The Perfumeries of Grasse

Grasse is a city with a wonderful heritage. Grasse is a dream because it enchants with its flower fields. However, did you know that it also processes raw resources from throughout the globe?

The Perfumeries of Grasse

Did you also know that Grasse has around thirty perfume factories, numerous perfumeries, a perfume museum and a perfumery school?

Here is a guide to the main information to remember about this city.

The History of Grasse

Grasse is a town on the French Riviera located in the hills north of Cannes, which provides an ideal setting for perfume plants, combining warmth with a little coolness, thanks to the altitude.

Grasse's history dates back to the middle Ages, when tanning was the town's primary industry.

Perfumes and leather work were intimately related at the time. Although the fashion for scented leathers was introduced during the Renaissance, its success continued into the 17th century. All leather objects, such as gloves, belts or shoes, had terrible odors because the leather was poorly tanned.

Wigs and handkerchiefs were also perfumed, coated with a scented grease. Royal permission to call oneself both Master Glover and perfumer was granted as early as January 1614.

In the 16th century, Catherine de Medici launched the fashion for perfume in Paris and contributed to the rise of the city of Grasse, which became the world capital of perfume. At the end of the 17th century, the area of ​​jasmine cultivated in the vicinity of the city of Grasse was estimated at around fifteen hectares.

The distillation process improves. Grasse specializes in the production of scented gloves. Leather gloves could be macerated for a week in tuberose, jasmine or orange blossom. In this region, plant cultivation is flourishing. The city forges commercial links with Genoa and Spain. With the invention of printing, many works provide recipes for floral waters and other room fragrances, dry perfumes for pomanders.

All leathers were perfumed and each noble family had its own olfactory signature created by their own perfumer.

Grasse then sold many of its plots of land intended for perfumery in favor of real estate, which was considered more lucrative, but for about 10 years we can note a resurgence of young entrepreneurs who are reviving certain crops that had disappeared, the Association des Fleurs d'Exception Du Pays de Grasse.

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Names known to tourists in Grasse

These companies are best known to many people because they offer tours of their factories, museums and shops to sell their own products:

• Galimard
• Molinard
• Fragonard

Grasse factories that are well-known among experts.

Here is the list of the main companies with international renown that produce both concrete raw materials, absolutes, essential oils, food flavors and finished products, namely perfume concentrates for many perfume houses.

64 companies are listed around the perfume industry and 4600 employees.

These international houses or companies have a reputation for seriousness, unfortunately, you cannot visit their productions or their establishments. Visits are only reserved for professionals in the perfume industry.

• Mane
• Robertet/Charabot Group
• Monique Remy: LMR
• Firmenich who bought the botanical villa
• Payan and Bertrand
• Jean Niel
• Albert Vieille
• Domaine de Manon: a company that harvests and processes beautiful raw materials such as roses and jasmine, Clos de Gallian, Florapolis, these 3 companies grouped under the banner of exceptional flowers
• The Mul family, which has created an exclusive partnership with Chanel: iris , jasmine, rose (rose, for example, costs 12,000 euros for 1 kg of absolute compared to 3,000 for rose from Turkey, specifying that these are not the same botanical varieties), tuberose, geranium and orange blossom.

Some of these companies also manufacture food flavouring.

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Raw materials of perfume

In Grasse, many natural raw materials are produced which come from the region.

Here are the main ones:

• May rose, Centifolia rose or Grasse rose
• Jasmine Grandiflora
• The mimosa
• Lavender​
• The broom
• The tuberose
• The iris
• Orange blossom
• Geranium

But also dry raw materials that come from all over the world to be processed: p atchouli , vetiver , mosses, spices, resins such as benzoin, incense, opoponax, hay, etc.

These raw materials will be used in perfumery and cosmetics.

Things to know about the city of Grasse

In Grasse you can also find:

• The scented fountains belong to LVMH with the companies Dior and Vuitton which have some flower productions. These two companies also have their creation laboratories and this since 2016.
• There is a perfumery school in Paris and Grasse, the Ecole Supérieure du Parfum, which trains students in several professions: evaluation, fine perfumery, technical perfumery, food flavorings, and management.
• The Grasse Museum of Art and History, which traces the entire history of perfume, is not to be missed!
• The Évanescence perfumery where you can discover and smell the 3 refined Bahisht Aroma Paris Collections around 3 iconic raw materials: Musks, Vanilla and Orange Blossom, i.e. 15 fragrances.

Bahisht Aroma Perfumes

Discover Bahisht Aroma's brand with its Orange Blossom, Musk and Vanilla Collections. You can try them with the Discovery Boxes (5 Eau de Parfum x 2 ml) and rediscover these raw materials as you have never smelled them before.