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4711 Echt Kölnisch Wasser


4-711, originally uploaded by cool_colonia4711.

As mentioned earlier, the earliest alcohol based perfumes were the Aqua Mirabillis – the miracle water taken both internally and externally. The most famous of them all, even if not necessarily the best, is 4711 Echt Kölnisch Wasser.

The story about how this perfume formula came to Muelhens’ (the founder of 4711) hands has become a cliché: in 1792, a Carthusian monk gave this formula of Aqua Mirabillis to Muelhen and his bride as a wedding gift, asking only that they will treat it with the regard it deserved. Muelhens did not underestimate its value, and founded a company to manufacture this formula, in the city of Koln (Cologne) in Germany. In 1796, when the city was occupied by the French, all the houses on the streets were numbered, and the house of Muelhens’ factory was numbered 4711. In 1875 this number was trademarked as the company’s name.

It is hard to say what is it that made the perfume so successful: whether if it clever marketing or a true genious of the fragrance itself, or, alternatively, a karmic blessing from the monk who created it. But all we know is that 4711 has become a staple in almost any household. My grandmother (born in Berlin, 1924) recalls her both her grandmother and mother using it. I also never heard her complain that the fragrance have changed. So perhaps there wasn’t any significant change in the formula, although I won’t be surprised if some synthetic fixatives have made it in. I wouldn’t drink it now, that’s for sure…


eau de cologne automat, originally uploaded by deedeee.

As for the scent itself – nowadays it seems neither particularly interesting nor original. It’s a simple, refreshing citrus cologne centered around neroli and petitgrain, which are the key notes here. It is cool and refreshing, with a hint of honeyed sweetness from the nerli, further accentuated by the sweetness of orange and bergamot top notes. Yet, it also has a distinctive astringent, dry and almost minty quality from the petitigrain and the herbal notes of rosemary and lavender. The base is mostly sandalwood and musk, which explains why I never took on to liking 4711 personally. Sandalwood smells terrible on my skin, particularly when paired with neroli. If your skin doesn’t suffer this bias, this would be probably the most valuable staple for hot summer months, as it is sold for very decent price and can be easily found almost in any drugstore, and in Germany you an even find these in an automatic vending machines! You can even still get the Eau de Cologne in those huge original vast of 800ml, where it definitely looks more like a drink than a toiletry. Salut!


07B_5506, originally uploaded by skintype.

DIY Eau de Cologne Formula


Antiseptic, originally uploaded by eurutuf.

This is an "Aqua Mirabillis" type formula, very similar in fragrance to the classic Eau de Cologne. In case all the bad predicaments prove true, and there will be no citrus to be found in commercial perfumes, this might work as a DIY substitute for 4711.

Classical Eau de Cologne

Base notes:
20 drops Benzoin
4 drops sandalwood

Heart notes:
10 drops Neroli
6 drops Litsea Cubeba

Top notes:
2 drops Rosemary
4 drops Lavender
4 drops Petitgrain Bigarade
20 drops Bergamot
10 drops Lemon
8 drops Grapefruit

Measure the oils drop by drop into a glass bottle filled with 50ml 200 proof grain alcohol (at least 94% alcohol in volume) or denatured alcohol (perfumer's alcohol). Let it mature for 30 days and than apply as desired.

Warning: Do not copy what the man in the photo is doing! This is really NOT meant for drinking...


Pondering Citrus:

ORIGINS, HISTORY, CULTIVATION AND USES OF CITRUS


pondering citrus, originally uploaded by lorrainemd.

HISTORY AND ORIGINS
We drink our orange juice in the morning without a second thought, squeeze lemon to a salad dressing, and grate citrus rind to flavour cakes and breads; We clean our homes with products that usually contain a large amount of citrus essential oils, and enjoy the cheerful freshness of their scent in many colognes and perfumes. But do we ever stop to ask ourselves where all this citrus fruit actually come from?

The citrus are a genus of many different small (5-15 meter tall) evergreen fruit trees, from the family of Rutaceae (the ruh plant is from the same family too, by the way) and one of the most important cultivated trees in the world. The thick peel protects the juicy pulp and creates a perfect container that can endure travels across the planet. Citrus has become such a staple in so man cuisines – can you ever imagine Mexican green salsa without the lime? A Greek salad without lemon juice & olive oil dressing? A Grand Marnier liquor without the orange essence? Norwegian rye bread without the orange rind? Or any bar that respects itself that is NOT serving a Harvey Wallbanger, Tequilla Sunrise or a Screwdriver? This just shows you how important a staple citrus has become around the world.

