Eau de Cologne.

Cologne was first produced in the German city of the same name; it has been used for many purposes including as a substitute for alcohol. It usually contains distilled water with 70% alcohol and 6% of fragrant oils added for perfuming. Eau de Cologne evokes images of swooning corseted Victorian ladies, who were used to being fanned with perfumed handkerchiefs to beat the sultry summer heat and the sweaty odors of tropical summers. I n the old days Neanderthals, cave men and women, due to lack of personal hygiene smelt like skunks. This meant that social and sexual intercourse were severely restricted- nature’s way of family planning one assumes. However as homo-sapiens evolved the ancient Egyptians discovered perfumes and the Persians perfected the art of blending and storing them, thereby considerably diminishing the assault on the olfactory senses. Cologne’s medicinal properties have not been confirmed, but in India a cold compress was used on foreheads to reduce fever. Gian Paolo Feminis created the Eau de Cologne in 1709. Deodorants appeared many decades later and is mainly used to mask body odor. Unlike perfumes deodorants come in a variety of forms i.e. roll- on, sprays, gels, and liquids. deodorants were first commercially produced in Philadelphia, USA in 1888 and the brand name was “Mum’’ it consisted of aluminum derivatives, though of late aluminum free deo’s are also available. Cologne and perfume are applied to pulse points unlike Deodorants which are applied to underarms. Manufacturers fool men into believing that Deodorants can attract women to them, while ladies are made to believe that perfumes will draw men like bees to honey. However though both claims are debatable it has spawned a billion dollar industry worldwide. – In cocktail conversations sprayed by Yusuf Begg-