Anya's Garden Perfumes + The Natural Perfumery Institute

My Journey into Natural Perfumery Part One

2025-07-10T16:56:00.001-04:00

My Journey into Natural Perfumery

I was a failed perfumer at age three! What a mess I made. Here is my first core memory of perfume. I remember sitting on my bedroom floor with sunlight streaming through the big windows, carefully pouring the last drops of my two favorite perfumes that I had been gifted by my female relatives into one bottle. I thought I was making an even better perfume. Instead, I ended up with a horrible, foul-smelling mix. The disappointment of that moment – and the realization that I could not “undo” my fragrant disaster – has stayed with me ever since. I was shocked to the core at the loss.

I used AI to recreate that moment of frustration and shock when I ruined the two beautiful perfumes . I thought that pouring them together would make an even more beautiful perfume, but the result was horrible! I can't tell you how I felt seeing this image after all these years, my jaw literally dropped.

Two decades later, my life changed when I befriended two retired perfume supply salesmen who knew of my passion for perfume and my extensive essential oil collection I had been experimenting with.. They gifted me vintage sample sales cases filled with rare and beautiful essences and shared obscure perfumery books that taught me the basics of creating perfume. Back in the 1970s, perfumery was a secretive world. Perfumers worked within large companies, and no outsider could learn the craft.

I devoured every book they gave me, memorizing formulas, studying techniques, and then experimented tirelessly for years. Yes, years – creating blends that were mostly muddy and heavy on base notes as I honed my skills.

Finally, in 1991, I launched my natural perfume line in Miami Anya's Tropical Essences. My 100% natural fragrances attracted private label contracts with several boutique hotels on South Beach. My skill and experience only grew from there. I was now a perfumer! Nevertheless, wait - I still had to graduate to a professional perfumer – the story will continue…

If you want to learn natural perfumery and become a professional perfumer, I invite you to enroll in my basic perfumery course. < click the link to learn more and shave years off your journey to becoming a perfumer). Choose either the Independent study option or the Pro Tutorial for personal mentorship on your journey to creating beautiful, natural perfumes.

If you'd like to see my perfume site , which is currently under construction here is the perfume store page https://anyasgarden.com/blog.store

A Fragrant Gift to the Street and Perfume

2025-06-13T14:19:00.000-04:00

There are thousands of flower clusters on this orange jasmine tree, Murraya paniculata. It's almost 30 years old, and blooms several times a year, often on the full moon. the scent is gorgeous, and it diffuses for over 100 feet. I've been harvesting the flowers for tincture for years, making sure to do it early in the day because thousands of bees descend on it in a frenzy by afternoon. I can only imagine what that honey tastes like!

Orange Jasmine tree in Anya's Garden

A neighbor took this photo because she's so enamoured of the fragrance. She plucked a few flowers, and put them on her kitchen counter and they fragranced the room for the day. A few years ago, I posted a blog describing how to obtain a tincture of these flowers, but it applies to many flowers that you may have growing. Here is the link:

https://anyasgarden.blogspot.com/2023/05/perfume-tincture-of-orange-jasmine.html

Patchouli Phreak Project

2024-06-19T16:57:00.013-04:00

Introduction to the Patchouli Phreak Project

Patchouli - most people love it or hate it. I'm a hippie from the mid-1960s, so you can guess where I stand. I have a collection of patchouli oils from various countries and from different time periods. I wish I still had some I got back in the 60s, but they're long gone, used up, vaporized into the air. Recently, I did a scent re-evaluation of many of the oils and discovered some amazing evolution in the scents. Patchouli is a "base" note in perfumery, which means it will last indefinitely under good storage conditions, and mellow and evolve during storage.

patchouli basking in the semi-shade in my front garden

In the next few months, I will write about many of the oils I have stashed in my extensive collection. I'm not going to give the history and create monographs of each oil, I just want to share some of my observations after almost 60 years of collecting them. For the record, I typically use light patchouli in my perfumes, a molecularly distilled oil suitable for replicability and smoothness.

It's important to reference the Lexicon I provide for my students to describe all the variations in scent notes that I found within the different patchoulis. Typical textbooks and references say that Patchouli is a base note, woody, musky, balsamic, earthy, etc. However, those few descriptors are rather limited and don't convey the variety of top, middle, and base notes found within this intriguing oil. Many people don't know that almost every essential oil and absolute has its own top middle and base notes. Of course, we know that where they are grown, harvest time, soil, and extraction methods can give great variance to any oil.

The Most Unique and Lovely Oil

Many of the patchouli oils I have are rather as expected. I should add that many of my patchouli oils are aged, some of them 20 years or more. So my findings while hopefully expanding your observations of oils when you evaluate them in the future, will also encourage you to put some aside and age them, like a fine wine, to determine where their chemical constituents take them. I can say without hesitation because Patchouli is such a stable heavy molecule not one of my patchoulis ever went bad (oxidized) or rancid as some oils can.

Sixteen ounces of last-century exquisite patchouli oil

from Camden Gray

Lexicon for the oil I'm describing today from Camden Gray, purchased in 1999:

Smooth, earthy, balsamic, cedar, mitti, ozonic, geosmin, petrichor

From Wikipedia:

Petrichor wafts through the air when rain falls on rich, healthy soil. That soil is home to millions of microorganisms that produce a chemical compound called geosmin.

Geosmin is a gas produced by a group of bacteria called Actinomycetes, though it's unclear why. You can smell geosmin after it rains, or in your garden after tilling soil or watering plants.

So, petrichor is detected as the rain falls on the soil, and geosmin is the scent released as a gas by the soil bacteria. I took a course in soil microbiology and was married to a Ph.D. in soil microbiology, so I am always intrigued by soil/bacteria/air/water interactions. I also smell the subtle ozone in this oil that can manifest before it rains.

This oil seems to include a spectrum of scents from petrichor to geosmin. Very unusual.

Mitti is an Indian co-distillation of soil that has been saturated during monsoon, then dried out and mixed with sandalwood oil in the distillation unit. The patchouli I'm writing about here has that mitti smell (actually more mitti-ish than any mitti I ever experienced) without the sandalwood, of course.

Patchouli is expected to be smooth, soft in nature, if "loud" in wafting diffusion. A little goes a long way, as you may know. Earthy is a given, it has deep, rich tones, but this oil takes it beyond that, really invoking soil in a beautiful, fresh, uplifting way. It's just so unique from all the patchoulis I have ever experienced.

Balsamic is a sweet, warm, resinous, forest-type fragrance. This oil certainly takes me to a sweet-smelling forest, a touch away from a fougere family perfume, only needing to be uplifted by some lavender and wild citrus.

