so often used by master perfumers within fine perfumes, personal care products, soaps, detergents …

Covid-19 presents many challenges to a frightened populace who has not for more than a century (1918 Spanish Flu) experienced the dread associated with a contagious virus that knows neither cure nor vaccine. The only weapons experts promote so far are preventive measures, such as social distancing, wearing masks …

Much like the old saying if a tree falls in a forest, does it make a noise — if a disinfectant or surface cleaning product doesn’t have a fragrance, does it truly do its “job”? While it certainly may disinfect, there is no way for a consumer to perceive that without the sensory reinforcement of scent. Consequently …

The human sense of smell is known to evoke powerful emotional reactions. Scientific data uncovered in many university studies and surveys have carefully monitored responses to olfactory stimuli and concluded that our likes and dislikes of many diverse products are based purely on our emotional associations with them …

Candles have been preventing mankind from stumbling in the night for centuries untold. To light the way though the darkness was their original purpose, which remains a noble one even in this modern age of occasional black outs and power shortages. Candles, however, as is the with all things that last, have reinvented …

From luxury high end perfumes to more budget-conscious options, to fragrances used to scent boutique hotels or personal care products, Jasmine essential oil seems to be prevalent in most scented products. But why is this seductive, exotic floral scent so often used by Master Perfumers? Our team explains …

Shaving and the products associated with the process have been around for as long as there have been beards. As with all customs that last, some aspects (as well as some beards) have remained the same and others have undergone transformations down through the centuries. The modern influx …

The human race has worshipped, basked and over indulged in the sun’s powerful rays since the dawn of time. To lose oneself lying on silver sands beside the magnetic spell of the endless ocean is and always has been a fascinating and distracting pastime. The ancient Greeks wore special veils, large brimmed …

If you’re an ethanol manufacturer and supplier, you’ve probably experienced a dramatic increase in demand for ethanol due to the recent Coronavirus pandemic and the FDA’s temporarily relaxed regulations for hand sanitizer production. You’ve also probably received and endless string of complaints …

If you own or operate a scent marketing company and you’re looking for tailored, market-trending, high quality fragrance options for your air freshener diffuser refills at competitive, cost-effective prices, look no further. Our master perfumers have decades of experience transforming the olfactory vision of any business …

If you’ve recently converted your distillery or brewery to make hand sanitizer, you’re probably finding the ethanol alcohol you’re using is producing incredibly offensive odors in your final product. Even worse, you’ve probably found the temporarily relaxed FDA regulations don’t allow you to add additional ingredients to remedy …

For a company like ours, whose roots reach back as far as World War II, it might seem that there would be little more to prove or achieve, but that is not the case. Any company’s achievements are only as good as their last satisfied customer. The true milestone of commercial success within our industry and others includes …

The coronavirus outbreak gripping the United States has brought out both the best and (at times) the worst of the human condition, as do many catastrophes. Consumers rush to stock up on hand sanitizers and hoard supplies unless governed otherwise by sellers, and in the first week of March alone, according to the data measurement …

While any school child knows that Christopher Columbus sort of discovered America in 1492 and that hand washing is important to prevent the spread of germs, many adults, for whatever reason, have either forgotten or cannot be bothered with washing their hands. It is the best and most …

The vast variety of laundry detergents and fabric softeners in today’s marketplace are as expansive and diverse as consumer needs and expectations. Adding fabric softener is a fundamental aspect of doing the laundry, but with the proliferation of all the products available today, it is easy to get lost in the sea of available …

Founding father, writer, orator and acclaimed inventor, Benjamin Franklin, once said: We will all hang together, or most assuredly, we shall all hang separately. While he was referring to the vulnerability of a burgeoning republic at the signing of the Declaration of Independence …

A new fragrance is a fragile dream that is measured and nurtured by an amalgam of science, skills and knowledge that transcend the mere blending of diverse ingredients. Creating a scent represents the fantasy, fusion and vagaries of the human imagination and the tender capture of the essence of an olfactory narrative …

A dynamic kaleidoscope of ideas, expertise and observations collide and galvanize the blending of diverse ingredients that seed the most elemental aspects of fragrance formulation. At the heart of it all is raw and powerful passion that is harnessed by a team of perfume masters …

Getting dirty clothing clean again and ready to wear is a fundamental aspect of everyone’s daily life. Technological innovations coupled with measures that improve the energy and water efficiency of washing machines and the environmental performance of detergents alter the ways in which modern households …

