For thousands of years, people have used perfumes, balms, and oils. During the early years of Christianity, perfume wasn’t favored, but in the medieval period, its use resurfaced. History books say that it is the Egyptians who invented perfume as a way to anoint and embalm their dead. For most laypeople, however, perfumes are equated with France and their high-profile designers.

In France, perfumes are said to have originated in Grasse, Provence. It was in the sixteenth century that the perfume industry began in this town located near the French Riviera. Men working in the tannery and leather industry there found the smell overpowering. They began growing flowers and herbs to make perfumes to cover up the foul smell.

Jasmines, roses, lavender, irises, and orange trees grown in the fields of Grasse provided the raw material, and there was a steady growth of perfumers and apothecaries. They were considered the experts as they were familiar with making botanical essences and they created the base for the large perfume industry here. Mass production of perfumes and scents began only in the twentieth century.

Grasse is often called the perfume capital of the world, and the four leading French perfumeries–Moulimard, Mane, Galimard, and Fragonard—are all located here. The best perfume developers are also located there, and they use traditional methods alongside modern methods for making perfume from premium ingredients. Today, Grasse has a turnover of $600 million per year, accounting for 50% of the market for French perfumes and food aromas and 6% of the world market.

While the industry has now grown farther afield, worldwide connoisseurs still prefer French perfumes to others. Among the famous French brands are L'Oreal, Lancôme, Ralph Lauren, Cacharel, Guy Laroche, Giorgio Armani, Paloma Picasso and Lanvin. The Louis Vuitton-Moët Hennessy group owns French perfume brands such as Christian Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy, and Kenzo. Another major group in the French perfume industry is the Elf Aquitaine Group with brands such as Yves Saint-Laurent, Nina Ricci, Van Cleef, Arpels, and Oscar de la Renta.