I'm encouraging you to put the base note oils away to age in a cool, dry place, and observe their evolution over time. This patchouli project has been very inspiring to me, and I hope you look forward to the next oil I write about.

Leave a comment on this oil or any patchouli oil you love, and I will enter you in a random drawing for one ounce of it. Open to USA residents only. The drawing will be held on June 25th, 2024, and will be announced here on the 26th.

Ask the Perfumer Sunday Mar 22, 2020

2023-05-26T16:18:00.005-04:00

Ask the Perfumer Sunday Mar 22, 2020

by Anya McCoy | Mar 22, 2020 | Anya's Garden Perfumes | 0 comments

I’m here to answer your questions about natural perfumery until later tonight. Don’t forget to check the box so that you’ll get a notice when I answer.

For fun – here’s the image of most of the Bonus Modules that my students get when they enroll in my Basic perfumery course. Several have been added since this graphic was made. Payment plans are now available! https://perfumeclasses.com

Ask the Perfumer Sunday March 15, 2020

2023-05-26T16:14:00.004-04:00

Ask the Perfumer Sunday March 15, 2020

by Anya McCoy | Mar 15, 2020 | Anya's Garden Perfumes | 6 comments

Yellow ylang ylang flowers turn the tincture green, and get darker with each recharge. The scent is very, very strong! Beautiful.

Hi Everyone!
I’ll be here until later today, early evening, to answer your questions about perfumery, natural perfumery, to be exact. If you post late, I’ll get to your answers tomorrow.

6 Comments

Catherine Oshin on March 15, 2020 at 12:58 pm
I have studied holistic and clinical aromatherapy and am now studying botanical perfumery. I am big on safety issues and proper dosage. How do I deal with these issues in perfumery? For example, could a pregnant woman use my jasmine perfume if it’s a 15% dilution? What about using phototoxic citrus oils in topically applied oils or perfumes? I don’t see this information in the books I have. Speaking of books, your book on homemade perfumes is beautiful and useful and I’m so glad I got it!
Reply
- admin on March 15, 2020 at 2:44 pm
  Hi Catherine
  It would be unethical for me to give advice to another school’s student, I hope you understand. Some of your questions are answered in my course or in articles I’ve written. But for aromatherapy safety, again, go back to your teachers for this advice.
  Sincerely,
  Anya
  Reply
Susan on March 15, 2020 at 11:26 pm
I’m so happy you are doing this! I love your book and learned so much in your Basic Level perfumery course. I look forward to following the posts here and continuing to benefit from your expertise.
Thank you!
Reply
Charle-Pan on March 16, 2020 at 1:31 pm
Thank you for doing this Anya. It is a much needed service! What are you using to tincture the Ylang Ylang? Is it straight ethanol ?
Reply
- Anya on March 16, 2020 at 10:03 pm
  Hi Charle-Pan
  Yes, 190 proof sugar cane alcohol.
  Best, Anya
  Reply
Evelyn on March 16, 2020 at 2:49 pm
HI Anya!
Is is too obvious of question: how to capture sea salt aroma?
Keep well,
Evelyn

2023-05-26T16:12:00.002-04:00

Ask the Perfumer Sunday

by Anya McCoy | Mar 8, 2020 | Anya's Garden Perfumes | 8 comments

Time to revive this much-loved give back I provide to the perfume community. I’ll be here until 10 PM Miami time.

8 Comments

Trudie Simpson on March 8, 2020 at 4:17 pm
I love to make alcohol free oil perfumes, but how do i create a longer lasting oil perfume ?
Reply
- admin on March 8, 2020 at 10:19 pm
  Use a good proportion of middle notes in addition to your base notes.
  Reply
Doreen on March 8, 2020 at 10:08 pm
Hi! Thanks for the offer! Here’s my question. Is Ambergris now illegal in the USA? If so, have any tips how to create a similar scent profile?
Thanks!
Reply
- admin on March 8, 2020 at 10:18 pm
  100% legal!
  Reply
Evelyn on March 15, 2020 at 1:35 pm
Hi!
How do make a sea salt scent?
Reply
- Anya on March 16, 2020 at 12:25 pm
  Hi Evelyn
  That’s a complicated question since there is no natural sea salt oil. Some use tiny bits of seaweed absolute or some vetivers. Sorry, I have’t delved into that fragrance family too much.
  Best,
  Anya
  Reply
LeaDee on April 5, 2020 at 12:04 pm
Interested in your course. Please email info
Reply
- Anya on April 5, 2020 at 1:05 pm
  Hi
  It’s better for you to visit the site there’s too much to email, but I will also send you the link by email. https://perfumeclasses.com
  Anya

Making Perfume: Working with Thick and Pasty Aromatics

2023-05-26T16:10:00.004-04:00

by Anya McCoy | Sep 30, 2019 | Anya's Garden Perfumes, DIY, How to Make Perfume, natural aromatics, natural perfume, raw materials of perfumery | 10 comments

Making Perfume: Working with Thick and Pasty Aromatics

I have been working with perfumery aromatics since 1976. That’s the year I began to seriously study perfumery with the aid of a few rare books and the assistance of two retired perfume industry sales representatives. I had already been collecting essential oils and absolutes for hippie fun, but that year I got serious about making perfume.

At that time, I hadn’t come across labdanum, tonka bean absolute, myrrh, and some of the other thick and pasty aromatics. The thick ones, as I’ll call them from here out, are impossible to pour, or use with a dropper. When I did come across them, the perfume reps taught me about diluting* aromatics to work with them, both the thin, pourable stuff and especially the thick, difficult-to-work-with ones. *Dilution is the subject of another blog and is taught in Module one of my course.

I remember my jaw dropping when I read a perfumer recommend something like “50 drops” or labdanum in a “recipe”. Impossible! (and amateurish, too). This was about 15 years ago, and I was already using diluted aromatics to make my mods (modifications are the name given the experimentation with aromatics when composing perfume alternatives).

The typical way to make the thick oils more fluid was to heat the bottle they were in a bain-marie aka a water bath. What is a bain-marie? An invention by Maria the Jewess in ancient Egypt adapted for modern culinary and in our case, perfumery work. In the culinary world, custards, cheesecakes, and other foods are either cooked in or kept warm in, a pot containing water.

I typically used a “coffee cup” warmer with a borosilicate beaker on it that contained water up to about the halfway mark on the aromatics bottle. Messy and dangerous.

