By Creezy Courtoy, Perfume Historian and Anthropologist The Victorian era, spanning from 1837 to 1901, was a time of significant cultural and social change in England. One aspect that reflected these changes was the strict usage rules for perfumes. Etiquette dictated that perfumes should be worn only in moderation; for example, only a few drops were permitted on a handkerchief, but never directly on the skin. This practice was indicative of the period's emphasis on modesty and propriety. Queen Victoria herself played a pivotal role in shaping the fragrance trends of her time. Following her marriage to Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg in 1840, she introduced the custom of using shawls scented with patchouli. This fragrant fabric became a fashionable accessory among the upper classes, symbolizing both elegance and the burgeoning interest in more exotic scents. The use of patchouli, a scent derived from the leaves of the patchouli plant, reflected a growing fascination with natural and earthy fragrances. Only a few drops on shawl or an handkerchief were allowed but never on a person. The marriage also brought with it the introduction of new customs and traditions into British society. Notably, Victoria popularized the Christmas tree tradition, a custom she embraced from her German roots. This festive practice not only transformed holiday celebrations but also infused homes with the refreshing scents of nature. Fir trees, adorned with ornaments, spread the aroma of pine, which was often complemented by the warm, spicy notes of cinnamon and clove, alongside the comforting smell of candle wax.
This blend of natural scents contributed to the cozy and inviting atmosphere of Victorian homes during the festive season. As Queen Victoria's influence extended beyond Britain, her connection with European royalty, particularly Louis-Philippe, King of France, facilitated the spread of Victorian perfumed fashion across the continent. The era was marked by a calm and reflective approach to fragrances, which were often seen as luxury items rather than necessities. As the 19th century progressed, perfumes transitioned from being essential for masking odors to becoming luxurious toilet accessories reserved for the elite. During this time, English perfumes gained a reputation for their quality and sophistication, leading to their sale in France at exorbitant prices. The Great London Exhibition of 1851 was a significant milestone for the perfume industry, offering a platform for English perfumers to showcase their creations to the world. This event not only highlighted the craftsmanship involved in perfume-making but also allowed natural perfumes to gain international acclaim. Queen Victoria's reign always fascinated me. It marked a transformative period for natural perfumes, characterized by a delicate balance of propriety and luxury. The introduction of new customs, the embrace of natural scents, and the establishment of perfume as a symbol of status shaped the fragrance landscape of the time. As a result, the Victorian era left an indelible mark on the world of perfumery, influencing practices that continue to resonate in modern fragrance culture. If you are passionate about perfume history, consider becoming a Perfume History Teacher or enhancing your knowledge for your perfumery business by enrolling in Creezy Courtoy's World Perfume History course. .
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By Terry Johnson, Business and Marketing Expert In the vibrant world of perfumery, new brands and budding perfumers often find themselves looking toward established giants like Chanel for inspiration. However, it's crucial to remember that these iconic brands have spent decades cultivating a rich cultural legacy that goes beyond just the fragrance itself. Consumers are drawn to these brands not only for their scents but for the stories, emotions, and the status they represent. In contrast, the realm of natural perfumery offers a unique opportunity for emerging brands to carve out their niche and promote powerful brand differentiation through authenticity, effective storytelling, engaging senses, deep connectivity to sustainable ingredients, and strong community relationships. The Importance of Authenticity In today's market, consumers are increasingly discerning, prioritizing transparency in the products they purchase. Natural perfumes, which often contain sustainably sourced ingredients, resonate with health-conscious consumers seeking authenticity. Brands can leverage this by being open about their sourcing practices, ingredient origins, and production methods. This transparency not only builds trust but also creates stronger emotional connections with consumers who value sustainability and ethical practices. Crafting Compelling Stories Storytelling is a powerful tool in marketing, particularly for natural perfumery. Each fragrance has stories to tell, be it the inspiration behind the scent, the journey of its creation, or the cultural and significance of the sustainably created ingredients used. By weaving these narratives into their branding, new perfumers can create a rich