Perfume is thousands of years old - the word "perfume" comes from the Latin per fume "through smoke". One of the oldest uses of perfumes comes form the burning of incense and aromatic herbs used in religious services, often the aromatic gums, frankincense and myrrh, gathered from trees. The Egyptians were the first to incorporate perfume into their culture followed by the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans. The earliest use of perfume bottles is Egyptian and dates to around 1000 BC. The Egyptians invented glass and perfume bottles were one of the first common uses for glass.

Time Line of Perfume History
The American Society of Perfume Makers have created a perfumery time line covering the major events in perfume history.

A Brief History of Perfume
This is a brief guide to the history of fragrance use and manufacture.

A View of the World of Perfume
Good history page that discusses making perfumes, modern perfumes and more.

A History of Fragrance
Exerpt taken from the book "Aromatherapy: A Complete Guide to the Healing Art"

History of Perfume
The history of perfume and famous perfumers: Jean-Baptiste, Grenouille, Francois, Coty.

Perfumes for the Period Scent
At the bottom of this page is a a useful chronology of when different scents were introduced.

13th Century Perfumery
The use of native aromatic herbs and flowers to sweeten the air had been known for a very long time.

Beauty Innovations
The history of hair dryers, ironing curlers and other beauty appliances. The history of cosmetics and hair products.

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