The effect of time on formula - my last lesson

I've had similar experiences. Scents that seemed very "rough" at first ended up being excellent and smooth after aging for a while. But I'm not sure how you got anise out of that mix!

I start by making dilutions of all of my component oils. I let them age a couple of weeks. I then use them in blends, and the smell changes very little over time. You can tell immediately what you've got. Working directly with oils frustrated me terribly.

I use dilutions too (all at 20%) and still find it takes about 3-5 days, sometimes a week or slightly more, for a blend to really settle down into something indicative of the final product. It can be frustrating.. this sure requires patience!

I too work at dilution, mine at 10% and sometimes 5% in FC oil. I am trying to mix a beautiful perfume for a cousins 50th birthday present. I mixed what I thought was a beautiful blend two days ago, and already it has changed to something else. A pleasant perfume, but not as I intended. I have now mixed another with different proportions to see if it will stay as I wish it to be. One day later it smells right but is still obviously unblended and crude.

It seems to me to be very, very difficult to get smell to behave as you think it should do. It seems to take three plus days for the molecules to make friends and re-blend themselves. I assume they are making and breaking molecule rings and therefore making something that they were not before (can anyone enlighten that simplistic thought?).

The time certainly seems to take the jags out of a new blend, but I have noticed that it also gives the 'hint' drops a chance sometimes to be unexpectedly powerful. Things like nutmeg and cardomon can quite take over, even in small quantities. This is the part I am perpetually falling down on.

I also noticed this:- if I am in the process of inventing a blend and leave it for a day or two to develop, then add a couple of nuances, then leave it again, then decide perhaps I am happy with it.

I then mix the proper perfume together with all the same drops, but, oh dear, it doesn't smell the same as the first trial. Mixing all the molecules at the same time didn't produce the same result. The original mix obviously (to me) bound the molecules one way in the first stage, and prevented the next bit bonding in the same way as when all put together at the same time.

Does this ramble make sense? Do the molecules behave like this? Is that why time makes the difference? Am I talking rubbish.

Hi Mumsy, little bit late after almost two years, but who knows who i can help with this (partial) answer: http://www.stephen-herman.com/Blackwell.pdf

VERY interesting article jsparla, thanks for sharing !

Regards

That really was an interesting chapter.

Congratulations on what must surely be the best first post Ive seen by anyone on this forum!

When I saw this thread pop up and read the OP (without noticing how old it was) I was mentally preparing an answer to discuss the formation of Shiffs Bases, the widespread presence of Eugenol in natural oils and so forth . . . then I found this and realised nothing I was in danger of writing would cover the ground nearly so well.

Splendid stuff - thanks for sharing.