A Wonderful Revelation in Working with Thick Aromatics

So, for years, artisan perfumers were placing the bottles of myrrh, fir balsam absolute, oakmoss absolute, etc, into a pot of hot water. You had to pay careful attention that the water didn’t get too hot, and VERY careful when you removed the bottle from the water to pour the aromatic. Use a potholder, and make sure not one drop of water got into the receiver bottle, or the aromatic would be contaminated. A lot of scary, potentially dangerous work.

I have been teaching distance-learning perfumery online courses since 2007, pioneering both the concept of learning natural perfumery outside of the classroom, but more importantly to me, sharing decades of workarounds and introducing modern techniques to aspiring perfumers.

Four ounce bottle of thick labdanum absolute nestled in hot rice

A few years into the course, in the student forum where we all chat, a student shared a brilliant idea about an alternative to using a bain-marie. Michael Singles suggested that fill a bowl or beaker with rice, heat the rice (two minutes seems to be a good time) in a microwave and then insert the bottle into the rice for a few minutes, and the thick oil will liquify. It works beautifully! I have been on perfume and aromatherapy forums for decades, and had never seen this tip, it was a revelation! BTW, at the time, I didn’t have a microwave, and I heated the rice in a small saucepan on the stove, which also works beautifully.

You’ll still need a potholder to handle the hot bottle, but no water is involved, no mess, no fuss! You have to reinsert the bottle into the bowl or beaker occasionally, as it does start to solidify after a few minutes, but what a great relief to have such an easy way to warm oils to make them pourable!

If the receiver bottle or jar has a wide enough opening, you can just pour the aromatic, but you’ll probably find you need a pipette to transfer the oil or absolute.

The rice is reusable, so after you’re done, allow it to cool, and place it in an airtight container and keep it for the next session.

Using a beaker with the hot rice. Of course, this can be scaled up for a large bottle.

Hot Rice and Stuck Caps

I told a friend I was working on this subject for my blog, and she said she had purchased several bottles of myrrh and couldn’t open them. Myrrh is notoriously thick and sticky, and I guess the cap is fused to the neck of the bottle. In this case, I would recommend burying the bottle in the hot rice and then attempting to open it. If successful, I would recommend pouring the now-liquified myrrh into a *jar*. Suppliers should pack thick aromatics in jars, not narrow-necked bottles, in my opinion. Once in the jar, you should apply a thin layer of coconut oil to the inside of the cap threads, and to the jar threads, as this might help avoid the stuck cap problem in the future.

I hope I have helped readers with this *sticky* problem and saved them having to deal with boiling water and all the subsequent problems that may entail. Let me know if this post has helped you, I know I depend on this method every time I work with thick, unpourable aromatics. This tip has been in the textbook for my Basic Course in natural perfumery since 2010, so there are many using this method. I gladly pass it on to the rest of the artisan community to help y’all out. I’ve shared it in various posts over the years, but recently realized I hadn’t blogged about it. Start heating that rice!

10 Comments

Susan Meeker-Lowry on October 1, 2019 at 4:30 pm
Awesome idea using hot rice!!! I never thought of that, but using a hotplate next to my work space with water and water baths, keeping the temp hot enough so I could use the material but not too hot, and, like you said, the risk of water contamination, was rather risky. I never blew it, but I was always nervous with that set up. I do dilute some ingredients, and that’s fine, but thank you so much for this idea. I can’t wait to try it!
Reply
Anya on October 1, 2019 at 4:39 pm
You’ll be amazed at the ease of it, Susan.
Reply
Marge Clark on October 1, 2019 at 4:57 pm
Brilliant idea! We started offering our “solid” aromatics in jars a year or two ago. Myrrh is a challenge because when we bottle it, it is still liquid. What I do with a retail sized jar is immediately wipe the threads down with either Fractionated Coconut or Jojoba… long lasting lipids, as you mentioned. Myrrh is too liquid for a jar, but too sticky/solid for a bottle. Doesn’t work well either way.
One other thought, if making an oil based perfume or balm, also warm your fixed/carrier oil. If you add a warmed ‘solid’ to a cold fixed oil, the result looks like an old fashioned Lava Lamp. (don’t ask how I know!)
Reply
- Anya McCoy on October 3, 2019 at 6:03 pm
  Thanks, Marge, that’s a good tip.
  Reply
Rae Lynn on October 1, 2019 at 6:42 pm
Thank you for this tip!
Reply
Susan Meeker-Lowry on October 1, 2019 at 7:25 pm
Thank you! For the suggestion of warming the oil first. And the oil around the threads of the bottle works great. The same with resin tinctures that I make.
Reply
Carol Stella on October 2, 2019 at 12:11 pm
Thank you for awesome tips….I have a German Chamomile co2 that I will now enjoy using!!
Reply
Meg on November 5, 2019 at 5:54 pm
Is it necessary to have the absolute pour-able? For example, could you weigh the amount of tonka bean absolute you need, and scrape it out with a toothpick or tiny spoon? I’ve done this before and added it to alcohol, and with enough stirring, the absolute mixes in with the alcohol.
Reply
Sabrina on December 2, 2019 at 4:38 pm
Do you offer classes?
Reply
- Anya on December 2, 2019 at 4:48 pm
  Yes, distance-learning courses at https://perfumeclasses.com

Helpful tools for perfumemaking

2023-05-26T16:07:00.001-04:00

Helpful tools for perfumemaking

by Anya McCoy | Jul 29, 2019 | Anya's Garden Perfumes, Ask the Perfumer, How to Make Perfume, natural perfumery course, Natural Perfumery Institute, raw materials of perfumery | 3 comments

Essentials pictured above very useful, but not an exhaustive list represented here in this photo. More perfumemaking tools are shown below in this post.

PHOTO: stainless steel tray for surface protection when pouring, filling bottles, etc. Stainless steel measuring cups and spoons. Borosilicate beakers, stainless steel funnels, stainless potato ricer for straining botanicals from alcohol tincture. Stainless steel strainers when filtering tinctures. Thermometers for heating materials. Graduated cylinders, droppers, and offset spatula for enfleurage lids. Not pictured: stainless steel bowls, filter papers.

It’s not just beakers, and pipettes and scales, there are many interesting and inexpensive tools for perfume making that I have found indispensable. Here are some of the tools and gadgets I’ve found helpful in the perfumemaking process. Please google or do further research into any process you’re interested in, as I won’t be answering individual questions about them on the blog. My students learn about these at different stages of their studies and receive in-depth training and have questions answered in their forums. When my new teaching site launches, there will be over 100 pages of supplemental materials for their enjoyment/learning at http://PerfumeClasses.com

Monprene dropper

For years, I used rubber dropper tops, and finally gave up, due to evaporation of the alcohol and essential oil dilutions, rendering my carefully-weighed dilutions useless. Then I found out about laboratory-grade monprene bulbs. They’re made to resist any solvents, and my perfume organ is now evaporation-proof! I think the smallest size the monprene droppers come in is for 15ml/half-ounce bottles, which you see in the picture. Available in black or white.

