Mystic of Perfume Making

There are different ways to initiate the composing of a new fragrance, but the spirit of it should always be one; “Kodo” the Zen of perfume.

In the Hebrew mystic, it is taught that all senses give pleasure to the body while the sense of smell gives pleasure to the soul.

In the Sufi Way, each “state” is associated with a scent, and in the Semitic language the word “fragrant” is a synonym to the word “good” as if every good perfume necessarily comes from a good thing, and every good thing necessarily emanates a good perfume. As conclusion of this, we have the tradition of the “perfume of holiness” that emanates from pious people whose actions are virtuous (good).

A perfumer from the industry has to learn the chemical molecules, their molecular structure, the story of their utilization, their preferred combinations with other ones, their manufacturing process, and their eventual toxicity. 

The Natural Perfumer also has to learn to know his natural essences. They are his ingredients, and the notes of his working instrument, the perfumer’s organ.

Natural essences are a lot more complex than the singular synthetic molecules used by the industry of mass perfumes.

The essential oil of plants is their vital spirit extracted through a process of Alchemy: distillation.

Basic knowledge of botany and Phytotherapy, our ancestral medicine, is indispensable for understanding the essences, as the medicinal properties of plants differ from variety and are most often due to the essential oils they contain.
The traditional herbal healer can understand their curative properties simply by observing them. Many are the clues: their shape, their growth, their reproduction, their preferred ground, their ideal climax, their reaction to aggressions, and their perfume.

The natural perfumer should arrive at this intuitive knowledge. By simply smelling a new essence, he should be able to understand its medicinal properties. He shall be able to do this if he uses them daily, not only to compose perfumes but also to cure himself, his family, and his friends.

In fact, practicing Aromatherapy is a natural outcome for those who compose perfumes with natural raw materials.
Essential oils are material substances, but their smell is immaterial. The material substance is used for Aromatherapy in drinks, foods, or massages, but their immaterial fumes, their vibration, and their aromas have surprising effects on us.

Who has not experienced, for instance, that the smell of lemon makes him salivate?

Or being overcome with intense emotions provoked by smelling odors from his past?

We all experienced how much bad smells can disturb us psychologically and how good smells can comfort us or make us happy.

The natural perfumer must learn the psychological properties of his raw materials. He will learn that simply by wearing them and observing the effects they produce on himself and on others.

This knowledge cannot be acquired except through personal experience, and if you were learning on your own, it could take a long time.

Fortunately, we are not alone; many are conducting research in olfactory psychology. If you study their conclusions and confront them with your own, you will not only grow rapidly in knowledge but also be able to contribute to new discoveries. The field of olfactory research is an unknown ocean still to be explored.

Olfactory research goes beyond the physical effects of scents on us; it explores the infinity of the human soul.

For the natural perfumer, wearing the essences is the first step toward attaining the knowledge indispensable to composing them into perfumes.
Wearing perfumes is the Kodo for the natural perfumer.