tapestry that engages consumers on deeper, emotional levels. This approach not only differentiates their products from mass-market offerings but also fosters a sense of community and shared values among consumers. Engaging the Senses Natural perfumes are unique in their composition and often offer sensory experiences that differ vastly from synthetic fragrances. Power Marketing strategies should emphasize the sensory journey of product: how they smell, how they feel on the skin, and even the emotions or states of wellbeing they evoke. Engaging consumers through sensory experiences can be achieved through various mediums, including samples, immersive store displays, and tailored online experiences that allow potential customers to explore the fragrances in meaningful ways. Building Community Connections
Community engagement plays a pivotal role in the Power Marketing of natural perfumes. By fostering connections with local artisans, suppliers, and even consumers, brands can create strong support networks that enhance their authenticity. Hosting workshops, pop-up events, and collaborations with like-minded brands can help engage and build loyal customer bases that feel personally invested in the brand's success. This sense of community not only promotes word-of-mouth marketing but also reinforces the brand's commitment to ethical and sustainable practices. Finally, as the natural perfume market continues to expand, Power Marketing will be crucial in distinguishing new natural brands from their more established synthetic counterparts. By embracing these power principles, new perfumers can effectively resonate with a growing consumer base that prioritizes sustainability, health, and emotional connections in their purchasing decisions. With a thoughtful approach to marketing, the world of natural perfumery holds immense potential for innovation, creativity, and meaningful consumer relationships for a lifetime. Focusing on these core Power Marketing elements will provide new brands in the natural perfumery space with the tools to set themselves apart and thrive in an increasingly competitive market. If you want to know more about marketing your perfume our your essential oil business, enrol for Terry Johnson's Business and Marketing course. By Andrej Babicky, IPF Natural Perfumery Expert and Teacher Autumn arrives like a whispered secret, a soft sigh from the earth as it prepares to rest. The world around us slowly transforms, as if painted by an unseen hand—leaves turn amber, orange, and red, setting the trees aglow against the cooling sky. Shrubs and bushes swell with berries, their vibrant colors a final exhale before winter descends. This is the season of last-minute magic, when nature both dazzles and retreats, leaving us, the observers, with a fleeting sense of wonder. The air thickens with nostalgia, filled with the smoky sweetness of burnt wood, the damp freshness of rain-soaked leaves, and the earthy embrace of freshly ploughed soil. For a natural perfumer, autumn is more than just a time of transition. It’s a canvas painted with the richest, deepest hues, a sensory feast begging to be captured and transformed. Every step through the forest becomes an invitation to imagine, to interpret, to distill the very essence of the season into fragrance. Picture a walk through a deciduous forest after a rain—damp earth cradles your feet, leaves glisten under the weight of water, and the air hums with the warmth of decay, the richness of life ebbing into the soil. Mushrooms, hidden jewels of the undergrowth, spring up unexpectedly from beneath fallen leaves, while moss-covered bark invites your fingers to trace its rough texture. To bottle this moment is to capture not just a scent, but a memory—a story. The earthy notes of patchouli echo the scent of damp soil, grounding you in the depths of the forest floor.. The dry, almost salty touch of oakmoss reminds you of fallen leaves, crisp and delicate in their final moments. Dark, amber woods like Buddha wood lend a smoky warmth, like a fire crackling in the distance, while cedar and juniper add a sharp, resinous freshness, cutting through the earthy haze. And there, hidden in the heart of it all, is a softness, a velvety touch of labdanum, like a forgotten scarf wrapped tight against the chill, while artemisia brings a breath of herbal lightness, its slightly fruity aroma a playful contrast to the richness of the woods. Autumn’s gift to the natural perfumer is this harmonious dance of contrasts—deep earthiness interwoven with fresh, aromatic notes. In every blend, there is the potential to tell a story of transition, of the slow turning inward that autumn encourages. The scents are complex, layered, and full of nostalgia, yet they also hint at the freshness and life still brimming beneath the surface, waiting for another season to bloom. But autumn is also a time of preparation, a quiet gathering before the long rest of winter. Fruits are plucked from the trees, mushrooms foraged from the forest floor, herbs carefully cut and laid out to dry. These are the treasures of the season, to be preserved and transformed into tinctures, essential oils, and