Clarification about naturals vs synthetics

I had to erase my first comment was just too ridiculously long because there's so much to unpack here. I wanted the first congratulate you, if I hadn't already run into you here. I am sorry that you had to be told that you needed to use synthetics to make a proper perfume because that is incorrect. Unfortunately the last couple years there's been a targeted bias against natural perfumery going on. I think where things get lost is that perfumers can create however with naturals or aroma chemicals -these materials are our scent to pallet like paint or an instrument- they are there for you to express. Honestly though sometimes perfumery is easier (but does not smell better or original )for a lot of people because it's become like buy a kit, copying formulas online -almost like painting by numbers. Natural perfumery because the materials are so expensive does not work that way. I don't want to discourage people though. I highly encourage buying a very small sample sizes to experience as much as everything one can sample to know what is authentic every time one smells again they are building creative and neural connections. It is unfortunate that there is an influx of new perfumers that believe that without training, they can start selling their perfumes immediately and charge whatever they want just because they are using naturals. Technically "essential oils "would not be the technical term for what natural perfumers use as predominantly they are, essential oils are a particular kind of distillation extraction. You could use "natural materials, natural essences.." The whole joy kill of people saying one is better than really, technically comes down to do you want to create to make a "brand" or treat perfume because you love perfume and want to express yourself? No. 1: If as a brand then one will have to restrict their perfume pallet. There are places like Canada and China were some materials cannot be used & there heavily restricted and of course, many countries following IFRA recommendations.

Instead of people putting the cart before the horse it might be nice to get to know some of the materials, what you like about them personally (because this is what is going to set you apart from other perfumers ) and set some goals first? Smell training is crucial. We learn their "impact" the first thing we smell when we atomizer or apply the material on the scent strip and we can personally write our observations through the process until their scent fades = diffusion. Doing this will build so many new olfactory, receptors and neurons. I would advise and be very careful about smelling a lot high impact aroma chemicals early on as they will be very harsh on olfactory receptors- many time people won't use aroma chemicals into it just looking what whatever is online is telling them it is useful for but it doesn't much help them when their perfume is not turning out correctly. So in a nutshell, if you like the way, natural smell, use naturals if you like the Way natural smell but they do not have enough longevity & they're too expensive. "Mixed media" may be the way to go. Naturals are the in the heart and soul what makes people feel bonded and close personal with a perfume and aroma chemicals stretch limits that naturals can't - they are the electric to the acoustic. The delay & reverb, distortion and volume control -but one must be very mindful on the perfume composing volume knob that goes to 11, because there are people out there with real fragrance, sensitivities.

/r/DIYfragrance Thread