Ah, visual serenity, aesthetic beauty, and so much more refined! This perfume organ should be the desired type for artisan perfumers. Modern, cost-effective, and so easy to use!

Scale

I make my perfumes by diluted aromatics/dropper method, and then, using specific gravity calculations, measure the undiluted aromatics I need to make the perfume. A scale helps in both processes. First, I dilute using the aromatic and alcohol weights to the desired concentration, and then I later measure the aromatic for the finished perfume. A good, inexpensive scale can work for this, especially in the dilution phase. Find a scale that measures down to the hundredths (0.00) and up to 200 grams, even 100 grams will do. Use borosilicate (lightweight) 50 ml beakers for the dilution measurements. Upgrade to a 0.00 to 500-gram scale as your business grows 😉

Wax-Carving Tools

When working with thick aromatics like labdanum, tonka bean absolute and such, nothing makes it easier to remove from the bottle for dilution or weighing than wax carving tools. They’re stainless steel so they’re non-reactive and very sturdy, they won’t bend or break off in the bottle.

Separatory Funnel

This is handy for both perfumes and distillation, i.e., separating essential oil from the hydrosol. I’m using this illustration because it’s labeled, but separatory funnels are glass and require a metal stand to hold them upright.

Conductivity meter aka Total Dissolved Solids meter

I make a lot of tinctures from flowers, leaves, roots, etc., in alcohol. The essential oils in the botanicals dissolve in the alcohol and you can measure the amount with these inexpensive meters. Alcohol equals 0 on the meter, and each time you recharge the alcohol by straining out the spent botanical and adding fresh botanical to the alcohol, you can check the TDS number. At a certain point, you will see the number stops rising, and that means the alcohol is saturated with the essential oil, and you can cease recharging. Very handy device.

Mixer with Teflon bars

Mixers work to blend perfumes before bottling. They’re not always necessary, but are helpful when there are 1) oils that are very different in consistency, or 2) you want to help the “aging” or “maturation” process of your perfume. See the vortex in the beaker? The Teflon bar is on the bottom, and a force in the mixer causes it to churn. Keep your perfume covered with a plate, and run the mixer in short bursts, stopping every 12 hours or so to evaluate the change in the perfume.

Sterilize Equipment with UV light

After washing your bottles, caps, and equipment, it’s a good idea to sterilize them, especially true if you’re making hydrosols. These UV units are sold to the tattoo and nail arts businesses but are suitable for small scale sterilization for our purposes. Get one with a top rack, as shown. I put clean bottles on the top rack, and it’ll fit two one-quart jars or many smaller bottles. I put the caps facing upwards on the bottom, as the light will pass through the glass and sterilize the caps. Some hydrosol equipment is shown in the photo below.

Vacuum pump for filtration

These are primarily used drain brake fluid from cars but have been adapted to aid in the filtration of perfumes with a Buchner filter and Erlenmeyer flask. Make sure to wear eye protection when using this, the spring inside may fly out. Inexpensive but a bit tricky. There are more expensive, different filtering devices on the market.

Potato Ricer to Strain Tincture material

I use a stainless steel food press as an herbal press for small amounts. I was able to fit about half the spent flowers into the first pressing.

Microplane grater

I’ve seen people grinding precious ambergris in a mortar and pestle, and I’d never do that! Too much waste of the gris, and who needs a scented mortar? I use these instead, and they’re fast and non-reactive.

Microplane grater suitable for making ambergris tincture

That’s all for now, I’ll follow up with more tools and techniques I’ve found useful in perfumemaking in my decades of experimenting and refining the process. In the meantime, subscribe to my blog to see the latest in modern techniques for natural perfumery, and any aromatic observations I make.

My professional perfumery course comes with a textbook, unique forms, charts, and more. It’s a worldwide distance-learning course, established in 2007.

I started a group on Facebook that is focused on Modern Perfumery Techniques. Join us.

3 Comments

Susan Farber on July 29, 2019 at 3:33 pm
Hello.
Can you recommend what brand and model number for the Conductivity meter aka Total Dissolved Solids meter? I looked on Amazon and there are a ton. Thanks.
Reply
Dan Say on July 29, 2019 at 3:35 pm
thank you for the info on tools, the potato ricer is a good one.
Reply
Mia on August 1, 2019 at 2:48 pm
many great tips here – thank you! I’m wondering when using a filter with filterpaper inlays as shown in the picture in the vacuum pump – how is the filterpaper kept on the bottom and not floating around in the Buchner filter?

Making perfume: 100% natural perfume products

2023-05-26T16:05:00.001-04:00

Making perfume: 100% natural perfume products

by Anya McCoy | Apr 6, 2019 | How to Make Perfume, natural aromatics, natural perfumery course, Natural Perfumery Institute, study perfumery | 0 comments

In my professional making perfume course, I instruct students in the art of perfumery from the first drop to the final product. There are many bonus modules for fragrant products, including potpourri, body butter, scented body powder, enfleurage, and many more that allow you to be a multi-faceted perfumer.

The new website is under construction, so excuse the tired face of the current site at https://perfumeclasses.com, but get excited by the modern one to come! Here’s a sample of some of the luscious photos illustrating the new site:

POMADE EXTRAIT POWDER PERFUME

See you in class!

Homemade Perfume book reviews

2023-05-26T16:03:00.001-04:00

Homemade Perfume book reviews

by Anya McCoy | Aug 26, 2018 | Anya's Garden Perfumes | 1 comment

My latest newsletter contains reviews of my new book Homemade Perfume, a book giveaway on a blog, and info on my professional perfumery course.

You can purchase Homemade Perfume here, either a Kindle version or paperback.

In Homemade Perfume, I instruct you on how to select oils or extracts you have made from your garden, how to blend them, and how to make lovely fragrant products like liquid or solid perfumes, body powder, room and linen sprays, and much more. Included is a carefully curated list of suppliers for everything from bottles to alcohol, tools, essential oils, and miscellaneous supplies.

Reviews

“In Homemade Perfume, [Anya McCoy] gives you step by step instructions that are very clear, and with their help, you can make your own essential oils, tinctures, even hydrosols! … The book is really nicely produced, clear, with a large number of photographs so you not only have instructions, but also have visual references to help you to understand exactly what to do, and how to do it in sequence. … You really do get comprehensive advice here, and it is by far the best book I have seen on this subject.”

