 THE POWER OF THE RAW MATERIAL AND THE ART OF REDISCOVERING THE ORIGINS OF NATURAL PERFUMERY. |
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I live in an area of Italy, Piedmont, in a small town surrounded by woods and fields.
In the garden, I cultivate ornamental plants for the pure pleasure of their flowers or their leaves but also other, perfumed, to extract their fragrance: different varieties of roses, aromatic herbs, daffodils, hyacinths, chrysanthemums, lilacs, tetradenias and much more. I love the explosion of colours and scents of the garden in spring, but I also love the quiet of autumn. The garden is slowly falling asleep. These are the moments that lead me to look beyond the hedge, to return to take long walks in a bare landscape immersed in the usual fog of the area. These are moments of calm and intentional solitude in which I can contemplate the passing of the seasons. These are also times in which I start looking for seasonal fruits and berries, or new plants to extract; something different, new to fill the tincture jars with.
Not all the extractions I do, I then use in perfumes. Some remain closed in their containers for some time, even years, before I can find the right use. But I often extract for the sheer pleasure of experimenting and exploring.
In the garden, I cultivate ornamental plants for the pure pleasure of their flowers or their leaves but also other, perfumed, to extract their fragrance: different varieties of roses, aromatic herbs, daffodils, hyacinths, chrysanthemums, lilacs, tetradenias and much more. I love the explosion of colours and scents of the garden in spring, but I also love the quiet of autumn. The garden is slowly falling asleep. These are the moments that lead me to look beyond the hedge, to return to take long walks in a bare landscape immersed in the usual fog of the area. These are moments of calm and intentional solitude in which I can contemplate the passing of the seasons. These are also times in which I start looking for seasonal fruits and berries, or new plants to extract; something different, new to fill the tincture jars with.
Not all the extractions I do, I then use in perfumes. Some remain closed in their containers for some time, even years, before I can find the right use. But I often extract for the sheer pleasure of experimenting and exploring.
Autumn is the season of mushrooms that can be used to expand our palette of essences.
Think of their damp mossy smell, of undergrowth, of fallen leaves wet from the rain. Think about how nicely these nuances can expand those of the woods and barks. Different varieties are used in cooking or cosmetics that we can use too. Porcini, chanterelles, field mushrooms, honey mushrooms and many more. Each with their olfactory peculiarity.
Think of their damp mossy smell, of undergrowth, of fallen leaves wet from the rain. Think about how nicely these nuances can expand those of the woods and barks. Different varieties are used in cooking or cosmetics that we can use too. Porcini, chanterelles, field mushrooms, honey mushrooms and many more. Each with their olfactory peculiarity.
I discovered chanterelles by chance. Their orange colour stands out on the ground, single or in clusters camouflaged among the fallen leaves.
The characteristic that struck me is their taste and aroma that somehow recalls that of apricot with wild nuances. Mushrooms can be dried and then used in tinctures.
To my surprise, I found some woody mushrooms. Doing some research, I found out that it is the Ganoderma species. They are known for their medicinal properties. Some are easily recognizable and rather easy to find. They are lignicolous, annual or multi-annual fungi of brown, ocher, or reddish colour with a lighter underside. They are parasites and saprophytes. They can be found on both deciduous and coniferous trees.
Their scent immediately refers to that of mushrooms in general but once dried it takes on a darker, richer woody profile. Sliced when still fresh and left to dry in the air for a few days, they can be used in tinctures.
How could we forget about the truffles? They constitute a precious and sought-after food essence. Their scent, so penetrating and distinctive, develops only after ripening and to attract wild animals to spread the spores and perpetuate the species.
The truffles were already appreciated in ancient times. Aphrodisiac properties were ascribed to them. For some, their aroma, during the period of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, contributed to the ecstatic effect on man.
Although relatively rare and expensive, truffles can add a distinctive earthy, musky, moist, somewhat nutty and dark chocolatey undertone. A small amount is enough to give a new dimension to a fragrance.
