El alcohol de los perfumes en el punto de mira: ¿debería preocupar su uso a diario?
Paradoja olfativa: el alcohol, aquella panacea de la medicina que hizo posible la perfumería moderna, hoy se debate entre polémicas virales. ¿La consecuencia? Un ejército de brumas y fragancias, que prescinden de él, para complacer a todos
The focus of controversy surrounding perfume alcohol is under scrutiny, prompting questions about the daily use of such substances. The origin of alcohol can be traced back to a finely ground dark pigment, al-kuhl, used by ancient women to protect and beautify their eyes. The Arabs, demonstrating ingenuity and simplicity, called it "finely milled powder": al-kuhl.
For a contemporary, applying alcohol to one's eyes might seem eccentric, yet it was a common medical practice in medieval Spain, signifying protection of vision with micronized medicinal substances. These alchemical experts who facilitated the genesis of modern perfumery extended the terminology, equating it with volatile gases or vapors emitted from wine destillation - the primary source of ethyl alcohol.
This led to a perception of minute suspended particles, akin to finely milled powder, rising into the sky and being perceived as divine, hence the term 'spirit' was coined. In Renaissance Europe, alcohol-based drinks were referred to as 'spirited beverages'. The Islamic worldview extended this perspective to botanical species, as they were distilled, capturing the spirit or essence of plants to obtain their most sacred molecules.
Written by urgent.news from El Pais's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