–Blacknall Allen’s A Perfume Blog

For Kindle readers:

“I’m impressed. This author knows how to teach and write instructions, and is extremely knowledgeable about the topic. I’ve read a lot of instructional books (I have a strange passion for how-to books, and I have a lot of hobbies so I tend to actually use the information). This book is well-written and well-designed. It seems care was taken to make the Kindle version actually usable which is, sadly, often not the case. I was able to read and use this book on my phone – very handy for a reference book.”

— Carol C.

“Love my book!”

— Bernadette H.

On the Fragrantica blog:

All in all, Homemade Perfume by Anya McCoy is a book that I feel should not only serve as a delicious conversation piece on my coffee table, for anyone visiting my place, but also as a personal reference for when the mood strikes to get down the shelf and try composing a Sensual Tincture Room and Linen Spray (recipe on page 121) or an Easy Pomade Semi-Solid Perfume (recipe on page 116).

Anya has already conducted that crucial subject of such an opus as harvesting your own materials and making your own scents; safety precautions. Not only are her plant suggestions thoroughly researched (she clearly mentions that should you venture outside her propositions, you need to do your own research just to be sure), but her quantitative suggestions are carefully dosed to comply with FDA guidelines for skin use and for allergy precautions.

— Elena Vosnaki

“I received my copy and it’s WONDERFUL. Thank you so much. <3”

–Laura E.K.

“Yay! Got mine today…it is beautiful and I was so excited as I skimmed…I have a beautiful stand of yesterday, today and tomorrow bushes that are prolific bloomers! and I never thought about tincturing or distilling them! Can’t wait!”

–Judy K.

“I received my book on the 31st. Beautifully done. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!”

–Cynthia H.

You can purchase Homemade Perfume here, either a Kindle version or paperback.

Isabelle Gellé is a noted natural perfumer, and I was honored that she reviewed Homemade Perfume for the Cafleurebon blog.

Homemade Perfume is an entry book for those who want to learn about perfumery or a perfumer/homesteader/gardener who has fragrant plants growing and wants to learn how to extract their scent.

However – Do you want to be a professional perfumer?

Homemade Perfume, my new book, contains a lot of information but is for the hobbyist. For anyone who wants to have a career in perfumery, my online distance-learning course is comprehensive and will give you all the information you need to establish a business. The Basic Course comes with a 350-page textbook, the first-ever written in the United States. I am a former adjunct professor in a graduate course at Florida Atlantic University, so I bring my decades of experience to this textbook.

Something you can’t get anywhere else – Supplemental materials that include both Word.doc and Excel.xls forms to allow you to update your perfume-making notes so that they’re easily searchable, charts, and other helpful products.

Here’s a sample of the Table of Contents

Enroll now, and begin your next stage in life – as a perfumer!

The Natural Perfumery Institute – established 2007

The Natural Perfumers Guild is always working to protect the rights of natural fragrance businesses!

For over 10 years, the Natural Perfumers Guild has been a guiding force and self-regulated association dedicated to the use of natural aromatics. If you have a natural fragrance business, please join us as we continue to build our natural perfume community, define and defend the use of 100% natural aromatics, and educate the public on the beauty of them. Click here to read more, and purchase products from our members with the confidence of the naturalness of the ingredients.

From Miami, our best wishes

Anya, Brian, Gracie, Andrea, and Danny

Homemade Perfume book #1 best seller on Amazon

2023-05-26T15:57:00.000-04:00

Homemade Perfume book #1 best seller on Amazon

by Anya McCoy | Jul 30, 2018 | Anya's Garden Perfumes | 3 comments

This has happened several times during the pre-sales time frame on Amazon – Homemade Perfume made it to #1 in Aromatherapy (and a few times in Nature Crafts, too)! Thank you for your support in pre-ordering my book, and I got word today that even though the release date isn’t until tomorrow, several buyers got emails from Amazon today that it’s shipped, and they’ll receive it tomorrow – how wonderful!

Here’s some information about the book, but I invite you to go to Amazon and “look inside” for much more detail on what information and educational offerings are in Homemade Perfume!

“This unprecedented, comprehensive guide from renowned perfumer Anya McCoy is an inspiring resource for anyone interested in creating artisanal perfume at home. Discover simple step-by-step methods for making perfume without harsh chemicals. Jump right in, using local plants and common household ingredients. Soon you’ll be building your own scent collection and creating unforgettable gifts for friends and family.

This book covers a variety of techniques for capturing fragrances from natural materials, making it easy to choose the project that works for your schedule and experience level. Source your own organically grown botanicals, and enjoy the earth-friendly benefits of creating your own essential oils and extractions sustainably.

Make your own all-natural perfumes, room and linen sprays, body butters, massage oils, and more. Explore the nuances of scent blending to create delightful fragrances that are unique to you. Packed with easy methods and expert guidance, this book will become an indispensable reference as you grow into a confident scent designer.”

Buy your copy now and enjoy the fun projects that will help you make fragrant, natural gifts and products!

3 Comments

Heather Correll on July 30, 2018 at 2:37 pm
Congratulations on the release of your book! So exciting! I can’t wait to receive my copy. I know I will enjoy every page. It is sure to become a treasured resource for many!
Reply
Patricia Hoffmann on December 29, 2018 at 11:01 am
hello i am tying to get your book over amazon ,no way
Reply
- Anya on December 29, 2018 at 11:15 am
  Hi
  Can you tell me what the problem is? I’ll look into it. I’ll soon have signed copies on my site for $25.
  Best wishes,
  Anya

Homemade Perfume book by Anya McCoy July 31, 2018

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Homemade Perfume book by Anya McCoy July 31, 2018

by Anya McCoy | Jul 1, 2018 | Anya's Garden Perfumes, DIY, enfleurage, Healthy perfume, Homemade Perfume book, How to Make Perfume, Hydrosols, natural aromatics, natural perfume, raw materials of perfumery, study perfumery | 0 comments

Homemade Perfume Book by Anya McCoy cover

Homemade Perfume will be published July 31, 2018! You can preorder now and lock in the price. http://amzn.to/2HG7Bhs

This unprecedented, comprehensive guide from renowned perfumer Anya McCoy is an inspiring resource for anyone interested in creating artisanal perfume at home. Discover simple step-by-step methods for making perfume without harsh chemicals. Jump right in, using local plants and common household ingredients. Soon you’ll be building your own scent collection and creating unforgettable gifts for friends and family.

Jasmine Syrup Perfume for your mouth!

