Cosmetic Science has developed greatly since the publication of the 8th edition of this textbook in 1974. Although the first part of this volume still consists of chapters about product preparations in alphabetical order, each product category has been revised and updated by a specialist. An outline of the biology, structure and function of skin, hair, teeth and nails and the reasons for the need for cosmetics are given in those dealing with the relevant preparations. Throughout, the word Cosmetics includes toiletries and thus all products which protect, cleanse, adorn, and perfume the human body, and combat body odour and perspiration. The 'f' spelling for the element 'sulfur' and its derivatives has been used following the recommendations of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUP AC) and the decision taken by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the British Standards Institute (BSI) to use 'f' instead of 'ph' in all their publications. This stems from the derivation of the use of the 'f' from Latin and its use in England until the 15th century.

During the past decade there have been many changes in the perfumery industry which are not so much due to the discovery and application of new raw materials, but rather to the astronomic increase in the cost of labour required to produce them. This is reflected more particularly in the flower industry, where the cost of collecting the blossoms delivered to the factories has gone up year after year, so much so that most flowers with the possible exception of Mimosa, have reached a cost price which has compelled the perfumer to either reduce his purchases of absolutes and concretes, or alternatively to substitute them from a cheaper source, or even to discontinue their use. This development raises an important and almost insoluble problem for the perfumer, who is faced with the necessity of trying to keep unchanged the bouquet of his fragrances, and moreover, to ensure no loss of strength and diffusiveness. Of course, this problem applies more especially to the adjustment of formulae for established perfumes, because in every new creation the present high cost of raw materials receives imperative con sideration before the formula is approved."

This classic work by Poucher, first published in 1923, was last produced in three volumes titled, respectively The Raw Materials of Perfumery (seventh edition, 1974), The Production, Manufacture and Application of Perfumes (eighth edition, 1974) and Modern Cosmetics (eighth edition, 1974). Its popularity is well demonstrated by there having been three reprints of these editions in 1976, 1979 and 1984, respectively. The history of events can be traced by reference to the prefaces to earlier editions and those interested should study these with care since they give a fascinating insight into developments in the subject fields covered by Poucher's Perfumes, Cosmetics and Soaps over the years. It is not proposed to provide a resume here. In this Volume I, the current edition attempts to provide data about raw materials in a more formalized way than before, so that not only the history of some compounds can be checked, but also so that useful reference information can be obtained. It is particularly relevant to do this, since it is not always easy to be certain of nomenclature. Moreover, as we move towards 'ingredient labelling' (a trend not welcomed by some), a high level of uniformity will be needed. Whether this will come from adoption of CTFA terminology, use of CAS numbers or some other system is not clear. Where possible, such data have been included so that readers may identify materials more readily. Where given, CAS numbers are located in the top right-hand corner of each entry.

During the past decade there have been many changes in the perfumery industry which are not so much due to the discovery and application of new raw materials, but rather to the astronomic increase in the cost of labour required to produce them. This is reflected more particularly in the flower industry, where the cost of collecting the blossoms delivered to the factories has gone up year after year, so much so that most flowers with the possible exception of Mimosa, have reached a cost price which has compelled the perfumer to either reduce his purchases of absolutes and concretes, or alternatively to substitute them from a cheaper source, or even to discontinue their use. This development raises an important and almost insoluble problem for the perfumer, who is faced with the necessity of trying to keep unchanged the bouquet of his fragrances, and moreover, to ensure no loss of strength and diffusiveness. Of course, this problem applies more especially to the adjustment of formulae for established perfumes, because in every new creation the present high cost of raw materials receives imperative con sideration before the formula is approved."

It is now fifteen years since the last edition of this reference volume appeared and during this time new materials have appeared and some have fallen into disuse. The present edition is the result of much revision and some deletion and an effort has been made to bring the information up-to-date and in conformity with current practice. Of recent years several speciality materials have appeared, and a number of these are included where their chemical composition is known. Speciality materials of vague composition are not included. For many of the compounds listed several alternative names are in use, some of which from the chemist's point of view are either inadequate, ambiguous, or occasionally actually misleading. In this edition the compounds have been listed under names which are considered to be chemically satisfactory and which, at the same time, should be reasonably familiar to perfumers; they do not necessarily contain full information as to the structure of the com pound and they make free use of widely accepted trivial names. In most of the entries this is followed by a systematic name which defines the chemical structure, while synonyms which are in use, though sometimes chemically unsatisfactory, are given in brackets, with a cross-reference to the main entry. Prefixes denoting structural features, such as n-, iso-, cis-, trans-, 0-, m-, p-, and so on are disregarded in the alphabetical listing."

During the past decade there have been many changes in the perfumery industry which are not so much due to the discovery and application of new raw materials, but rather to the astronomic increase in the cost of labour required to produce them. This is reflected more particularly in the flower industry, where the cost of collecting the blossoms delivered to the factories has gone up year after year, so much so that most flowers with the possible exception of Mimosa, have reached a cost price which has compelled the perfumer to either reduce his purchases of absolutes and concretes, or alternatively to substitute them from a cheaper source, or even to discontinue their use. This development raises an important and almost insoluble problem for the perfumer, who is faced with the necessity of trying to keep unchanged the bouquet of his fragrances, and moreover, to ensure no loss of strength and diffusiveness. Of course, this problem applies more especially to the adjustment of formulae for established perfumes, because in every new creation the present high cost of raw materials receives imperative con sideration before the formula is approved."

This classic work by Poucher, first published in 1923, was last produced in three volumes titled, respectively The Raw Materials of Perfumery (seventh edition, 1974), The Production, Manufacture and Application of Perfumes (eighth edition, 1974) and Modern Cosmetics (eighth edition, 1974). Its popularity is well demonstrated by there having been three reprints of these editions in 1976, 1979 and 1984, res pecti vel y . The history of events can be traced by reference to the prefaces to earlier editions and those interested should study these with care since they give a fascinating insight into developments in the subject fields covered by Poucher's Perfumes, Cosmetics and Soaps over the years. It is not proposed to provide a resume here. In this Volume I, the current edition attempts to provide data about raw materials in a more formalized way than before, so that not only the history of some compounds can be checked, but also so that useful reference information can be obtained. It is particularly relevant to do this, since it is not always easy to be certain of nomenclature. Moreover, as we move towards 'ingredient labelling' (a trend not welcomed by some), a high level of uniformity will be needed. Whether this will come from adoption of CTFA terminology, use of CAS numbers or some other system is not clear. Where possible, such data have been included so that readers may identify materials more readily. Where given, CAS numbers are located in the top right-hand corner of each entry.

Many of the earliest books, particularly those dating back to the 1900s and before, are now extremely scarce and increasingly expensive. We are republishing these classic works in affordable, high quality, modern editions, using the original text and artwork.