The leaves, which in this period are tinged with bright colours, can represent an interesting raw material. Have you ever rubbed the nearly dry leaves of walnut or cherry in your hands? Have you ever smelled it? While walnut leaves may be difficult to work into a final composition due to their ability to dye, cherry leaves have a delicately fruity hay scent. I especially love the oak ones that I extract both in spring and autumn. The young ones have a bitter, warm, lively and intensely green scent while those at the end of their life cycle give me the sensation of wood warmed by the sun, the scent is more dense, mysterious, rich with earthy nuances.
During one of the walks, I had by chance browsed among the shrubs of Amorpha fruticosa in search of mushrooms.
I still remember today the pungent, resinous, warm, and intense smell that remained on my hands while I was trying to make my way through the shrubs. I did not immediately connect the smell to that of the plant to which I had not paid much attention before. I was very surprised when, by exclusion, I was able to link the odour to this species and after some research on toxicity I started the first extraction experiments. It is a North American plant that grows spontaneously around the house. In the past, it was used to produce dye for fabrics and ornamental purposes. With time and abandonment of cultivation, it became wild and invaded roadsides, riverbanks, and the fields. It is one of the most invasive species in Europe. Its seeds have a curious olfactory profile: herbaceous, aromatic, vaguely urinous with hints of spicy accents that remind me of the seeds of some Apiaceae. The leaves also have a characteristic scent, strongly aromatic, resinous, warm and different from that of the seeds. The same plant offers two interesting and unusual raw materials.
Among my favourite fruits, not so much for the taste, but for the smell, is the quince.
My grandmother used to put some in the closet. Their scent mixed with that of wood, bunches of lavender and fabrics, creating an intense and rich aroma. The fruit, cut into thin slices and dried, creates an acidulous, unusual, pleasantly juicy and liqueur-like tincture with green, herbaceous and vaguely floral nuances.
Mahonia plants are also covered in dark blueberries this season. Their sour taste is reminiscent of that of unripe grapes. The fruits, berries with a floury consistency, can be easily dried. I use them to create a sour-scented, wild berry tincture that adds a pleasant fruity hue to the rose.
The characteristic that struck me is their taste and aroma that somehow recalls that of apricot with wild nuances. Mushrooms can be dried and then used in tinctures.
To my surprise, I found some woody mushrooms. Doing some research, I found out that it is the Ganoderma species. They are known for their medicinal properties. Some are easily recognizable and rather easy to find. They are lignicolous, annual or multi-annual fungi of brown, ocher, or reddish colour with a lighter underside. They are parasites and saprophytes. They can be found on both deciduous and coniferous trees.
Their scent immediately refers to that of mushrooms in general but once dried it takes on a darker, richer woody profile. Sliced when still fresh and left to dry in the air for a few days, they can be used in tinctures.
How could we forget about the truffles? They constitute a precious and sought-after food essence. Their scent, so penetrating and distinctive, develops only after ripening and to attract wild animals to spread the spores and perpetuate the species.
The truffles were already appreciated in ancient times. Aphrodisiac properties were ascribed to them. For some, their aroma, during the period of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, contributed to the ecstatic effect on man.
Although relatively rare and expensive, truffles can add a distinctive earthy, musky, moist, somewhat nutty and dark chocolatey undertone. A small amount is enough to give a new dimension to a fragrance.
The leaves, which in this period are tinged with bright colours, can represent an interesting raw material. Have you ever rubbed the nearly dry leaves of walnut or cherry in your hands? Have you ever smelled it? While walnut leaves may be difficult to work into a final composition due to their ability to dye, cherry leaves have a delicately fruity hay scent. I especially love the oak ones that I extract both in spring and autumn. The young ones have a bitter, warm, lively and intensely green scent while those at the end of their life cycle give me the sensation of wood warmed by the sun, the scent is more dense, mysterious, rich with earthy nuances.
During one of the walks, I had by chance browsed among the shrubs of Amorpha fruticosa in search of mushrooms.
