Perfume-Therapy: the return to the tradition of the Healer Perfumer

A perfumer who looks for inspiration inside himself is not only very limited, but he also risks ending up into an ego trip completely incompatible with true inspiration, as by definition inspiration transcends the person who receives it.

I heard Guerlain in an interview saying: “I never composed a perfume that was not intended for a woman who really existed and preferably one who had a significant importance in my life”.

A real perfume is made for real persons.
The true fount of inspiration for the perfumer is others, and it is endless.
A perfumer should consider himself as being at the service of others and not as a mythical genius worthy of admiration.
The worst that can happen to a perfumer is to shut himself in a world of his own, losing connection with the reality of others.

Making bespoke perfumes for single individuals is practically the only road available to an independent Natural perfumer who wants to learn the art and start the profession. This service should always remain for him a constant exercise in order not to lose contact with reality and in order to continue to receive input of new ideas.

I once told a musician friend: “you will not be an artist until you make music that heals people”.
The same is valid for the perfumer; his fragrances should infuse positive emotions and vital energy, restore harmony and psychological balance.
This could be seen as the new frontier of modern Perfumery, but it is only a return to the antique tradition of the Healer Perfumer. It is called Perfume-Therapy.

For years I have had a form online through which customers can choose the notes dearest to their heart and ask me to compose a custom perfume.

I receive requests for accords that I would have never imagined. These accords are the expression of the deepest desires of the soul. This interaction with the intimate taste of real persons is a continuous challenge to my professionalism and a constant fount of learning for me.

I would advise every Natural Perfumer to do something of the kind, if he wants to take the way of making real perfumes for real people. Like Guerlain.