absolutes—each one capturing a moment of autumn’s fleeting beauty, ready to be released in the depths of winter. The garden, too, undergoes its ritual pruning, as old growth is cut away to make space for the new. Bulbs are planted, tucked beneath the cooling soil, their springtime blooms nothing more than a promise in the dark earth. In this way, autumn mirrors the process of natural perfumery. Just as we prune the garden to encourage growth, we distill our inspirations, our raw materials, stripping away the unnecessary until we are left with the pure essence. It’s a process of transformation, of preserving the life and vitality of the season, even as the world around us grows quieter. What we gather now, whether through distillation, enfleurage, or extraction, becomes the heart of our creations in the months to come. There’s something almost magical about the methods of extraction during autumn. The cool, crisp air makes each step in the process feel deliberate, intimate, a conversation with nature. Through the ancient method of enfleurage, we press the last of autumn’s flowers and herbs into fat, capturing their delicate essence as if freezing a moment in time. The fragrant oils and resins distilled from woods and shrubs are rich with the scent of a forest retreating into itself, a fragrant echo of the season’s end. And yet, autumn is not without its playfulness. Beneath the surface of stillness and retreat, there is joy, a sense of childlike wonder that beckons us to experiment and explore. What if we combined the green, spicy scent of freshly cut hay with the sweetness of overripe apples, or mingled the warming spices of cinnamon and clove with the surprising freshness of rain-soaked petals? There’s room for creativity here, for the unexpected, for the playful mingling of scents that mirror the dance of falling leaves, the fluttering breeze, the surprise of sunlight breaking through gray skies. As autumn slips toward winter, we are reminded that everything in nature is cyclical. The seeds we plant now—both literal and metaphorical—will one day burst forth in bloom. The fragrances we blend in this golden, fleeting season will carry the warmth and color of autumn with us, even as the snow falls and the earth grows still. In natural perfumery, we become the keepers of this cycle, gathering the essence of the moment and preserving it, ready to share it again when the world outside is frozen and quiet. Autumn teaches us to pause, to gather inspiration, and to create something that outlasts the season. Each blend of notes, each drop of precious oil, carries within it the memory of amber leaves, the scent of wet earth, and the warmth of the last rays of autumn sun. As the world prepares to rest, we too prepare, knowing that the fragrances we craft now will bloom in the hearts of those who wear them, long after the last leaf has fallen. If you want to learn more about Natural Perfumery, enroll for the next Natural Perfumery Course and the Natural Raw Material Extraction Methods Master Class taught by the author.
By Terry Johnson, IPF Vice Chair and Business & Marketing Expert Don’t wait for opportunities in the distance but recognize them and embrace them right where you are! One of the biggest mistakes businesses make severely limiting their success is stopping the learning process after a certain level of business experience is achieved. It’s as though once they figure out how to make their business work initially, they don’t believe any further training or learning is valuable or necessary.
In contrast, if there is one attribute that all successful businesses have in common, it is having the ability to continuously learn and then teach what they have learned to others needing that information for a lifetime. So, who should we be learning from and teaching to, and who benefits from these learning and teaching processes? Everyone in the Natural Perfumery supply chain including:
Action Steps all Natural Perfumers should consider: 1. Decide what content you should be teaching, to whom you will teach it to, and by what method(s). 2. Determine the best content to learn and where that content will come from. Sources of learning can come from a variety of places within the Natural Perfumery Community, and each Natural Perfumer should learn as much as possible about what makes Natural Perfumery as valuable to consumers as it is. Two courses from the IPF Natural Perfumery Teacher’s Academy immediately come to mind: World Perfume History, and Teaching Methodology. Both courses are taught by IPF Founder and Chair Creezy Courtoy, and you can find the teaching methodology course here: https://www.teachers-academy.org/masterclasses.html and the World Perfume History course here: https://www.teachers-academy.org/courses.html 3. Don’t wait for opportunities in the distance, but recognize them, and embrace them, right where you are! By Creezy Courtoy, Founder and Director, Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy The Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy is expanding, welcoming new instructors and introducing an exciting array of courses for the upcoming academic year.
