Jean Carles (12 January 1892 – 8 July 1966) was a French perfumer who worked in Roure Bertrand Fils et Justin Duppont in Grasse[1] (now part of Givaudan) in the early 20th century.
Jean Carles was also the mentor of many perfumers including Monique Schlienger and Jacques Polge.
His condition was only known to his son Marcel Carles, who assisted Jean by smelling and commenting on his creations.
Due to this remarkable feat, Jean Carles is often compared to Beethoven who continued to compose music after becoming profoundly deaf.
The relative volatility of perfumery materials was also investigated by Carles, and this allowed him to refine his method of perfume composition by building a structure from the bottom up.