Although most of the citrus fruit of the world is exported from Spain, Brazil and some parts of the USA (Florida and California), the origins of the citrus trees are most likely from South-East Asia. The first citrus seeds are believed to have been brought from Asia to Europe and North Africa by Alexander the Great. This is believed to be the citron - genus Citrus medica L. , which was recorded by Theophrastus, in 350 BC.
It is interesting to note that the very same citron fruit, Etrog in Hebrew, was mentioned in the bible as one of the 4 species that are used as symbols in the Jewish holiday of Sukkot (along with a young palm leaf, myrtle and willow branches), which may controversially suggest a different date of writing the bible.

There are many archeological references that show that citrus have become a part of the Meditteranean cultures (the Greeks and than the Romans) for a very long time - i.e. in the remains of Pompei, a ceramic tile showing citrus was found.

Further in history, the citrus seeds were spread by the religious and colonial invaders: the Christians and tha the Muslims spread citrus to the areas of the world that had adequate conditions for the cultivation of citrus – Spain, Portugal, Southern France, Israel, and later on to Africa as well. Columbus brought with him citrus seeds to America, and so did the Portuguese who spread the citrus even further into South America, and from than on colonialism spread it to innumerous islands under their control.

CULTIVATION
Citrus fruit need conditions of a humid and sunny climate, a colder winter and sufficient supply of water (rain or regular watering). The fruit needs the cold months in order to develop the colour and turn from green to yellow or orange shades. Many of the citrus fruit are picked when the peel is still green and develop their colour after being stored in refrigeration during shipping and prior to consumption. The citrus trees do not usually tolerate cold and freezing tempreratures, and those who do survive these conditions will not produce high quality fruit. The citrus industry in the US started to shift from Florida to California after the freezes in the gulf states in the 1960s destroyed many of the orchards in Florida.

Citrus trees readily lend themselves to hybridization by grafting to achieve the desirable performance of the particular fruit (i.e.: flavour, size, colour, juiciness, etc.) and enhance the durability and health of the tree itself (i.e.: resilience against disease an dinsects and hardiness in colder weather conditions).

Citrus trees are grown extensively in warmer countries around the world, and in particular in the Mediterranean Basin (i.e.: Spain, Portugal, Israel), South America (Brazil is one of the main exporters of orange juice, and Mexico is one of the main growers of lime), the USA (mostly California, Florida and Texas), South Africa and Australia.

Hybrids
There are many hybrids of citrus. Their fruit vary in size, shape, skin colour, skin thickness, and flavour. Here is a list of some of the most important from perfume and culinary perspectives and with which I am familiar with:
Bergamot orange
Bitter orange (Seville orange)
Blood Orange
Citron (Citrus Medica)
Clementine
Grapefruit (Citrus Paradisi)
Kaffir Lime
Key Lime
Kumquat
Lemon
Lime
Mandarin Orange
Orange (Sweet) – Citrus Sinensis
Pomelo
Satsuma
Tangerine (Citrus Reticulata)
Yuzu

USES OF CITRUS

Culinary
The citrus fruit are made of an outer skin, containing myriads of glands that are full of essential oils and is either green, yellow, or orange, sometimes with a bit or red (as in pink grapefruit and blood orange). The inner peel is white and spongy and is often bitter in flavour. The inner pulp is made of tiny sackets of juice, contained within membrane-covered segments. Each segment often has seeds in the centre. The pulp of the citrus fruit varies in flavour and in juiciness between the different fruit (Pomelo and citron are extremely dry while most oranges and tangerines are very juicy). The flavour ranges form sour and/or bitter to sweet.

The sweet citrus fruit are usually eaten fresh (peeled, scooped) or squeezed into juice. The more tart or tangy are often used as an additional to cooking, condiments, salad dressing, baking, etc.

The unique flavour of citrus peels makes them a popular additive as a spice in many baked goods and sweets. An alcoholic tincture of the oil (along with glycerin as a stabilizer and usually some food colouring) are often sold in lemon and orange flavour (Respectively yellow and orange in colour). The rind of oranges, lemons and limes is often grated to create a fresh, exotic effect in sweets, cakes, cookies and breads, or even in rice pillafs. Citrus leaves can be used in stews, soups and curry dishes – and the particularly infamous for that are the Kaffir lime leaves, often used in Thai curries and soups. The Thai curry paste recipes often call for lime or lemon rind as well.

