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<pre>I think the shelf life refers to the oil, as there are several early
references to finished, olive based perfumes being kept for long
periods of time without undue deterioration. I had been considering a
skin absorption test but I'm in entirely the 'wrong' part of the
world to gain easy access to the wide range of oils that I'd wish to
try to get a result that would bear publication (any pressers out
there want to do a rough and ready test and report in??)
The perfumes I've attempted so far have been truly fascinating,
totally different to our modern expectations but so evocative, and
even with shop standard oil the results have fitted the broadest
parameters of the available descriptions, so I'm hopeful that the
suggestions I have been given for suitable early pressed oils will
let me get just that little bit closer to likely reality.

Of course, once I leave the roman period it gets so much more
complicated- the range of oils used during the medieval and tudor
soap trade starts getting a bit boggling...but thats a later chapter.

cheers
Sally
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