Join us for immersive workshops in nature led by Andrej Babicky, who is launching a New Natural Perfumery Course. This program is perfect for anyone looking to deepen their passion or advance their career in perfumery, offering a comprehensive exploration of natural perfumery techniques—from the fundamentals of olfaction to the intricate art of scent creation. Andrej Babicky, winner of the New Luxury Awards 2019, has been a valued member of our academy and a great teacher ever since. We are also thrilled to announce the addition of new Master Classes featuring renowned experts such as Lakenda Wallace and Rachel Binder, along with engaging lectures by the iconic Roxana Villa. In other exciting news, the International Perfume Foundation will be awarding certificates to students during special events. Receiving a certificate publicly not only celebrates your achievement but also serves as excellent self-promotion for natural perfumers on social media. A special thank you to Yusif Meizongo for traveling all the way from Ghana to Los Angeles to receive his Olfaction Training certificate during the Scent of Healing event. This coming year will mark the 40th anniversary of the International Perfume Foundation, and we have a fantastic lineup of events and workshops planned worldwide to celebrate this milestone. Stay tuned for more updates! By Terry Johnson, Natural Perfumery Business and Marketing Teacher Over the years, many perfumers have told me why they got into natural perfumery in the first place. Many have shared their personal experiences with having allergic reactions from synthetic perfumes or colognes, leading them to create natural perfumes for themselves. Others have said they enjoy the creative process of producing perfumes from natural materials. Regardless of how perfumers find their pathway to natural perfumes, from a business and marketing perspective it is not enough to only rely on internal experiences and policies to ensure business success. Yes, all natural perfumers need motivation, missions, visions and other important internal business practices, but more importantly, they need to balance their internal needs with an external focus on identifying, selling, and keeping Customers For Life. So, how can natural perfumers create Customers For Life (CFL)? Improvements at Points-of-Sale and Points-of Consumption with CFL Strategies Whether online or brick-and-mortar, points-of-sale are the interfaces between the entire supply chain and customers. Improvements to this critical touch point increase the likelihood of a profitable sale. Points-of-consumption are an even more important touch point, since it is here that customers determine product satisfaction and make the decision to repurchase or not. Approaching natural perfume marketing from a Customers For Life perspective positively changes the dynamics of points-of-sales and points-of-consumption strategies completely. For example, when natural perfumers decide to attend sales-related events, they should use CFL strategic mathematics: Each $200 perfume sale at an event + 1-$200 follow-up sale per year for 20 years = 21 CFL perfume sales or $4,200. This strategy promotes proper follow-up from sales, which is typically a weak point in natural perfume marketing. Be a lifetime Student and Teacher. Never stop learning and then teaching customers, potential customers, and the rest of the supply chain. Learn more about your suppliers, gather as much information as possible from them on the value of their business practices and the products they supply, and then teach that knowledge to your supply chain community including consumers. No better place to share this knowledge can be found than IPF’s 2025 Natural Perfumery Summit, where besides gaining valuable exposure for natural perfumers’ businesses at IPF’s collective booth, perfumers can pass on CFL strategies to suppliers, distributors, the media and all others withing the natural perfumery community. Everyone in the supply chain benefits from a Consumers For Life strategy. Instill Consumer Confidence and Trust in Yourself, Your Company, and Your Products Natural perfumers wishing to get customers continually coming back for more products for a lifetime need satisfied customers who trust and have confidence in the products they purchase. This means demonstrating that perfumers are the experts in the communities they serve, and writing articles about your experiences is one way to do that. You can even submit those articles to IPF’s Newsletter that will be read by thousands in the supply chain. Participating in the New Luxury Awards is another opportunity to be recognized by your peers as an industry leader. Customers For Life requires a complete commitment from natural perfumers to establish and maintain long-term relationships with every customer they sell. Keep in mind that it will always be a lot less expensive to keep customers for life than to acquire new ones. Learn more about Terry Johnson's Natural Perfumery Business and Marketing Course