I still remember today the pungent, resinous, warm, and intense smell that remained on my hands while I was trying to make my way through the shrubs. I did not immediately connect the smell to that of the plant to which I had not paid much attention before. I was very surprised when, by exclusion, I was able to link the odour to this species and after some research on toxicity I started the first extraction experiments. It is a North American plant that grows spontaneously around the house. In the past, it was used to produce dye for fabrics and ornamental purposes. With time and abandonment of cultivation, it became wild and invaded roadsides, riverbanks, and the fields. It is one of the most invasive species in Europe. Its seeds have a curious olfactory profile: herbaceous, aromatic, vaguely urinous with hints of spicy accents that remind me of the seeds of some Apiaceae. The leaves also have a characteristic scent, strongly aromatic, resinous, warm and different from that of the seeds. The same plant offers two interesting and unusual raw materials.
Among my favourite fruits, not so much for the taste, but for the smell, is the quince.
My grandmother used to put some in the closet. Their scent mixed with that of wood, bunches of lavender and fabrics, creating an intense and rich aroma. The fruit, cut into thin slices and dried, creates an acidulous, unusual, pleasantly juicy and liqueur-like tincture with green, herbaceous and vaguely floral nuances.
Mahonia plants are also covered in dark blueberries this season. Their sour taste is reminiscent of that of unripe grapes. The fruits, berries with a floury consistency, can be easily dried. I use them to create a sour-scented, wild berry tincture that adds a pleasant fruity hue to the rose.
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Think of what nature offers around you in this period: pumpkins, berries, roots, tree bark covered with moss, lichen, mushrooms, seeds, pine cones covered with resin, leaves and flowers.
Sniff them, taste them, rub them in your hands. Do you smell them?
Can you imagine it in a fragrance? Sometimes you just need to look around.
Autumn is a magical season for this too: nature is preparing to conclude a cycle, to fall asleep until spring, but for us, it may be the right time to awaken our sense of smell. Let us be guided by the nose to discover new smells around us.
Sniff them, taste them, rub them in your hands. Do you smell them?
Can you imagine it in a fragrance? Sometimes you just need to look around.
Autumn is a magical season for this too: nature is preparing to conclude a cycle, to fall asleep until spring, but for us, it may be the right time to awaken our sense of smell. Let us be guided by the nose to discover new smells around us.
Follow a Natural Olfaction Training Course or a Raw Material Extraction Method Course with Pr. Andrej Babicky
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Lancement du livre et conférence le 26 Mai 2018
Smell Festival
Bologne
Ce livre et cette conférence s’adressent aux parents, aux professeurs et à tous ceux qui partagent la responsabilité de l’éducation de l’éveil, de la santé et du bien-être des jeunes enfants.
Redécouverte du sens olfactif
Le sens olfactif est l'un des premiers sens développé chez les nouveau-nés, mais pendant de nombreuses années il a été considéré comme trop animal et a été largement ignoré.
Dans notre environnement actuel, le sens visuel domine les autres sens. Beaucoup de gens ont perdu leur instinct olfactif et doivent réapprendre à sentir car pour se sentir bien, nous avons besoin d'utiliser de manière équilibrée chacun de nos sens.
Sans renforcement, le sens de l'odorat peut diminuer progressivement et presque disparaître à un âge précoce.
Comme nous l'avons observé dans de nombreuses écoles, les enseignants disent "Regardez!" "Ecoutez!" ou "Touchez!" mais rarement "Sentez!".
Pour cette raison, des formations à l'éveil du sens olfactif doivent être introduits à tout âge et à tous niveaux avec les méthodes appropriées à chaque étape de l'enfance.`
Les enfants développent les autres sens (vue, audition et toucher) plus rapidement, ce qui décourage parfois le développement du sens olfactif.
Ce processus n'est pas intentionnel mais il se produit car leur éducation peut décourager involontairement l'odorat.
Comme les premières années de la vie d'un enfant sont fondamentales, ils ont besoin d'une variété d'expériences sensorielles pour rassembler un assortiment de sensations qui leur permettront de développer tous les sens harmonieusement, y compris l'odorat.
