An Ingredient In Perfumes: Ambergris--Do You Know What It REALLY is?

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Okay, my discussion about honey which is nothing more than bee puke seemed to be such a hit, that I thought I'd start a discussion about another fact that many people might not know about, and that is one of the prime ingredients that has been used for centuries in the perfume industry. Although a laboratory chemical like substance has been created to substitute for ambergris and is not often used in perfumes manufactured in the United States, it is still used in many of the perfumes made say in France... A good indicator that Ambergris is still used in a perfume will be by it's cost...the more expensive the perfume, you can just bet, Ambergris is in it. No doubt, a perfume like Joy, which is tooted as the most expensive perfume in the world uses it. Ah--now you ask..what is Ambergris? Hehehe...Hold on to your hats for this gem. To quote this source from Wikipedia (okay I know it's not a great source, but there are others) ..."Ambergris occurs as a biliary secretion of the intestines of the sperm whale, and can be found floating upon the sea, or in the sand near the coast. Because giant squids' beaks have been found embedded within lumps of ambergris, scientists have theorized that the whale's intestine produces the substance as a means of facilitating the passage of hard, sharp objects that the whale might have inadvertently eaten. Ambergris can be found in the Atlantic Ocean; on the coasts of Brazil and Madagascar; and on the coast of Africa, of the East Indies, The Maldives, mainland China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand and the Molucca islands. However, most commercially collected ambergris came from the Bahama Islands, Providence Island, etc. It is also sometimes found in the abdomens of whales..." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ambergris Here's another source about Ambergris http://www.profumo.it/perfume/aromatherapy/essential_oils/ambergris_1.htm Here's a listing of some perfumes with ambergris in it: http://www.nextag.com/ambergris-perfume/search-html And believe it or not folks, yes, you can get pure ambergris oil to wear as well, wouldn't you just love that?? So folks..those who wear perfumes and colognes..both women and men, how do you feel now that you know that this yukky glob from a whale might be in that favorite scent you wear??