Tincture
A fragrance tincture is made by steeping aromatic material in alcohol. Learn what remains in the liquid and how it differs from an absolute or finished perfume.
Updated
A tincture is an aromatic preparation made by steeping material in alcohol or an alcohol-and-water mixture, then separating the liquid from the remaining solids. The alcohol is part of the resulting preparation; it is not simply discarded after extraction.
What dissolves depends on the source material and the process. Color, resins and other soluble substances can accompany the aroma. A darker liquid is therefore not a reliable measure of stronger or better scent.
A tincture is a perfumery ingredient or preparation, not a promise of a particular concentration. Its intended use and suitability depend on what was extracted and how the material was made.
- Tincturing
- Extracting soluble components by steeping a material in an alcoholic medium.
- Solvent
- The liquid doing the extracting. Ethanol is itself a solvent, so tincturing is not a solvent-free process.
- Filtration
- Separating residual solids from the liquid. It does not remove all dissolved substances.
- Tincture vs. absolute
- The extraction alcohol remains in a tincture; an absolute is a more concentrated aromatic material after the refining solvent is removed.
- Tincture vs. maceration
- Maceration can mean steeping a material for extraction. In perfume manufacture it also describes resting a diluted fragrance, a different use of the word.