Also known as citronella grass, this flowering, aromatic plant that is indigenous to South Africa and Australia is also widely cultivated in many parts of tropical and sub-tropical South East Asia and Africa. West Indian lemongrass is native to India, Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand. It represents one of about 55 …

While the use of the various scents of rose within fragranced products may have fallen out of favor in decades past, their intoxicating aroma has increasingly followed modern women on their clothes, in their anti-aging beauty treatments and other personal care, home and away from home products, embracing us all more recently in …

Lavender is an Old World fragrance that is sweet, mystical and haunting. It is found in gardens all over the world and in aromatic profusion everywhere from Cape Verde and the Canary Islands to Europe, northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest Asia, China …

While liquid, foam and gels in sleek plastic bottles with formulas no one can pronounce have been all the rage and have largely replaced traditional bars, the iconic, well loved block of soap is slowly but surely making a record comeback with sales up for the first time in a hundred years. Modern fragrance creators, such as our …

Eucalyptus oil is the generic name for distilled oil which is derived from the leaf of of the Eucalyptus tree and is considered a member of the Myrtle plant family. It is indigenous to Australia, New Zealand and Tasmania, but is cultivated all over the world in tropical and subtropical regions (those falling within the geographical …

Coveted as as a spice down through the centuries because of its warm, sweet and aromatic essence, the name, clove, derives from the French word, clou, which translates into nail and perfectly describes the physical appearance of a single bud. Cloves are the dried flower buds of the evergreen clove tree that is native …

Known as the “five thousand dollar per pound scent,” Oud or Oudh is by far one of the most expensive raw fragrance ingredients in the world. Also known as agarwood, this essential oil is extracted from the fungus-infected resinous heartwood of the agar tree, which is primarily found in the dense forests of Southeast Asia …

Are your current odor neutralizing products not delivering on their promise to eliminate stink and malodorous conditions? If so, you’re not alone, as unwanted smells require the proper type of odor counteractive additives to make any air care product effective, and most perfume manufacturers …

For most manufacturers of just about anything, getting your products to stand out out against a sea of others is no easy task. Many spend fortunes on dazzling magazine and billboard ads and television commercials, but modern consumers have become immune to in-your-face advertising, as they are barraged …

The combination of perfume notes is among the most perfect examples of the concept of synergy at work. All of the selected essential oils and their placement within the hierarchy of a fragrance play a role in its ultimate formulation. It is not coincidental if this is a bit reminiscent of Gestalt psychology …

Aromatically, spicy red cedar and deep, dark patchouli often combine as base notes to enhance warm, sensual and rich fragrances. While these two essential oils can stand alone for their properties and health benefits, they are most frequently used in tandem. Due to its warm properties, Cedarwood blends well …

Commonly found throughout the Mediterranean, bergamot is a fragrant fruit that is about the size of an orange, yet similar to a lime in color. It comes from the tropical citrus Bergamia plant which can grow up to four meters high with star-shaped white flowers and smooth leaves that bear a pear-shaped fruit. The fruit is a hybrid …

Despite the fact that the use and production of perfumes, colognes, aftershaves and other scented products have proliferated both the world of advertising and the purchases of the modern consumer, it’s interesting how many misconceptions concerning the art of fragrance creation have emerged over the years …

Perfumery is the artful combination of scents that produce a unique fragrance for an individual or brand. When the average person buys a bottle of perfume, the decision is totally subjective and can be compared to an instant, indelible attraction. Not only is there no logic attached to the purchase, there also isn’t any thought …

Tonka beans are the seeds of a large tree known as the Coumarou that is indigenous to the rainforests of Central and South America. Although highly prized for its hardwood timber, its true claim to fame lies in the intoxicating, complex fragrance of its seeds, which bear enticing notes of milky, deeply sweet vanilla …

If you’ve ever wanted to create your very own perfume or cologne line, you’ve probably asked yourself how do you begin, what are the practical steps involved, what are the costs and how do you avoid the pitfalls that others might have made throughout the process?Having created thousands of fragrances over the years …

Aldehydes and perfumery are bonded symbiotically and there is hardly a fragrance in the world that exists without them. These organic compounds are present in many natural materials, such as rose, vanilla orange rind, pine essence, citronella and cinnamon essential oils, and are the reason they are so pleasant …

Our sense of smell, which is also known as olfaction, is as old as time. It is the most primeval and mysterious of all the five senses, and more connected to human survival and evolution than the other four. It is said that a fetus in the wombstarting at about 28 weeks into a pregnancy can actually smell the same odors as the mother …