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Jasmine Syrup Perfume for your mouth!

by Anya McCoy | Jun 28, 2018 | Anya's Garden Perfumes, natural aromatics, natural perfume | 2 comments

So many jasmines, so much fun! You can do this with any non-toxic, organic fragrant flower you have in your garden, and the tasty syrup is fabulous in cocktails, drizzeled over ice cream or cake, or anything you can think of!

Big, sweet, fruity jasmine sambac ‘grand duke of tuscany’ flowers

Pick the flowers when they’re at the height of fragrance, and quickly process them. Pick over any wilted flowers, or any stems. Here’s the quick and easy recipe:

Flower Simple Syrup

2 cups of sugar

2 cups of water

2 cups of flowers

Place the sugar and water in a saucepan, and stir constantly while bringing to a boil. Once it’s boiled, remove from the heat, and add the flowers, gently stirring them into the syrup. Cover and allow to cool or up to three hours. Strain the flowers out, using a stainless steel strainer, into a sterile jar, cover, and refrigerate.

jasmine maid of orleans

2 Comments

Kathryn S Bloomfield on June 29, 2018 at 11:32 am
Help. 1. I’m positive I signed up to purchase your book some time ago, but don’t know when I will receive it.
2. I am in the midst of my first enfleurage. With gardenias. The coconut fat is now in ball jars with 200 proof alcohol
…how do I separate this mixture? I’ve looked everywhere and find no answer
Reply
- Anya on June 29, 2018 at 11:35 am
  Hi Kathryn
  The book will be released and shipped on July 31. Thank you for your preorder, and you’ve locked in the price by doing so. You need to agitate the mixture daily by shaking the jar. Do that for a few weeks. Then you will filter it with coffee filters and a stainless steel funnel into a clean jar. Press down on the pomade with a stainless steel spoon to extract as much alcohol as possible. You may wish to use the pomade in solid perfumes, etc. HTH.
  Best wishes,
  Anya

My Homemade Perfume book is published 2018

2023-05-26T15:49:00.004-04:00

Homemade Perfume book

by Anya McCoy | Apr 16, 2018 | Anya McCoy, DIY, enfleurage, Healthy perfume, Homemade Perfume book, How to Make Perfume, Hydrosols, natural aromatics, natural perfume, raw materials of perfumery, study perfumery | 63 comments

I’ve spent over forty years extracting fragrance from plants, blending those extracts and purchased essential oils and other fragrant materials into perfume. Not just perfumes, but also sprays, body butters, and bath and body scented products. With the publication of Homemade Perfume on July 31st, all of my experience is in one book for everyone!

I wish I had this book when I started working with herbs and fragrant plants year ago, and I know you’ll appreciate the detailed information in my book, me passing my hard-earned knowledge down to you. You can pre-order the book on Amazon so you’ll get it immediately after the July 31, 2018 release date by following this link.

(Read to the end of the blog to discover the giveaway)

Homemade Perfume Book by Anya McCoy

Capturing the Fragrance of the Garden

The self-satisfaction of tincturing or infusing that gardenia bush, or preserving the scent of the lily-of-the-valley plants that spring up each year, only to fade is something a DIYer, perfumer, crafter, soapmaker, or just lover of fragrance can enjoy after reading Homemade Perfume.

How about turning the peonies or tuberose blossoms into an indulgent body butter or solid perfume? The book is the first of its kind to give detailed instructions on how to do this, and much more. Don’t have a garden with fragrant plants? Well, I hope to encourage you to either start growing them, or seeing with your family or friends or neighbors might be willing to share.

There are also instructions on how to extract the scent from fragrant botanicals that you can purchase, such as coriander seed, vetiver, patchouli, and rosebuds (to name a few). These can easily be made into room sprays, oil or alcohol perfumes, and other scented delights.

I’ve done this for years, and now you can, too, with guidance and detailed instructions. Help lessen the burden on the Earth by growing your own! Sustainability and self-reliance are satisfying goals, and my book will help you with both.

Willing to get ambitious and start distilling, making essential oils or hydrosols? You’ll find what will – or will not – work.

Perfume Making Techniques and Instruction

Best of all, I share basic perfume making techniques. You’ll learn how to evaluate and record your impressions of the scented extracts, and how to start constructing a perfume, room or body spray, etc. I do teach an advanced course, but for someone not planning to go into the business of making perfumes, Homemade Perfume will give you the knowledge of how to create fun and fragrant projects.

Table of Contents for Homemade Perfume

HOMEMADE PERFUME BOOK TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE 1

HOMEMADE PERFUME BOOK TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE 2

HOMEMADE PERFUME BOOK TABLE OF CONTENT PAGE 3

A Book for all Growing Zones

I live in Miami, and enjoy the beauty of ylang ylang trees, frangipani, champacas, and other tropical beauties you probably never have experienced. It’s been decades since I breathed in the beauty of lilacs, linden trees, or fresh and lively conifers – so we’re even!

Homemade Perfume is written with a mix of all types of plants, from all zones. I supply a table that will allow you to select the type and duration of processing necessary for your plant, in your zone. Have a delicate flower like mock orange? That’s covered. Thick, leathery leaves? Covered? Roots or wood? Don’t worry, you’ll have the hand reference table to help you.

Forty plants are profiled in the book for further reference, and the type of fragrant part of the plant will be covered, so you can yes, find if it’s in your garden, or area, and follow the instructions for a successful scent extraction.

Other Sources for Supplies – Supplied!

I grow a lot of fragrant plants, and have a cabinet filled with my extracts, but of course, I have to buy supplemental essential oils and absolutes to round out my perfume organ. No linden trees here, no pinyon pine, so I have reputable suppliers I depend on for obtaining these oils. The appendix in the book lists these suppliers, plus alcohol, bottle, and many other items you may need.

Giveaway (note: the giveaway has expired)

Dear Readers, it’s time to spread the news about Homemade Perfume! Please do two things: Leave a comment, and share this blog post on your social media. Leave me a note about where you shared it: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, etc.

I’m also asking if you can preorder the book on Amazon to help the search engine rating for it. You might think, why do that if I might win a copy? Well, you keep the signed copy and give the Amazon book to a friend! Win all around!

What if you’ve already preordered? You might win a signed copy, and yes, give the preordered copy to a friend. I’d still appreciate your comments and sharing!

