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 Natural perfumes, are complex creations based on the artistic vision of the perfumer or nose.
Natural perfumers' materials include concretes, tinctures, macerations, essential oils, pressed oils, resins and absolutes, and the perfumes can take anything from 6 weeks to 6 years or more to complete.
To the perfumer, apart from staying within safety guidelines, the health benefits of the perfume are of no real importance. Of greatest importance are the artist's vision, the quality of the materials used, the concept or theme, and the structure and composition of the perfume. These factors are what make natural perfumery an art. Modern day natural perfumers are learning from the past while at the same time taking a giant leap into the future. If we look back at pre-1920's we will see that the perfumers then didn't enjoy the same huge choice of natural aromatics that are on hand today. These days, natural perfumers have a vast range of essences to use in their works, such as pink lotus absolute, coco absolute, ambrette seed oil, coffee absolute and many more. For the artist there is an ever-expanding assortment of materials to choose from.
A lot of people think aromatherapy perfumes that smell nice and are healthful to the body are natural perfumes. This is not true. Aromatherapy blends are based first on the health giving benefits of the chosen oils and second on how well the oils complement each other. In aromatherapy blends, more than 3, and usually not more than 6 oils are used. An aromatherapy perfume can be put together in a matter of minutes. For example: add to a carrier oil *8 drops of sandalwood, 3 drops of ylang ylang, 3 drops of neroli and 2 drops of jasmine. This is a sensual aromatherapy blend which will smell pleasing and will help to uplift the emotions and improve the sense of well-being of the user. It is not a perfume.
Natural perfumers choose only to work with the precious aromatic extracts from nature. In effect the art of natural perfumery is being reborn. To achieve excellence and genius and to become a true master, the artist must remain focused, thereby becoming a specialist in the exploration and the use of fragrant materials from the natural world. Making the leap into the future, natural perfumers are taking over from where the perfumers of antiquity left off. Staying true to their principles, NP artists are continually discovering new fragrant natural materials from which to extract scent.
The future of the art of natural perfumery is supported by the collective vision of natural perfumers the world over. The focus on keeping the art as a true art, thereby producing authentic natural perfumery masters, plays a major part in that vision. The new path is only just beginning to form from the old path.
For the perfumer who chooses to specialize in using only natural materials, there is but little to sacrifice and an abundance to gain.
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