By Ana Elena Sastrias, IPF Australia Chair and Natural Perfumery Teacher An Olfactory Landscape Through History In 2018 I decided to visit my family and friends back in Mexico and took the opportunity to get in contact with relevant people working with Mexican Botanical Raw Materials and producing Ethnobotanical Essential Oils from Mexican sourced plants, flowers, seeds, gums and resins at the Botanic Garden and Research Institute “Herbario CICY - Centro de Investigación Científica de Yucatán”, where I met up with Dr Luz María Calvo in Mérida, Yucatán. Among the most aromatic raw materials used in modern perfumery, it is the Mexican “Nardo” known as “Polyanthus Tuberose”. This flower “Nardo” or “Polyanthus Tuberose” was used by the Mayans as a Soap as this plant contains high levels of sapogenines and rizomas, ingredients that can make soap. In Nahuatl, this plant was called “amole” that means “soap” or “omixochitl” that means “boney flower”. In Mexico, there are 20 species of “Polyanthus”. These “Polyanthus” have been grown and domesticated since the Pre-Hispanic Era among the Mayan Civilization. Its fine seductive floral fragrance is found all over the world in fine perfumes. The essential oil extracted from these flowers have the following properties: anti-fungal, anti- bacterial, used in wound healing treatments, it is also used as an insecticide and herbicide. During that visit I also spent time reading relevant books about Aztec and Mayan Civilizations and their Olfactory Experiences in Rituals at the Hemeroteca Nacional, UNAM in Mexico City. The Historical Research Institute in Mexico (IIH) states that in order to understand the History of Mexico, it is necessary to know the Aromas appropriate to each Period in History. Dr Elodie Dupey García and Guadalupe Pinzón Ríos are working together in the reconstruction of smells from Ancient Times up to 20th Century in Mexico in order to recover the Olfactory Memory from each Period in time. They consider Olfaction, not just as a physiological activity, but also as a way to interact in Society and Culture triggered by different stimuli bringing a diversity of values in Society through time. The smells have a meaning in Society. For instance, a fresh clean smell compared to a smell of a warm “tortilla” or a fresh bread. The behaviour in humans and other species is definitively influenced by what we smell and this can trigger behaviours in our relationships and also can be part of our rituals. This reconstruction of ancient olfactory landscape is being done through research on Ancient Texts, Nahuatl, Mayan and other Indigenous languages and Archeological Objects, aside of Ethnobotanical Research. Dr Elodie Dupey García recognises that it is quite challenging to recover the original smells of the Mesoamerican civilizations due to the length of time and the exposure to the wind. Archeological, iconography and linguistic and historical sources have been useful as a base to learn more about the aromas that were characteristic of the Pre-hispanic Era. In religious rituals, Aztec priests were scarifying themselves by offering their blood to be then incinerated to the gods. The remains of this type of smells can be described in pictograms from Codex as images of ancient practices and beliefs. The same as in the narrative stories from the Spaniards witnessing such sacrifices in the Fall of the Pre-Hispanic Civilizations. After this collection of information, the questions that were important to ask for this research were: - Which are the ideas behind the Aromas in the Pre-Hispanic Civilizations? - Which kind of categorisation they assigned to Olfactive Sensations and which aromas were more relevant or bringing much attention to Pre-Hispanic society? - With which kind of concepts they associated each aroma? La Société Américaniste in Paris, France states that since the 18th and 19th Century, the intellectual elite put more importance to a Visual aspect of the world, more than the Tactile, Gustative, Olfactive aspects of our lives as a society. Since then, we have gradually been missing the use of our Sense of Smell and we now will need to re-train this important Sense. Since “reading” has been a marker in society to learn science, develop technology and be part of a cultural landscape and participate in the workforce. The priorities to exercise senses aside of our Vision and Hearing, were left behind, regarded almost as a non- important. It is since 2020 when Covid-19 pandemic started and we experienced as Humanity some of the effects of Covid-19 of losing the Sense of Smell, that Science is starting to catchup with studies and research in the consequences of losing the Sense of Smell in Human Beings and how to recover the Sense of Smell by doing Olfaction Training. Aromas and fragrances were sacred in Ancient Times in Mexico, pointing this smell to the “Sahumerio o Sahumador de Copal” (Copal’s Smoke recipients). The resin of Copal was burnt in diverse ritualistic contexts. The resulting fumes from burning the resin of Copal were fundamental to the rituals and ceremonies. This Aromatic Offerings to the gods comprised herbs, gums and resins that were burnt and their combustion created aromatic smoke central to various rituals. The recipient used to burn the raw materials is called “Sahumador or Sahumerio”. They were of different kind, some were basic, some others more luxurious. Those artefacts were found in archeological sites. Murals and Codex describe the various raw materials used to make aromatic smokes and the use of “sahumadores or sahumerios”. Also, they could give us some information of which characteristics the olfactory landscapes had in the Religious Festivities. The aromas could be concentrated in the Ritual Activity derived by the raw materials used in the ceremonies taken places either in restrictive access places or open space ceremonies or around the reach of people participating in the ceremony. The Offering of Fire was a ritual that burnt Copal resin in wood in front of the images of their deities.