Synthetic and natural fragrances compete in the global perfume market place with all the rivalry of sparring siblings. Instead of vying for parental attention, however, the focus is on which is preferred by consumers, lasts longer, costs less etc. The issue of lower cost always makes synthetic the winner because pure compounds are often …

Perfumery is both a science and an art. Defining a quality fragrance is elusive and subjective because for some the balance of the note pyramid makes all the difference, and for others longevity, depth and complexity mark the distinction between a compelling scent and an unremarkable one. While there’s no question that the top …

Perfume has a long, colorful and very fragrant history whose origins date back to the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt. The art was further refined by the Roman and Arab civilizations. Derived form the Latin verb, perfumare meaning: “to smoke through,” the world’s oldest surviving perfume factory was discovered in Cyprus …

It is no coincidence that two distinct art forms, namely perfumery and music, use the same terms to describe their compositions. The word, accord, represents two elements that combine to make a third; in one case, it’s a musical composition, and in the other, a unique blended fragrance. The word also indicates that mixtures …

The pervasive nature of smells is staggering to the human experience. Scents are ubiquitous and linger in the air throughout our waking hours. They are integral to the formation of youthful memories that are permanently imprinted in the mind’s eye for an entire lifetime. It has only been over the course of the last few decades …

Brands are born, developed and nurtured within the halls of our laboratories, and we love flexing the most powerful muscle in our arsenal; namely, our sense of smell. We create a vast array of exceptional scents every day that both showcase modern brands and build consumer loyalty. With a rich history of operation, an evolving …

Perfume, and its masterful creation, is almost as old as time.  In the ancient world, there were only natural fragrances laboriously extracted from essential oils and tinctures of spices and flowers. Ancient Egypt scented their tombs and their bodies; the Romans their baths, and in 2003 archaeologists discovered the oldest perfume factory known …

Each season of the year has its own unique allure and is experienced at least in part by the scents associated with it. Whether we are surrounded by brisk winter pine, aromatic spring lavender or a meadow drenched in the perfume of summer wildflowers, seasonal scents determine the moods and memories that we associate with them …

Developing a custom fragrance can be compared to creating a work of art. It involves a detailed process that incorporates consumer appeal and ultimately brand identification and loyalty. Fragrances can be bold and flirty or quiet and subtle and they can evoke any and every mood under the sun. When used in personal care products …

Do you speak perfume? If you are a champion perfume formulator, such as our masters at Alpha Aromatics, you don’t need it, but for others, a crash course in conversational perfume may well be in order. Fragrance is said to be the poetry of the gods, but the enduring allure surrounding its mysterious language is both elusive and ethereal. The decoding …

Offensive odors have plagued mankind across all of human history. They were more or less tolerated as an inescapable evil until about 200 years ago, when sewage systems, garbage collection and other control measures were institutionalized. In the U.S., as late as 1914, there were still more privies than toilets and the burning of incense …

Capturing the elusive essence of a particular brand in the form of a signature scent is no easy task and one that is best left in the care of professionals, such as our master Alpha Aromatics fragrance artists, who live, know, respect and understand both the language and power of perfume. Its allure is always …

Valentine’s Day and romance are forever linked, as are all the accompanying flourishes such as: flowers, chocolates and erotic fragrances designed to attract the opposite sex. How did this centuries old pagan holiday honoring lovers originate? Research indicates that much more is steeped in legend than secured by fact. Nevertheless, this …

Natural and organic are two buzzwords used in product marketing that get thrown around a lot. Like most things that are overused, their true meaning somehow gets lost in the shuffle. Consider hackneyed words such as ‘cute’, which no one can really say what it means. It’s just cute …

The art of layering fragrances, which is also known as fragrance cocktailing, can be simply defined as knowing how to combine two different perfumes on top of one another in order to create an entirely new and unique aroma. Whether layering a fragrance to create a unique brand or just …

If your brand is all about opulence, there are a great many things that you can do to create a look, feel, sensation, or scent that will carry and enforce your customers’ perceptions. Scent, in particular, is increasingly being used by a growing array of businesses to heighten their …

Building a brand by using fragrance is a formidable task that demands a coalition of professional marketing skills that take years to perfect. More than one thousand new scents are launched world wide every year, and for companies such as Alpha Aromatics, creativity as well as…