Five helpful readers who do this will be in a random draw for a signed copy of Homemade Perfume when it is published. I would love your help in spreading the news about my book, truly the first of its kind. So many years and so many experiments went into it! Deadline for the commenting and sharing on social media is Sunday, April 22, 2018, Earth Day. Isn’t that appropriate? 🙂

63 Comments

Charmain Page on April 16, 2018 at 7:08 pm
Great effort ! -inspirational and exciting! Many Thanks – will spread the word far and wide. ~ Charmainxx00
Reply
Chris Schaefer on April 16, 2018 at 7:27 pm
I have been waiting so long for this lovely book. Several years ago I made the decision to only grow fragrant plants in my garden, and I am surprised to find the variety that I can play with. I want to share this my friends on Facebook.
Reply
Rachel Singletary on April 16, 2018 at 7:33 pm
I’ve been waiting on this book for almost 6 years, I can’t believe it’s finally time!!
Reply
Lena on April 16, 2018 at 7:38 pm
So exciting! I’ve never tried making perfume from the flowers in my fragrant backyard garden, but now I will learn how!
Reply
Amanda on April 16, 2018 at 7:39 pm
Found it on facebook through a friend share, also shared on facebook!
Reply
Michael on April 16, 2018 at 7:46 pm
I cannot wait for this book! Every perfume maker will need to get this book for sure.
Reply
Susan Marynowski on April 16, 2018 at 8:11 pm
I am sharing your blog post in my Facebook herb group (NFHERB). Can’t wait to see the new book…looks like it will be fabulous! ~Susan
Reply
Julie Baker on April 16, 2018 at 8:24 pm
Very excited about the organic perfume book. Just finished a fun workshop with Women’s Heritage in Carpinteria, CA making tinctures and salves, and learning about hydrosols (their blog: womensheritage.com). Would love to see a non-profit created for flowers, using the same concept as “Veggie Rescue” in Solvang, CA (https://www.veggierescue.org), where excess produce from farms is collected and delivered at no cost to recipients. For flowers that are starting to wilt or excess in abundance, the same efforts could be done, making perfumery more sustainable. I will forward the blog to my friends and relatives via email, as I don’t use facebook, Instagram, etc. currently.
Reply
Jenya Bushmich on April 16, 2018 at 8:44 pm
Looks like a really great book. I’m sharing this with my friends on FB, hopefully I will win it!
Reply
Elaine Richard on April 16, 2018 at 8:45 pm
I so look forward to working with the tropical flowers in your new book, Anya. Facebook also received my comment. Thank you for the offer!
Reply
Galit Alter on April 16, 2018 at 8:47 pm
SO enamored with alll things perfume, but Homemade perfumes are all LOVE! So excited, can’t wait! Sharing the love on social media as I type!
Reply
Linda on April 16, 2018 at 9:20 pm
What an awesome resource, the result of years of experience! I can hardly wait to receive my copy once it is released so I can expand my current repertoire of techniques and products.
Reply
Crystal Baldwin on April 16, 2018 at 9:20 pm
The book sounds amazing! Can’t wait to read it. Also shared on Facebook!
Reply
Samantha Foster on April 16, 2018 at 10:38 pm
I’ve been playing around with aromatherapy and herbal tinctures over the years, but it’s now bubbling up into a real passion. I can’t wait for this book so I can learn how to do it properly and finally be happy with the results! 🙂
Reply
Janice Regier on April 16, 2018 at 11:25 pm
Very excited to get a great reference ! Thanks for the Giveaway ! Shared every where !
Reply
Rae Lynn Reffruschinni on April 16, 2018 at 11:42 pm
I can’t wait to have this book for my own! I remember trying enfleurage when I was a teenager. It was not a success! I shared your post on Facebook.
Reply
Monica Englander on April 17, 2018 at 2:36 am
I can’t wait to read this, and am hoping to win the free copy. I’ve been a fan for years, and my fondest dream is still to study with you some day. Thanks for the many years of great contributions, community, and absolutely amazing skill and mastery.
Reply
Renee Ford on April 17, 2018 at 2:54 am
Preordered in February I think. The wilting blossoms shown above look remind me so much of one of my favorite flowers in Mom’s garden gone so long ago -multi colors of phlox with their sweet nectar.
Reply
Sarah on April 17, 2018 at 6:20 am
How exciting!
I shared on Pinterest. 🙂
Reply
Chanelle on April 17, 2018 at 6:57 am
Thank you for a chance to win the book. I forwarded it on Facebook and twitter and Pinterest
Reply
Edie on April 17, 2018 at 7:21 am
Ooh! Shared and preordered!
Reply
ROSE W on April 17, 2018 at 8:25 am
Looking forward to the new book and possibly taking the class – shared on Fb
Reply
Irena Druzenko on April 17, 2018 at 8:41 am
Waiting for the book so much and my perfumers friends from Ukraine!
Reply
Susan Farber on April 17, 2018 at 10:10 am
I cannot wait to read your book. I am passionate about tincturing and infusing plant materials and would like to learn more about how to integrate them in perfumery. I shared your blog post on Pinterest.
Reply
Tiffany Robbins on April 17, 2018 at 12:00 pm
I’ve been enjoying Anya’s work for years. I can’t wait until this is released!!!
Reply
Tiffany Robbins on April 17, 2018 at 12:07 pm
Shared on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest, and Twitter.
Reply
Christine Breakstone on April 17, 2018 at 12:53 pm
So excited for this book! Congratulations on your publication. So many aha moments within your written wisdom. Shared
Reply
Linda on April 17, 2018 at 12:57 pm
What a wonderful and comprehensive sounding book on the topic of perfume. I look forward to reading it!
Reply
Joni on April 17, 2018 at 1:03 pm
I can’t wait to get your new book, and get my own perfume garden going! Thank you for writing it!
Reply
Sonya on April 17, 2018 at 1:30 pm
I am so excited!! I am a perfume maker and would love to learn more! Congrats on your continued success!!
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Sonya on April 17, 2018 at 1:31 pm
Shared on fb!!
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Kate on April 17, 2018 at 2:21 pm
I’m so excited to read this book! Can’t wait until it comes out!
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Shira Jayson on April 17, 2018 at 3:14 pm
I am so excited about Anya’s NEW book! I received a Certificate from Anya, and her course is amazing, as well as the Natural Perfumery Book, that I used to study with her, as well as use as a daily reference book to my perfume making!!!! This new book will probably be just as good and Anya has a way of explaining how to do things so the lay person can fully understand! She is thorough and knowledgable. Please order your book today!!!! I will soon too!
Reply
Dr. Holly on April 17, 2018 at 3:36 pm
Thank you, Anya, for your passion and commitment. You and what you accomplish are inspiring! Congratulations on, what looks like will be, a real resource, Not just another redo. Fragrant Blessings to you!
Reply
Estelle on April 17, 2018 at 10:15 pm