This Offering was executed by each family when the Sun rises, also in temples four times during the day, and five times during the night, this was done to celebrate the God of the Sun and the God of the Night respectively. The aromas were given a Social, Medicinal and Ritualistic role associated with Cosmological beliefs in the Pre-Hispanic Mesoamerican Era. The mesoamericans conceived the World of the Dead as a putrefactive smell. Putting in perspective the importance of the Sense of Smell in Ancient Civilisation and Indigenous communities living in Jungles, it does make sense when being surrounded by a very thick lush and green jungle, our Vision will not be enough to detect any danger or find your way to reach out other community or designated destination. The smells of each community could be an identifiable factor to guide us in our journey. The smells of each town bring an identity that can be part of our olfactory memory map. Dr Elodie Dupey García has been working on the Olfactory Sensitivity Project applied into the History of Smells in Mexico since 2014. Her book “De olfato. Aproximaciones a los Olores en la Historia de México” (Olfaction. Olfactory approximations to Aromas through out the History of Mexico) has been published since 2020. References: Gaceta UNAM - Agosto 2021 - Frías, Leonardo Olores y Sensibilidad Olfativa en Mesoamérica - Dupey García, Elodie CICY Newsletter Article - Aromas de México para el mundo, el caso del Nardo: Polianthes Tuberosa - Calvo, Luz María By Creezy Courtoy, Olfaction Training Expert The olfactory sense is the first sense to be developed in the foetus.
It starts during week 7. It is also the sense that arrives at maturity before the others during week 25. Immersed in amniotic liquid, the foetus swims in a bath of emanations and swallows four to five quarts of flavoured water per day. Before their first feeding, newborns show attraction for their own amniotic liquid and keeps this preference for the one or two days required to adapt to the new food source.. Strongly flavoured foods, such as cumin, ginger, anise, when consumed by pregnant women can contribute to an interesting prenatal olfactory experience for the child. The olfactory sense presents an important development in infant behaviour. The first odour discerned by newborns is the smell of their mother, and it is that smell which will determine their behaviour towards others. The mother not only shares genes with her child, but also shares phenotypic features that are smells. The olfactory sense of newborns is certainly their most developed sense. It guides the child, and the messages they receive make them feel secure. Only a few days after their birth, babies begin using their noses to receive all emanations passing around them. Their smell is so sharp that they encounter all odours, smells that we are not able to smell anymore. Their olfactory sense is so much more sensitive than that of an adult. Even though they do not yet know how to express themselves verbally to communicate their senses, newborns react to odours through motor reactions of the respiratory or cardiac rhythm changes. Babies less than two weeks old orient themselves automatically towards maternal odours. They will learn to recognize their mother by her smell, which they will prefer to any other smell and will bond with it; this process gives them the security they need to live. It could be said that newborns “see” with their noses. When they grow older, children will use their sight as their primary sense and the olfactory sense appears last. This is why it is important to preserve their olfactory sense, encouraging them to smell as often possible. This will prevent them to lose this important sense and feel insecure in the future. “Les Ateliers des Petits Nez” (Workshops for Little Noses) pilot project proposes olfactory menus to nurseries and kindergartens. With the support and the involvement of master chefs, IPF proposed the food needs of the child and to the development of their olfactory perceptions. Menus should comply with local dietary directives and also budgetary and organisational instructions. Menus are composed such in a way, not to mix ingredients. They can be ground, but only ground separately to not mingle fragrances, allowing children to discover them one by one. Chefs are different for each country, so in order to respect the children’s food culture, in our course we don't give you recipes but we will list the ailments adapted to baby and child development. It has been proven scientifically that the sense of taste is 85% olfactory. This training will not only preserve and awaken children’s olfactory sense, but also their tasting curiosity and a good food habit. Children will then learn from the youngest age to associate all of their senses together starting from the olfactory sense. More info about the course A Journey into Natural Perfumery and Extraction Methods By Andrej Babicky, Certified Natural Perfumer In May, I embarked on an enchanting journey to Grenada, the renowned "Island of Spices," to participate in the Scents of Grenada festival. This event, organized by perfumer Stephen Dirk and Tower Estate owner Isabelle Slinger, provided a unique opportunity to immerse myself in the world of natural perfumery and share my knowledge on enfleurage techniques and botanical tinctures. Supported by the Ministry of Tourism, this event aimed to highlight the island’s rich aromatic heritage and its potential in the field of natural perfumery. Grenada's tropical climate plays a significant role in its rich biodiversity. The island enjoys a wet season from June to December and a dry season from January to May. This climate fosters a wide variety of plant species, including numerous aromatic and medicinal plants. The concept of terroir, often used in the context of wine, is equally relevant to perfumery. Terroir refers to the unique combination of soil, climate, and topography that imparts distinct characteristics to the plants grown in a particular region. Grenada's terroir is uniquely suited to producing aromatic plants with rich and complex scent profiles. The Tower Estate, where the festival was held, is a testament to this rich terroir. The estate's garden is