The trade in scents
There has always been a markets for scents. People have used perfume, oils and unguents (a semi-solid preparation like a cream) on their bodies for millennia.
The early Egyptians used perfumed balms (some derived from myrrh and frankincense) as part of their religious rituals and later as part of their preparation for love making. Plants such as rose and peppermint were soaked in oils until a perfumed liquid was formed. This was then rubbed into the skin. As trade routes opened up and introduced spices to other parts of the world, a wider range of scents could be made.
Perfumed oils are now much in fashion again, being used extensively in aromatherapy, just as they were centuries ago. And meanwhile perfumes have become a multi-billion pound industry.
