| Chinese beauties raised on aromatic beverages |
 As Chinese tradition says the dazzling beauties of China were endowed with highly fragrant bodies, Chinese parents used to give specially formulated beverages to their daughters from about the ages of 2 or 3, in the hope that they would grow up both beautiful and fragrant. The aromatic beauty formula prescribed in the ancient book "Thousand Gold Remedies" employs essential oil extracted from the dried leaves of Patchouli, a tropical plant belonging to the Labiatae plant family. A traditional essential oil characterized by a woody-spicy fragrance, Patchouli is now widely used in men's cosmetics and other fragrance products. In his classic book "Odours," R.W. Moncrieff explains the scent mechanism and contends that humans have the potential of secreting musk-like odor. In contrast with other animals that secrete odorous chemicals called "pheromones", humans have long lost these functions. Perhaps people are using fragrances and cosmetics as substitutes to transmit their feelings of love. |
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