a meticulously curated collection of aromatic and perfumed tropical plants, designed to be a sanctuary for perfumers and enthusiasts. This living laboratory will offers an inspiring environment where visitors can experiment with different extraction methods, touch and smell the plants and flowers, and draw inspiration from nature's bounty. Despite Grenada experiencing a dry period during my visit, the garden was a testament to resilience and beauty, boasting stunning blooms of mango blossom, gardenias, Rangoon creeper, plumeria, various jasmine species, and the intoxicating ylang ylang. Ylang ylang (Cananga odorata) is a tropical tree native to Southeast Asia but has found a welcoming home in Grenada's climate. The tree's flowers are highly prized in perfumery for their sweet, floral, and slightly spicy scent. During our workshop, we delved into the art of enfleurage, a traditional method of capturing the ephemeral essence of flowers. Every morning, we handpicked ylang ylang flowers at dawn, preserving their delicate fragrance for our enfleurage experiments. This process, though labor-intensive, yields an exquisite and true-to-life fragrance that captures the living essence of the flower. Our exploration did not stop at ylang ylang. We also worked with plumeria and mango flowers, each offering its unique aromatic profile. Additionally, we experimented with distillation using bay rum (Pimenta racemosa), a quintessential Caribbean plant with leaves that exude an unmistakable aroma. This hands-on experience provided invaluable insights into the diverse methods of extracting essential oils and the distinct characteristics of each plant. One of the highlights of my trip was encountering nutmeg in its natural habitat for the first time. Grenada is one of the world's largest producers of nutmeg, and this spice is integral to the island's identity. Both the nut and the mace, the lacy covering of the nutmeg seed, are used in perfumery, while the outer pulp is transformed into jams and drinks. Nutmeg's rich, warm aroma and versatile flavor have made it a prized ingredient in culinary delights and fragrant concoctions alike. This multifaceted use of nutmeg underscores the island's rich botanical heritage and its potential in natural perfumery. Grenada's unique climate and terroir are not only ideal for growing traditional aromatic plants but also support a range of endemic species. The island is home to several plants that are not found anywhere else in the world, offering a treasure trove of potential raw materials for perfumery. These endemic plants, combined with the island's rich spice heritage, create a diverse and vibrant aromatic landscape. The concept of the perfumer's garden at Tower Estate is particularly fascinating. It is a living, breathing repository of scents, offering a place for perfumers to connect with raw materials in their natural state. This garden not only serves as a source of inspiration but also as an educational platform where visitors can learn about the cultivation and extraction of aromatic plants. The idea of a perfumer's garden aligns perfectly with the principles of natural perfumery, which emphasize sustainability, ethical sourcing, and a deep connection to nature. The event itself is a dynamic meeting point for perfumers, enthusiasts, and local growers. It highlights the island's wealth of botanical resources and encourages the local community to explore the potential of these resources. Grenada's nickname, the "Spice Island," is well-earned, with abundant nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon, and other spices that are ideal for essential oil production. The festival also serves to awaken the interest of the locals to exploit the resources at their disposal and produce some essential oils from the plants that are widespread on the island. One of the promising aspects is its potential to create new business opportunities for local farmers and producers. By educating locals about the potential of Grenada's botanical resources, the event promotes the idea of creating a sustainable economy centered around natural perfumery. This not only preserves the island's heritage but also offers economic opportunities for local farmers and producers. Cultivating aromatic plants and producing essential oils can provide a new source of income for the local community, fostering economic growth while preserving the island's natural beauty. Moreover, events like this encourage experimentation with new materials and extraction methods. Grenada's unique climate and diverse plant species offer endless possibilities for innovation in natural perfumery. By exploring new combinations of raw materials and rediscovering traditional extraction methods, perfumers can create unique and captivating fragrances that reflect the island's rich aromatic heritage. During my stay, I also had the privilege of seeing the process of crafting enfleurage chassis from locally harvested mahogany wood. This beautiful and durable wood is used to create the frames that hold the fat used in enfleurage, adding a touch of local craftsmanship to the extraction process. The use of locally sourced materials not only supports the local economy but also ensures that the extraction methods are sustainable and environmentally friendly. The visit in Grenada provided an opportunity to discuss the potential of using endemic plants in perfumery. These unique species, found only in Grenada, offer a wealth of untapped potential for creating distinctive and exclusive fragrances. By cultivating these plants and developing new extraction methods, Grenada may become an important player in the field of natural perfumery, attracting perfumers and enthusiasts from around the world. In conclusion, my visit to Grenada and participation in the Scents of Grenada festival was a profound reminder of the deep connection between nature and the art of perfumery. The island's rich aromatic landscape, coupled with the innovative spirit of the festival, showcased the immense potential of natural perfumery. It highlighted the value of returning to traditional extraction methods, experimenting with new materials, and rediscovering the unique heritage of places rich in botanical diversity.