Beaucoup d'enfants ont une vision un peu vague du nez par rapport à la façon dont ils visualisent les yeux et la bouche.
Quand ils dessinent des visages, parfois les nez disparaissent! Ce programme scolaire encourage les enfants et les professeurs à l'observation d'un des organes les plus importants mais encore très mal perçu.
Demander le livre
This conference is proposed to parents, teachers and to everyone sharing the responsibility of educating and awakening young children to health and wellbeing.
Rediscovery of the Olfactory Sense
The olfactory sense is one of the first senses developed in newborns, however for many years it was considered too animal-like and was largely ignored by many societies. In our present environment the visual sense dominates over the other senses. Many people have lost a keen olfactory sense and must again learn to smell since to achieve wellness holistically, we need each sense to be in balance.
Since we have observed in many schools teachers saying "Look!" "Listen!" or "Touch!" but rarely "Smell!" For this reason olfactory lessons should be introduced at all ages and at all levels with methods adjusted for each stage of childhood.
Children develop senses other than smell quickly (sight, hearing, and touch) which sometimes discourages the development of the olfactory sense. This process is not intentional but happens because their upbringing might unintentionally discourage the sense of smell. Since the first years of a child's life are fundamental, they need a variety of sense experiences to gather an assortment of sensations giving them the necessary input to develop all senses harmoniously including the sense of smell.
Many children have a somewhat vague vision of the nose compared to how they visualize the eyes and the mouth.
When they draw faces, sometimes noses go missing! This program encourages children and teachers to re-discover the olfactory sense.
Creezy Courtoy is a Perfume Historian and Anthropologist
Academician of the Natural Perfumery Teacher’s Academy in Paris
International Perfume Foundation’s Founder and Chair
Info: http://www.smellfestival.it/2018/04/27/programma-2018/
Redécouverte du sens olfactif
Le sens olfactif est l'un des premiers sens développé chez les nouveau-nés, mais pendant de nombreuses années il a été considéré comme trop animal et a été largement ignoré.
Dans notre environnement actuel, le sens visuel domine les autres sens. Beaucoup de gens ont perdu leur instinct olfactif et doivent réapprendre à sentir car pour se sentir bien, nous avons besoin d'utiliser de manière équilibrée chacun de nos sens.
Sans renforcement, le sens de l'odorat peut diminuer progressivement et presque disparaître à un âge précoce.
Comme nous l'avons observé dans de nombreuses écoles, les enseignants disent "Regardez!" "Ecoutez!" ou "Touchez!" mais rarement "Sentez!".
Pour cette raison, des formations à l'éveil du sens olfactif doivent être introduits à tout âge et à tous niveaux avec les méthodes appropriées à chaque étape de l'enfance.`
Les enfants développent les autres sens (vue, audition et toucher) plus rapidement, ce qui décourage parfois le développement du sens olfactif.
Ce processus n'est pas intentionnel mais il se produit car leur éducation peut décourager involontairement l'odorat.
Comme les premières années de la vie d'un enfant sont fondamentales, ils ont besoin d'une variété d'expériences sensorielles pour rassembler un assortiment de sensations qui leur permettront de développer tous les sens harmonieusement, y compris l'odorat.
Beaucoup d'enfants ont une vision un peu vague du nez par rapport à la façon dont ils visualisent les yeux et la bouche.
Quand ils dessinent des visages, parfois les nez disparaissent! Ce programme scolaire encourage les enfants et les professeurs à l'observation d'un des organes les plus importants mais encore très mal perçu.
Demander le livre
This conference is proposed to parents, teachers and to everyone sharing the responsibility of educating and awakening young children to health and wellbeing.
Rediscovery of the Olfactory Sense
The olfactory sense is one of the first senses developed in newborns, however for many years it was considered too animal-like and was largely ignored by many societies. In our present environment the visual sense dominates over the other senses. Many people have lost a keen olfactory sense and must again learn to smell since to achieve wellness holistically, we need each sense to be in balance.
Since we have observed in many schools teachers saying "Look!" "Listen!" or "Touch!" but rarely "Smell!" For this reason olfactory lessons should be introduced at all ages and at all levels with methods adjusted for each stage of childhood.
