Natural Perfume is perfume that is crafted in small batches using only natural ingredients. Natural denotes that the raw materials used are extracted by simple means from plant or animal sources. Nature has provided us with countless gifts whose smell it is possible to capture. Flowers like; jasmine, osmanthus, and rose; woods, resins, leaves and fruits of trees and shrubs; as well as mushrooms, nuts and even seaweed readily give up their essences when the correct techniques are employed.

The simplest ways to extract essences from natural materials are tincturing, infusion, enfleurage and hydro-distillation.

Tincturing means soaking the raw material in pure alcohol for at least 6 weeks, shaking daily and filtering.

Oil Infusion is the soaking of odiferous material in oil for at least 6 weeks.

Enfleurage is a technique whereby fragrant raw material is laid carefully on sheets of solid fat thus allowing the essence of the material to saturate the fat. This aromatic fat is called a pommade. The pommade is further separated using alcohol washing to produce an *absolute.

Hydro-distillation is where the raw material is simmered in water. The condensed steam is collected and separated into two components; the precious essential oil and the fragrant water, also called a hydrosol.

*Washing with alcohol is done after the raw material has been extracted using a food grade solvent to produce a concrete, the concrete is washed with pure alcohol to separate the waxes from the plant essence or absolute.

The end materials the perfumer uses are tinctures, infusions, essential oils and absolutes. These materials are usually diluted in another medium before being blended. The medium can be alcohol, an unscented light oil such has jojoba or fractionated coconut oil. Beeswax may be added to make the end result a solid perfume.

Note: Natural perfumes should always be tested on the skin before their full characteristics can be celebrated. Natural perfumes are usually more expensive than perfumes containing synthetics because the materials used are often more costly.