Ingredients

Since I come out of aromatherapy as both a practitioner and educator I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to authentic plant ingredients. I am also chemically sensitive. The ingredients in my product line are whole and from plants, mostly organic, very simple and many created by me. I source as local as possible and hand make all the fragrances in my own lab which is currently in Santa Fe New Mexico. Pictured above is the shop/lab I had for three years in Agoura Hills, CA.

The essences I use come from a variety of suppliers worldwide that do not test on animals or bulk the materials with isolates, amongst other frankinstein-ed or synthetic chemicals. 

Since I started the aromatic journey back in the 90's I've had the fortune to attend many conferences with suppliers and also get a clear sense of the artisan distillers creating truly pure essences that are for the practitioner of aromatherapy versus the conglomerates.

Besides purchasing essences I also distill my own and infuse, tincture and use enfleurage from plants in both Los Angeles and my new home in New Mexico.

Ingredients

Liquid Perfumes: 190 proof, Organic grape alcohol, essential oils and my own tinctures.

Solid Perfumes: Beeswax from my feral bees or other local bee guardians, Organic jojoba oil, essential oils and my own infusions.

Questions and Answers

Q: What are essential oils and how are they different from fragrance oils, isolates and other scent ingredients?

A: Essential oils come from plants and are obtained through the process of distillation. An aromatherapy practitioner uses essential oils due to their therapeutic activity. I as a perfume artist use them for their scent but also because they are whole and come from nature.

Other plant based scents I use that are sometimes referred to as essential oils are absolutes and C02 extracts. Fragrance oils and synthetic aroma chemicals used in almost all scented products come from petroleum. There are other scented aroma chemicals created in a lab called "isolates" which are sometimes from essential oils but often synthetics. Some natural perfumes use isolate, synthetics and animal ingredients such as civet and castoreum. I am choosing to work with a high vibrational palette of plant ingredients that are whole and vital.

Q: What is a tincture?

A: A tincture is derived from placing plant material, the prima materia, into a jar of high proof alcohol to extract properties from the plants. In traditional tinctures we extract medicinal properties, as a botanical perfumer I extract for scent, color and vibration. My alcohol is 190 proof, Organic alcohol that is used for beverages and medicinal tinctures.

Q: What is an infusion?

A: An infusion is similar to a tincture but instead of placing the plant material into a high proof alcohol we put it into a jar of carrier oil. The base for my infusions is Organic jojoba oil.

If you have more questions, please explore my site and journal. Feel free to reach out to me via the "contact page" here on the site.

Thank you for reading and your interest in authentic beauty and handmade, plant sourced pure fume!