Liquid chromatography is a method of separation based on the phenomena of adsorption, partition, ion exchange and/or exclusion. It enables a small quantity of aromatic essential oil or other raw materials for the perfume industry to be analysed on a chromatographic column with an appropriate packing and under appropriate conditions, the possible identification of the different constituent and the quantitative determination of specific compounds by measuring the area or height of their peaks. Details of the method are described.