Candied citrus peel is made by rinsing out the bitterness of the peels in boiling water, than simmering it in sugar syrup. The finest candied citrus is made of citron and pomelo, from the spongy white peel, which is particularly thick in these two fruits and has a unique aroma of its own (none of the outer peel is used as it is way too bitter). Citrus peels are also made into marmalades and lemon juice is often added to jams for its high pectin content (to achieve a jelly-like consistency in the jam). Lemon juice is also drizzled over cut fruit and fruit salads to avoid browning (due to its acidic, anti-oxidant properties).

Medical
Lemon juice can help relieve insect bites.
The vitamin C in citrus fruit helps to prevent Scurvy. The explorers used to carry with them lemons in their ships to prevent that unpleasant disease (lack of vitamin C prevents the body from producing collagen, a protein that accounts for a high percentage of the mucous membranes of the body connecting the different parts - which in this disease results in the body literally falling apart – gradually, of course). So eat your oranges every day keep the doctors away ☺

The citrus essential oils are renowned for their anti-bacterial and antiseptic actions. They are used in cleaning agents and soaps to blast off bacteria, and are also used in aromatherapy practices to strengthen the immune system. A little of citrus oil in a burner or a light-bulb ring during the winter times may help you to keep colds away.

In the early days of perfumery, when the new use for alcohol was discovered, citrus peels, along with astringent herbs, were tinctured into what was called than “Aqua Mirabillis” AKA Miracle Water – a “two-in-one” product: both a cure-it-all beverage/medicine (you got drunk, so you forgot you were sick LOL!) as well a toiletry (and a substitute for bathing, which was considered unsafe back than). One of the most famous of all these Aqua Mirabillis is Muhllens Kolnish Wasser 4711 – a phenomenon that lasted more than 215 years and is about to become extinct, as mentioned earlier on this blog.

Cosmetic and Beauty Uses of Citrus
Lemon juice can be used as a skin tonic. It may burn invisible cuts but it will leave your skin smooth and soft. You can also use the peel of a half lemon that was already squeeze and rub it on your elbows to treat dry, chapped “elephant skin” on your elbows.

Many citrus oils are beneficial for treating acne and oily skin, particularly lemon and neroli hydrosol (orange flower water).

Grapefruit is an excellent oil for treating cellulites when applied to the skin in a bath or a massage or in a body lotion (and also helps to curb the appetite).

* Please note: When using essential oils of citrus on your skin, be sure to not get exposed to the sun afterwards: most citrus oils contain high contents of feranocoumarins, a type of molecule that causes the skin to discolour and/or burn when exposed to the sun. The oils that are particularly known for that are bergamot and lime (in which the feranocoumarins are often removed, partially). In any case, use a very low dilution, and be sure to consult a reliable aromatherapy book on safety considerations and suggested dilution levels.

Importance of Citrus in Perfumery
The importance of citrus essential oils in perfumery is tremendous: the essential oils from the citrus peels are usually obtained by expression (rather than distillation, which would destroy the delicate and volatile oils and oxidize them before their time). That means that the peels are pressed to express the essential oils stored in their glands. These citrus oils (from the peels of the fruit) are often (but not always) a by-product of the juice industry.

These are all top notes, which evaporate very fast. The citrus peel essential oils contain high levels of naturally-occuring aldehydes – highly diffusive molecules that give the perfume a sparkling, effervescent, sweet, refreshing and invigorating aroma, which invites the wearer to a pleasurable olfactory adventure. The citrus top notes (from the peels of the various citrus fruit) has played a significant role in the citrus cologne types fragrances, naturally, but also not any less importance in adding a sweetness and bright contrast to the heaviness of oriental, ambery, resinous, spicy and incensey compositions, and the sparkling harmony of chypre compositions. Not to mention its appearance in too many floral perfumes than we can ever count, fougeres, and practically almost every single fragrance in the world has at least some citrus component to it.

Another important contribution of the citrus trees is their leaves and twigs, often extracted for the creation of a petitgrain oil. The most common petitgrain oil is that of the bergamot tree. However, on lesser scales, other petitgrains are also produced, which have a unique aroma: petitgrain lemon, petitgrain cedrat (citron) and petitgrain combarva (kaffir lime). The petitgrain oils all have a distinctive citrus aroma, reminiscent of the fruit, yet at the same time also possess a certain leafy greenness. Another important thing to know about the petitgrain oils is that they have a more lingering scent – they are usually heart to top notes, and are slower to evaporate than the citrus peel oils. The petitgrain oils are often used in green compositions and in many cologne type fragrances.

