“Perfumery” is a concept that extends for very long years, and is indispensable regardless of the progress and development of the medical field. It still has its own space in the lives of individuals, whether women or men, although it is more used by women who may allocate a monthly expenditure to purchase perfume products.
A local Arabic daily spoke to number perfumery shops owners to get first experience why this product is indispensable since the purchases of perfumes do not stop as every young and old in every home has a need for it.
Any perfume shop is attracted by the sweet aromas emitted by spices and herbs of various kinds and types, so that one becomes curious to know the characteristics of each herb and buy it.
One worker with more than 30 years experience said perfumery shops have not stopped receiving customers throughout all seasons saying money spent on buying perfume varies from one person to another, but in all cases some allocate between 10 and 40 dinars monthly.
He pointed out that women buy everything related to cosmetics and the beauty of the skin and hair, as well as oils such as argon oil, Afghan hashish oil, the miraculous mixture oil, creams for skin and hair, as well as natural soap for the skin and rose water, as well as spices.
As for men, they accept more medicinal herbs, such as herbs that treat colon, breathing and asthma, indicating that 80% of the clients of perfume shops are women and only 20% are men.
He explained that most of the perfumes with all their herbs and oils come from Iran, followed by India, Yemen, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and what distinguishes the latter is its blends of oils.
Another perfumery store worker says that the demand for the purchase of perfumery products is not limited to individuals only, but also to beauty institutes, and salons also have a share of purchases, as they constitute 30% of the total sales compared to 70% for individuals, indicating that the bill for one salon may reach 100 dinars per month, including oils, mixtures and creams for hair and skin.
The perfume market is not free from the influence of the “gifts” of women’s society, where once a particular plant or herb emerges, whether for skin or hair, and the demand for its purchase increases until another gift appears, such as the “moringa” gift for hair.
He pointed out that despite the cheap prices of perfumery products; the price increase recently touched them like any other products, as it rose by about 30% as a result of the increase in customs duties. He stressed that workers in this field must have sufficient experience, with regard to the names of herbs, their usefulness, how to use them and how to prepare them at home, and these matters do not come only through the merchant’s experience of buying and selling, but his experience also comes from his continuous knowledge of scientific books concerning herbs, their usefulness and their different types.
The profession of a herbalist is not considered for the purpose of trade and profit only, but it is a human profession that is considered close to medicine, and therefore experience and conscience are basic requirements for its practice.
4 tips to keep in mind while buying perfumes
1 – Not to buy ground spices in large quantities, because they lose their properties and spoil quickly
2 – It is advisable to buy the right spices and grind them at home or at the time of purchase
3 – You must check the validity of the herbs before buying and how to use them correctly
4 – Not to buy herbs that are similar to each other and not to know the difference between them until after making sure of them
Among what women buy almost weekly are products that are used in the incense burner, such as frankincense for fumigation, nigella and mastic. Most of the mentioned incense products prices range between 500 fils and 1.5 dinars per 100 grams.