FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates in general to perfumes. In particular the present invention relates to a method for extending the longevity of perfumes and to perfumes enriched with salts and/or minerals.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The strength of the scent of perfumes decays in time. The scent of

perfumes of higher longevity decays slower in time compared to the rate in which the scent of common perfumes decays. Enriched perfumes having the same aromatic sources at the same concentrations such as common perfumes;

however the rate by which their scent decays is lowered are beneficial.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Fig. 1 is a typical graph comparing the time profile of fragrance

intensities of a sample of an enriched perfume according to a preferred

embodiment of the present invention with a time profile of fragrance intensity associated with a sample of the same perfume in which the salty water are substituted with distilled water; Fig. 2 is similar to the graph shown in Fig. 1 except that the concentration of the perfume extract of the two samples involved is slightly higher compared to the concentration of the same perfume extract utilized for manufacturing the batches of perfume of the case shown in Fig. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Perfumes enriched with salts and/or minerals and a method for extending the longevity of perfumes in accordance with the present invention are hereby provided. Enriched perfumes of the invention are characterized by substantially extended longevities compared to common perfumes having the same fragrance notes which contain the same aromatic sources at the same concentrations. Sources of fragrance including but not limited to natural and/or artificially made aromatic compounds, aromatic oils, natural extracts from plants and/or animals and any mixture thereof that are normally utilized for manufacturing perfumes are referred hereinafter as fragrance extracts. In accordance with the method of the present invention an aqueous solution of salts and/or minerals, preferably sea minerals provides among solvents other than water for diluting a common fragrance extract or mixture of extracts as known. The quantity of salts and/or minerals utilized is such that their concentration in the enriched perfume is in the range of 0.5% - 8% weight by weight. Particles of the odorants involved are absorbed by the sedimented salt and/or minerals onto the skin of the user following the evaporation of the liquid solvents. The absorbed odorants are released off the sedimented particles at a rate which is slower compared to the normal rate in which the odorant are released off the skin of a user. Therefore in accordance with the experience of the inventors of the present invention the longevity of an enriched perfume of the invention is substantially extended.

For manufacturing an enriched perfume of the invention a predefined quantity of aqueous solution of a salt, such as common sodium chloride, or any desired mixture of salts and mineral soluble in water, at a predefined concentration, is mixed with a selected fragrance extract, such as any common fragrance extract, or mixture of common fragrance extracts, diluted in a solvent such as ethanol. An enriched perfume according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention consists of 20% by weight of water such as found in the Dead Sea, 5% of a selected fragrance extract, such as any of commercially available extracts, and 75% of ethanol. The specific gravity of water from the Dead Sea utilized is in the range of 1.31 - 1.34 g/cm ³ . Typical sample of such commercially available water contains 30% up to 39% by weight magnesium chloride, 7 - 10% calcium chloride, 4 - 7% sodium chloride and 2 - 10% potassium chloride among other ingredients as known. Utilizing Dead Sea water is preferable due to their known therapeutic qualities.

EXAMPLE

A number of pairs of batches of perfume were prepared. Each batch of perfume of a respective pair consists of the same fragrance extract diluted with ethanol having the same concentration. One batch of each of these pairs of batches is an enriched perfume that was prepared according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Namely, these batches of enriched perfume always include aqueous solution of a specific salt among the solvents utilized. The other batch of the same pair of batches of perfumes consists of the same ingredients and the same concentrations of ethanol and fragrance extract except that distilled water substitutes the aqueous solution of salts that is utilized for preparing the first batch. Specifically each batch of an enriched perfume consists of 20% by weight of water from the Dead Sea having a specific gravity of 1.32 g/cm ³ . The fragrance extract utilized for all the batches of perfume is named Tonic Verbena E-0602513 of V. MANE FiIs, 620 Route de Grasse, Le-Bar-sur Loup, France,, at a level close to 5% by weight and a complementary quantity of ethanol.

Samples respectively taken from batches of each pair were given to two independent connoisseurs of perfumes to compare the intensity of fragrance as a function of the time elapsed from the respective time of application. The connoisseurs ranked the intensities of fragrance of each sample immediately following their application, and repeatedly after 1 , 3, 5, 8 and 24 hours elapsed from the time in which these samples were applied. Reference is now made to Figs. 1 - 2, in which typical graphs comparing rating of both samples of two different pair of batches are respectively shown. The grades present fragrance intensities as known: 0 none, 1 very weak, 2 weak, 3 moderate, 4 strong, 5 very strong. Elapsed time measured in hours is indicated along the horizontal axes of both graphs. Dark bars present ratings associated with samples of the enriched perfume whereas the lightly shaded bars present rating associated with perfumes of prior art. It is clearly demonstrated that along seven to eight hours following the first hour the rate in which the scent of an enriched perfume of the invention decays is substantially lower compared to the rate of decay of a perfume of the prior art.