Last but not least – the flowers!
Some of you may be familiar with orange flower water or neroli essential oil. These are obtained from the flower of one particular variety of citrus: citrus aurantium – the bitter orange. This is similar to bergamot, only has orange coloured fruit. From these tiny qhite flowers that bloom in the spring, a few precious essences are procured: Neroli oil, through steam distillation; orange flower water (a by product of the neroli production, which is used for cosmetics and also has culinary uses); orange flower absolute by solvent extraction of the flowers; and orange flower water absolute – by alcohol washing of the orange flower water. These essences are used in high class perfumery, mostly in floral, oriental and of course – in citrus colognes. The aroma of these essences is unique in that it is both indolic and fresh, both floral and citrusy.

Eau d'Hadrien


Valdorcia, paesaggio., originally uploaded by creativik67.

The mundane meets the magical in Annick Goutal’s Eau d’Hadrien*. There is nothing particularly original about this fragrance, which pairs a few intensely astringent citrus notes with a woody base. In fact, the particular accord of grapefruit, lemon, ylang ylang, patchouli and cypress reminds me of a particular aromatherpeutic synergy which left so little impression on me that I completely failed to remember what it was or where I smelled it. Upon research, I discovered that this particular combo if essential oil would result in a synergy for menopausal varicose veins and cellulitis**…

The initial citrus overload can be likened to getting sprayed by grapefruit essential oils right from its pores when attempting to peel it – resulting in two things: grapefruit juice dripping down your wrists and arms, and teary eyes. It will leave those tangy, tingling residues on your tongue for hours to come, and your fingers will remain bitter for the day. The citrus monopoly gradually becomes tolerant to soft, woody, powdery-sweet floral note of ylang ylang (I believe it’s the third grade of the essential oil by the smell of it), and underpinnings of sappy-green, bitter and warm-woody notes of cypress and patchouli. Cypress and lemon are one guaranteed way to smell like cleaning agents. For some reason, in l’Eau d’Hadrien this does not bother me.

Yet, the non-ambitious banality of Eau d’Hadrien is precisely what accounts for its charm: it gives you the same satisfaction of thoroughly cleaned house, fresh acrylic paint fumes still emanating from the walls, the carpets are still moist and exhaling that intensely orange aroma, the beds are made with fresh white sheets, and all you need to do is light a little candle and put your cold (and damp) feet up and relax while your bath tub is getting filled up with a pine-scented bubble bath.


Annick Goutal Event March 6th 2007, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

I’ve been ignoring Eau d’Hadrien for many years, solely because it is a citrus. I mostly smelled lemon and a few herbs on the few occasions when I tried it, but I never really worn it properly (i.e.: on my skin, for an entire day). But I did enjoy tremendously the Eau d’Hadrien shower gel and lotion, which I found to be quite different from what I remembered Eau d’Hadrien to be: Sappy, green, citrusy, fresh, woody, brisk, bitter, sour, astringent, herbal. It does not feel mudnane at all. In fact, it has that sappy, resinous leafy feel reminiscent of Grand Amour's mastic. I really love it.
I even lit the candle last night and today (you guessed it, my place and my studio are being painted... I can now enjoy the fruit of my - and other people's - labour). The candle has a gentle throw, which fills the whole house with a delightful green tea and citrus aroma. It is significantly sweeter than the Eau de Toilette, and has the balsamic leafy tonalities of the body products.

Top notes: Lemon, Grapefruit
Heart notes: Citron, Ylang Ylang
Base notes: Cypress, Patchouli

* This review is for the Eau de Toilette, by the way. I haven’t tried the Eau de Parfum yet, but I’ve heard it is softer and sweeter, with the ylang ylang more pronounced and the cypress mellower. The lasting of the Eau de Toilette is excellent – it lasted on my skin for a good 7 hours, and there were still traces of citrus in the dry down.

** With no disrespect to aromatherapy at all, so please don't get me wrong; I do, however, lack the knowledge of understanding how a synergy such as that would work, so my knowledge is based on the separate actions of each of those oils and what they have in common, not being able to predict beyond that...
Both cypress and grapefruit oils are good for treating cellulite and water retention; Lemon and cypress help reduce varicose veins; cypress and ylang ylan gare excellent in helping to cope with menopausal symptoms, as well as menstrual crapms and PMS symptoms; and both cypress and citrus oils in general are stringent and disinfectant, which might explain why they are used so often in household cleaning products.

*** This is the first in a series of citrus-based perfumes, before they disappear on us completely. Let's hope not!
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