There's just no denying the fact that the perfume industry is today one of the biggest industries in the world. In fact, the perfume industry is worth billions of dollars annually. Interestingly enough however, the smaller manufacturers have started seeing a decline in profits in recent years. This is believed to be a result of the so called "grey" fragrances industry, rather than a matter of smaller manufacturers being muscled out by the big players. Making perfume at home has also grown to become a popular hobby, and in fact, many people have turned their hobby into successful home based businesses.

Perfume has been around for thousands of years already. As far as records are concerned, the ancient Egyptians frequently used perfume in rituals, burials, and also in day to day life, especially prior to love making. Of course the perfumes then were not as we know them today, but instead, they were in the form of oils and incense. Before long, perfumes became popular with the Romans, almost to a fanatical level. It was in such high demand, by men and women alike, that perfume making became a very profitable trade.

Following the Romans, the Greeks also developed a passion for perfumes, and records tend to suggest that they were in fact the first people to actually establish a perfume making factory. The popularity of perfume continued to spread relentlessly across Europe, and by the 16th century, France was considered to be the perfume capital of the world. By now, perfume was being manufactured in vast quantities, and special blends were even formulated to protect people against the black plague. To further illustrate the popularity of perfume, let us not forget that Napoleon himself is said to have used approximately fifty bottles of perfume each month, even when in battle.

Today, the perfume industry is bigger than it's ever been before, and modern techniques have made it possible to extract oils and compounds that were unobtainable in the past. This has in turn led to hundreds of new scents being available for both sexes alike. Despite its popularity, there's been a growing concern regarding associated health risks. In fact, there are a number of compounds used within the perfume industry which are known to be carcinogenic. Likewise, many new perfumes arrive on the market almost daily, and health officials fear that in many cases, there are ingredients being used which have not been adequately tested. Such is the concern, that today we are finding a growing number of employers banning the use of perfumes in the work place.

Even with all these growing concerns however, perfume remains immensely popular, and its popularity isn't likely to witness a decline anytime soon. For example, in the hours that followed the recent royal wedding in Britain, shops across the country were flooded with women trying to acquire the same brand of perfume used by the bride on her big day.

With so many perfumes to choose from, men and women alike can find a scent suitable for any occasion, and the best thing of all is that one doesn't need to spend a small fortune in order to smell wonderful.

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