Absolute (perfumery)

Production

First, plant material is extracted with a hydrocarbon solvent, such as hexane, to yield concrete. The concrete is then extracted with ethanol. The ethanol extract is cooled (e.g., to −15 °C) to solidify waxes, and cold filtered to yield a liquid extract. When the ethanol evaporates, an oil—the absolute—is left behind.

Traditionally, the absolute was obtained by enfleurage, where the resulting pomade was extracted with ethanol to yield the absolute.

Character and use

Some raw materials are either too delicate or too inert to be steam-distilled and can only yield their aroma through solvent extraction. Examples of these are jasmine and beeswax. Absolutes in demand include rose, jasmine, tuberose, jonquil, ylang-ylang, mimosa, boronia, lavender, lavandin, geranium, clary sage, violet, oakmoss, tonka bean.

Rose oil, jasmine absolute, tuberose absolute, tobacco absolute, orris root oil, ambrette seeds oil, angelica root oil, and orange flower oil are valuable and expensive fragrance and flavor ingredients.

Residual solvents may remain in the absolutes. Therefore, some absolutes are considered undesirable for aromatherapy.

References

References

1. "Абсолюты в парфюмерии. Что это такое и как получают абсолюты?".
2. K. Hüsnü Can Başer. (2013). "Kirk-Othmer Chemical Technology of Cosmetics".
3. (2021). "Chemical profile and sensory evaluation of Bulgarian rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) aroma products, isolated by different techniques". Journal of Essential Oil Research.
4. (2016). "Insight into the aroma profile of Bulgarian tobacco absolute oil". Industrial Crops and Products.
5. Karl-Georg Fahlbusch. (2007). "[[Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry]]". Wiley.