Industrial Fragrance Chemistry: A Brief Historical Perspective

Abstract Perfumery has evolved from a handcraft activity, marking supreme aristocratic luxury in the Renaissance, to a global industry powering scent experiences for present‐day consumers through the use of a myriad of consumer packaged goods. This contribution reviews major breakthroughs in the field, including landmark fragrance ingredients, technological advances in scent delivery, and key innovations in consumer products which created the demand for scientific and technological advancements in the scent domain. These innovations are presented chronologically, relying solely on information drawn from public written sources, spanning a time period of 150 years (1870–2020). We hope with this contribution to generate interest in the readership for this fascinating field, while celebrating 150 years of innovation for scented mass‐market products.