How did the Romans stay smelling fresh?

Although the Romans were fanatical about hygiene and had high standards of cleanliness, Ancient Rome was a challenging environment. Despite the prevalence of baths and toilets, the air ran thick with the smell of sweat, animals and waste. Romans would counter this by dosing themselves in perfume and even bathed and soaked their clothes in it.

Perfume-making workshops created large quantities of the stuff, using oils as the carrier that made the fragrance slow to diffuse. They often opted for olive or almond oil and added plant-based ingredients such as flowers, woods, resins, seeds and leaves. Animal-derived scents were the most desired — the glandular oils of the musk deer and civet cat were popular.

Perfumes were rubbed or poured on and scents were created for different occasions. Attempts were also made to mask foul smells en masse. Pliny the Elder described the ingredients and methods of perfume making and writes of rose-scented water being sprayed in theatres.

While at the baths, Romans would have perfume literally poured onto them This stylish glass perfume bottle dates back to the first half of the 1st century