To say that smell can ring a bell not only rhymes but is also true. Scent and autobiographical memory formation are forever intertwined. A summer garden, lush tropical glade, seaside breeze, steaming apple pie and a cozy fireplace all evoke recall of past and often happier times. Modern …

According to the United States Department of Health and Human Services, today’s consumers utilize more than 5,000 chemical fragrances in some combination in diverse products ranging from candles and diffusers, to perfume, scented lotions, soaps and deodorants. But what is …

Today, aromatherapy has taken on many therapeutic faces via the use of essential (volatile) oils derived from diverse plants for the purpose of improving the spiritual, emotional and physical well being of humans everywhere. In fact, in 2015, the global Aromatherapy and Essential Oils …

Scents and fragrances may be invisible, but they nevertheless permeate every aspect of our busy lives. In her book, the Scent of Desire, Rachel Hertz delves into the wide-ranging but almost universally underrated impact scent has on our moods, health, well-being and memory …

What do our noses really know when it comes to scent? We all are aware that they live on our faces midway between our eyes and our mouths, but how do noses know how to smell? What taught them and why? This conundrum can and should be better put and can be boiled down …

Perfume has had a glorious and sweet-smelling past that dates back to the dawn of recorded history. The word itself is Latin and derives from per meaning through and fumun or smoke. Perfumes were originally meant to emulate nature’s pleasant aromas. Natural oils were extracted from …

As an extension of our recent guide to scented candle manufacturing, we thought we’d dig a little deeper into the rich history of candle making and provide a comprehensive overview of candle use in the Victorian era. With candle manufacturing becoming an …

Reed diffusers have recently and rather rapidly grown to be become one of the best alternatives to candles, mainly because they offer wonderfully vibrant aromas and for the fire-conscious, they are absolutely flame-free. Their popularity has spread across Europe, the United States …

As the world’s only source of illumination for centuries, candle making has a rich and noble past that dates back at least 5,000 years. Candles were used in almost every culture in the ancient world but exactly which civilization was the very first to create them is information …

Some questions aren’t that easy to answer and what women want in their personal products used for bath, body, hair, cosmetics or skin care is certainly one of them. Women have dynamic tastes (and rightfully so), and yet they are also loyal to their favorite brands. How can this be explained …

Human love for fragrance is deeply rooted in millenniums of cultural and spiritual practice. The history of perfume is rich and colorful, dating back to antiquity and the glorious civilizations of China, Persia, Egypt, Greece and Rome. Ancient fragrances were usually a combination …

Choosing the best fragrance for cosmetics and personal care products can be a daunting task for the simple reason that there are so many scents available. Consumers can also be a fickle lot and change their minds about preferred scent almost as often as they change their clothes …

Perfume, Eau de Cologne, Eau Fraiche and Eau de Toilette all have historical roots, some of which may not be well known. Some very famous people down through time have indulged in these fragrances. Here are some tales of some sweet-smelling famous notables down through the …

Roger Howell, Vice President of U.S. fragrance manufacturer Alpha Aromatics, was recently profiled on the company’s website and in the company’s social media platforms. The piece focuses on his extensive career as a perfumer, and how his career path brought him to …

Roger Howell is one of the most recognized perfumer authorities in the world, using both his creative and scientific expertise to compose fragrances for thousands of grateful clients. For nearly 10 years, he has held the position as the Vice President and Chief Perfumer of Alpha Aromatics, a U.S. fragrance manufacturer …

Aromas have the power to tap into the essence of human memory. Both the manufacturers of scented candles and those who buy them seek those fragrances that erode dark thoughts and replace them with the nostalgic recall of the past; the poignancy of lost youth and the warmth of home …

Pittsburgh-based Alpha Aromatics Inc. displayed select pieces from its extensive collection of historical fragrance artifacts at the World Perfumery Congress in Miami Beach , Florida, June 13-15 2016. “VP and Chief Perfumer, Roger Howell explains Alpha’s decision to fully dedicate its booth space to …

Alpha Aromatics, the leading U.S. fragrance manufacturer, has introduced new spring and summer 2016 scents for all industry applications, including personal care, home, away-from-home, organic, and fine fragrances. Each scent for this line was chosen based on meticulous market research and client …

Some superheroes save the crime-ridden world with their X-ray vision. Arnold Zlotnik is out to save this stinking planet with his nose. And don’t think he can’t do it. He’s Mr. Scent-sitive, president of Alpha Aromatics in Fox Chapel Borough and a man whose heroic nose is so refined it can distinguish between 1500 individual …