Children develop senses other than smell quickly (sight, hearing, and touch) which sometimes discourages the development of the olfactory sense. This process is not intentional but happens because their upbringing might unintentionally discourage the sense of smell. Since the first years of a child's life are fundamental, they need a variety of sense experiences to gather an assortment of sensations giving them the necessary input to develop all senses harmoniously including the sense of smell.
Many children have a somewhat vague vision of the nose compared to how they visualize the eyes and the mouth.
When they draw faces, sometimes noses go missing! This program encourages children and teachers to re-discover the olfactory sense.
Creezy Courtoy is a Perfume Historian and Anthropologist
Academician of the Natural Perfumery Teacher’s Academy in Paris
International Perfume Foundation’s Founder and Chair
Info: http://www.smellfestival.it/2018/04/27/programma-2018/
June 16-17-2018
or
June 23-24-2018
2 days from 10am-4pm
@ Cherry Valley Lilacs
Bates Hop House, 54 Lancaster Street, Cherry Valley, NY 13320
Enfleurage Workshop
by Academician Charle-Pan Dawson
or
June 23-24-2018
2 days from 10am-4pm
@ Cherry Valley Lilacs
Bates Hop House, 54 Lancaster Street, Cherry Valley, NY 13320
Enfleurage Workshop
by Academician Charle-Pan Dawson
This course provides an in depth, step-by-step instruction of the process and is designed for more serious perfumers and extractors.
From this fully detailed course students will be able to set up their own Enfleurage studio and perform their own Enfleurage. Students will have long term continued access for questions, technical assistance, and problem solving, that may come up in their process.
The course outline includes:
Day 1: Enfleurage, The Making of Pomade, Flower Extraction
1) Enfleurage history and modern application.
2) The importance of enfleurage as a natural scent extraction technique
3) Chemistry of enfleurage and cold fat absorption techniques
4) Cleaning and preparation of chassis with substrate fat
5) Harvesting flowers for enfleurage in the field
6) Practice of flower selection, loading and unloading chassis
7) Troubleshooting 5 major issues that can occur in the pomade
Day 2: Hands-on Extraction from Pomade, Atelier Using State-of-the-Art Equipment
1) Harvesting the pomade
2) Traditional components of pomade extraction
3) Chemistry of essential flower oil extraction from pomade
4) Proprietary innovations in Enfleurage
5) Sustainability concerns and issues
6) Purchase and set up of equipment needed for small scale, medium and large scale Enfleurage production.
7) Hands-on practice using equipment, adjusting and setting parameters for optimal results.
8) We will go through the entire process of creating an actual lilac oil sample
9) Discussion: The future of Enfleurage
10) A complimentary copy of my booklet, The Book of Enfleurage
The Price: $1450 per person (maximum 6 persons by workshop) includes:
-2 day tuition
-a farm-raised picnic lunch provided both days in the field,
-a complimentary copy of The Book of Enfleurage
-an actual lilac oil sample
All courses are certified by the Teacher’s Academy, the student receives a certificate of accomplishment
including one year membership at IPF.
Accommodations
They are available at the local bed and breakfast, the Limestone Mansion in Cherry Valley.
Students may walk up the hill to the lilac farm from the Limestone Mansion. We also have a cabin on the farm, and loft bedroom with bath at the farm, that will house up to four students, but it requires advance booking. Students are advised to fly in to Albany Airport. A shuttle from the airport may be arranged. Full travel instructions are given with a phone call or email inquiry. A deposit of $100 is required at the time of booking.
They are available at the local bed and breakfast, the Limestone Mansion in Cherry Valley.
Students may walk up the hill to the lilac farm from the Limestone Mansion. We also have a cabin on the farm, and loft bedroom with bath at the farm, that will house up to four students, but it requires advance booking. Students are advised to fly in to Albany Airport. A shuttle from the airport may be arranged. Full travel instructions are given with a phone call or email inquiry. A deposit of $100 is required at the time of booking.
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