What is Natural Perfumery?

[Guest guest]

Hi Everyone,

Ever since I joined the Natural Perfumery Group, I have wondered, " what is

'natural perfumery'? " The question was put in sharp perspective by two

recent posts. Mike, a new group member, suggested the use of Ambroxan, a

fine ambergris substitute with a vague natural pedigree. In an unrelated

post, n said that, for him, the only truly natural perfumes are those

that result from macerating plant material in natural oils. So, what is

natural? For that matter, what is perfumery? If this latter question seems

silly, with an obvious answer, consider that mainstream perfumers view

perfumery as the creation of the " juice. "

The " juice " is the blend of fragrant materials.nothing more. Mainstream

perfumers, of course, are aware of how their blend will be used and, in

fact, design the blend with its final use in mind. But, they do not create

the final product. They do not incorporate their blends into soap or

massage oils or alcoholic dilutions or deodorants or air fresheners. They

just create the " juice. " Perfumery is the art of creating the blend, not of

creating the product in which the blend will be used. Is this true of

natural perfumery, or are we to be concerned with the final product, as

well? If we are, then are we " unnatural " if we use SD alcohol to dilute a

blend? Can we really afford, and can our customers really afford, the

additional cost of un-denatured alcohol? And, do we really want to produce a

perfume that our customers can drink? Come to think of it, how about the

final product's packaging.are we concerned about that, as well? Is that,

too, part of " perfumery " ?

Getting back to what constitutes " natural, " it strikes me that n's

definition may be fine for him, but is too restrictive for a growing field

of endeavor. Even using n's own reasons for his definition, I have a

hard time seeing why essential oils and absolutes from enfleurage wouldn't

qualify. But, if essential oils qualify, then fractions of essential oils

should qualify, too. As should some isolates, as long as synthetic

materials are not used to produce them. However, if we restrict ourselves

to using materials that have not been touched by synthetic materials, we

will have lost the use of most absolutes and resinoids. Perfumery without

absolutes would be doable, but not half as much fun, and a whole lot less

marketable. It would be much more like aromatherapy without the therapeutic

goal. So, maybe absolutes and resinoids from volatile solvents need to be

included in our palette, if we are to be in the business of creating

perfumes. At least those materials do not contain any synthetics at the

time we use them.

So, how about Mike's Ambroxan? It does offer an additional advantage, in

that it replaces ambergris, a material that concerns animal rights

advocates. If we follow that line of thinking, though, then how about

Exaltanone, musk ketone, ethylene brassylate, and the scores more of

synthetic musk materials. Those materials keep the demand for musk tonquin

from totally decimating the musk deer population. But then, maybe we should

use Sandalore or one of many other synthetic sandalwood materials, so that

we stop demanding sandalwood oil. Then again, maybe we don't need to find

social value in Ambroxan to find it acceptable. It is, after all, derived

from natural materials. But, so are most aroma chemicals. Aroma chemicals

are organic compounds (they contain carbon) and most have a natural

rootstock. Many of them-most, actually-exist in nature, often in the very

plants whose scent they are used to create.

I could go on for many more paragraphs, but I won't. The food industry

grapples with definitions of " natural, " and " organic. " As far as I know,

there is no true definition in the food industry for " natural, " but there is

for " organic. " If we want to create more interest in and demand for and

education about natural perfumery, it seems to me that we should get around

to defining what it is and what it is not. I do not have answers, only

questions. Perhaps this group, though, could develop the missing answers.

Steve Earl

Glen Custom Perfumery