I’m writing about African perfumers because Africa is the home of fragrance. The first ever perfume was created in Egypt, and many believe it to be the original scent of the world’s oldest temple. The African church was the first ever to invent and use incense: used for ceremonial purposes, and in an attempt to please the gods and win their favour. Since ancient times. African stone sculptures have been created with eyes made from sacred rocks, and perfumers and aromatherapists believe that the rocks release a natural form of fragrance: one which has healing properties. Frankincense and myrrh were used in Egyptian burial rites, and it is believed that their scents can bring eternal youth and freshness. In the olden days, perfumes were made from nectar, honey, animal fat and plant extracts. The scents were made by women in Africa for use in their homes.

Creed perfume

Perfume fact: The word ‘perfume’ is derived from the Latin ‘per fumare’, which means ‘through smoke.’ This is because Ancient Egyptians would burn plant matter and spices to create a pleasant odor. Anyone who has visited Africa can tell you that there is a lot of value placed on ‘smell’ – from the scents of flowers to garbage. Oud in particular is so revered in so many cultures it’s simply considered the most important of scents.

Many of the world’s top perfumers are French – they have a complete appreciation for the power of scent. But the most important fact to remember is this: all top perfumers connect to Africa, ranging from Serge Lutens to Thierry Mugler. Some creators are even making their own scents inspired by the culture, nature, and business of Africa – like Francis Kurkdjian. The perfumer is well known for using African notes, using real elemi in his scents instead of the synthetic variety.

It’s also interesting to note that Africa is home to the most expensive spices in the world when produced in small quantities. African countries like Madagascar and Mozambique grow vanilla and ylang ylang in abundance and at a high quality. Vanilla can sell for as much as $2000 per pound (and that’s the artificial variety). Meanwhile, natural ylang ylang costs $4000 per kilo.

So what does this mean? It means that the world’s greatest perfumers utilize the most expensive and rarest of raw materials. Oud, for instance, can sell for $70000 or more per kilo. And many of the world’s most expensive fragrances incorporate oud into their scent. But Africa also has violets, jasmine, rosewood, and so on. African rosewood is so rare and expensive, in fact, that it retails at $100 per gram.

In Egypt, religious ceremonies were done wearing perfumes made solely from orris root, being so expensive even the poor could afford them. If you’ve ever smelled Egyptian oud, jasmine, or frankincense, you know how powerful it is.