Investing interest in projects like the perfumer's garden at Tower Estate offers numerous opportunities. It allows for the preservation of traditional knowledge, the promotion of sustainable practices, and the creation of a vibrant community passionate about natural perfumery. Grenada, with its abundant aromatic resources and dedicated community, is poised to inspire perfumers and enthusiasts alike to explore and celebrate the island's fragrant treasures. The Scents of Grenada festival not only showcases the island's botanical bounty but also serves as a beacon of sustainability, innovation, and cultural preservation. Andrej Babicky is one of our best teachers, if you want to learn how to extract the scents of flowers, plants, wood or roots, check his course. By Creezy Courtoy, Perfume Historian and Anthropologist The Turbulent Journey of French Perfumery Through History (Part 2) Throughout history, humanity's quest to bridge the divine and the earthly realms has often been mediated through the aromatic allure of perfumes and spices. However, this journey has not been without its dark epochs, notably during periods marked by the overwhelming influence of the Catholic Church, such as the Crusades, the medieval era, and the Inquisition. Despite these challenges, the evolution of perfumery, much like science, experienced moments of pause rather than a complete halt. Innovative and pragmatic individuals emerged, defying the restrictions to maintain the therapeutic application of perfumes, utilizing flowers, plants, essential oils, aromatic vinegars, and "miraculous waters." From the 14th century onward, scent waters became highly fashionable. Amidst the backdrop of religious restrictions, these aromatic waters infused with medicinal herbs were soon heralded as miraculous. A notable example occurred in 1380 when a monk presented the Queen of Hungary with a concoction that would later be known as "Eau de la Reine de Hongrie." Legend has it that this potion rejuvenated the aging queen, relieving her of rheumatism and gout, and she was so transformed that she married the King of Poland. Similarly, in Florence, the Santa Maria de Novella convent became famous for its own miraculous water, the Aqua della Regina. These divine waters, including “Eau sans Pareille,” “Melissa Water,” and “Carmes Water,” were consumed or used topically to cure a plethora of ailments. The advent of printing in the mid-15th century marked a pivotal moment for the dissemination of knowledge. This technological breakthrough enabled the rapid expansion of perfumery science, allowing research, particularly that brought by Arab scientists, to be published widely despite the challenges of the era, including the Inquisition. This led to a more accelerated evolution of perfumery science and technology. By the end of the 16th century, the first German publications on botany and distillation processes were released, detailing the composition of scents and the workings of alembics. These publications facilitated the spread of new knowledge and heralded the rise of modern, alcohol-based perfumery. The 17th century witnessed the emergence of great scientific academies, fostering a community of scholars dedicated to the advancement of knowledge. The Academy of Experiments was founded in Florence in 1657, followed by the Royal Society in London in 1660, and the publication of the first scientific journal, "Philosophical Transactions," in 1665. Colbert's establishment of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Paris in 1666 was a significant milestone, succeeded by the formation of academies in Berlin (1700), Uppsala, Sweden (1710), and St. Petersburg (1725). These developments not only underscored the importance of scientific inquiry but also played a crucial role in the advancement of perfumery. As knowledge spread and the understanding of distillation improved, perfumery transitioned from a craft shrouded in mystery and superstition to a refined science, blending the art of fragrance with the principles of chemistry and botany. This era laid the groundwork for the sophisticated world of perfumery we appreciate today, where scents are not just a means of divine connection or medicinal remedy but also an expression of beauty, identity, and culture. Creezy Courtoy is teaching the history and anthropology of perfume at the Natural Perfumery Academy.
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