Can’t wait to read this book. I have been waiting to find this information ! I do my own perfumes from essential oils and absolutes and I feel ready to move onto extracting my own essences. Particularly because my jasmine is starting to flower ! Thanks Anaya !
Reply
Marge Clark on April 17, 2018 at 11:00 pm
Can’t wait to review this for our clients!
Reply
Julie on April 17, 2018 at 11:58 pm
I’ve already preordered the book, and can’t wait to read it! Congratulations, and so many thanks for all your inspiring work.
Reply
Abdel Elyakini on April 18, 2018 at 12:21 am
Once I reviewed the contents of this book, I would like to say to anyone who loves the art of blending and science that you do not have to forsake one at the expense of the other anymore. from its contents, I am convinced that this book will be the key control of your blend that will increase your artistic freedom required in perfume creation. In the end This book is going to be that opportunity a perfumer was looking for to maximize his development with that appealing effect
Thank you Anya about all your efforts made in this field of perfumery.
Reply
Autumn Scott on April 18, 2018 at 1:53 am
I’m looking forward to your book, Anya. I have made some products in the past from wild flowers and those in my garden, and would like to get back to doing more of this.
Reply
Hemla on April 18, 2018 at 2:59 am
Beautiful. Good luck
Reply
Monica on April 18, 2018 at 9:21 am
This looks like an amazing book to have! I have always wanted to learn how to make my own perfumes!
Reply
Cheri Smith on April 18, 2018 at 11:36 am
My father instilled a love of fragrance in me as a child. I have been interested in the old fashioned way of perfumery because of him.
Your book looks outstanding to assist my goals!
Reply
Sheila Rae Kriebel on April 18, 2018 at 2:04 pm
I NEED this in my collection!!
Reply
Juniper Stokes on April 18, 2018 at 3:01 pm
I can’t wait for this! I’ll share on my Facebook business site, Essential Life Aromatherapy 🙂
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P. A. Wren on April 18, 2018 at 4:25 pm
Anya, I pre-ordered your book as soon as it was made available. I’ve enjoyed your input, information, and insights for over a decade now and am really looking forward to all the new things your book will bring. I’d love a copy to give to my sister-in-law who loves gardening at her mountain home in southwestern Oregon. Here in the mountain foothills of far northern California we have very hot, dry summers and cool-to-chilly, sometimes wet winters. I hope to find some good suggestions or clues as to what plants might be worth the effort in this non-tropical climate!
Reply
Tracy Simmons on April 18, 2018 at 4:53 pm
What a fabulous reference. Can’t wait to add it to my collection. Thank you for your dedication to the natural perfumery world. I shared on Facebook. Thank you.
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Fran on April 18, 2018 at 4:54 pm
How fantastic. My ideal way of life in a book.
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Madalena on April 18, 2018 at 5:44 pm
I am so excited about this new book, and know it will be one of those constant companion books, well worn with all manner of my attempts at perfumery feeding back at me off the pages in years to come.
Reply
Greyson Stoehr on April 18, 2018 at 7:45 pm
I posted it on my FB: https://www.facebook.com/greyson.stoehr
I’d love to win, but I’m going be eager to get this book in any way I can!
Reply
Fay Hiscocks on April 18, 2018 at 8:48 pm
Way back when you first started talking about your book I expressed an interest in it and thought that I had pre ordered then. I imagine that I should pre order again. I am so excited to know how to obtain the fragrance from my star shooter lilies. Each year I have close to a hundred blossoms that are about 5 inches or more across. They are so fragrant I am so excited to have your book to help me save their beautiful fragrance. I will definitely pre order your book.
Reply
Mazeer Ahmed on April 18, 2018 at 9:36 pm
look forward to read your book and shared on fb page by the name of Perfume lines which is manage by my self
Reply
Fun Chiat on April 19, 2018 at 4:14 am
Would there be a supplementary book that brings the user to detailed steps that he can follow? Something like a classroom ‘Exercise’ book that complements the main text book. This book have very interesting stuff to try
Reply
Ehsan on April 19, 2018 at 5:43 am
Dear Anya
I do love to buy your precious book and although we are miles away from each other, I feel being on board the same ship in our beautiful voyage
Fragrantly Yours
Ehsan from Iran
Reply
a.s. reisfield on April 19, 2018 at 8:04 pm
hello anya, my preorder has been submitted. felicidades.
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Michelle Cherry on April 20, 2018 at 7:09 am
This is a new interest for me. I look forward to reading this!!
Reply
Voranuch phakhanam on April 20, 2018 at 8:52 am
LOVE this book
From Thailand ka
Reply
Cedar Stevens on April 20, 2018 at 2:07 pm
I can’t wait for this book! I’m enrolled in Anya’s online perfumery class, and Homemade Perfume will be a great augmentation! We have so many great fragrant plants in central Texas that are not on the market, and this book will possibly help bring those fragrances to the rest of the world!
Reply
Laurie on April 20, 2018 at 10:57 pm
Wow, whoa , and whammytwinkles !
I am so grateful for whoever guided me to you tonight !
Yes i will preorder, 3 copies for 3 daughters and daughters in law , and hope fondly that I win a signed copy from your magical , hard working , learned by doing and failing and doing again hands –
Omy goodness – what an honor that would be .
Your blog will be linked to my pinterest and facebook account – if I can figure out how to do that
Thanks
darlingLaurie
Reply
Shontae on April 21, 2018 at 8:39 am
I’m very excited for this book! I can’t wait until it’s released!
Reply
Anya on April 23, 2018 at 2:35 pm
Thank you everyone, for your comments and sharing about my book Homemade Perfume, it is very much appreciated! I’ m using a random technique to choose the winners of the signed copy when it is published July 31, so please email me with your mailing instructions at https://anyasgarden.com/contact.htm
The winners are: Laurie, Fay H., Sonya, Crystal, and Amanda.
Reply
Amy on May 19, 2018 at 11:54 am
I tried your enfleurage technique and love the powder created with jasmine flowers. I can’t wait to see what other goodies are in your book.
Reply
Debra on September 3, 2018 at 6:33 am
Have just bought the book today here in New Zealand. Really looking forward to reading it and start making thank you x

The ecological wonder of The Great Green Wall

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The ecological wonder of The Great Green Wall

by Anya McCoy | Jan 10, 2018 | Anya's Garden Perfumes | 0 comments

Forty years ago, my husband got funding for his Ph.D. under the USA Department of AID. In return, we were going to move to Dakar, Senegal for a few years to pay back the money for the education. I was studying plant science, ethnobotany, and anthropology at the time, and did a lot of research to prepare for the move. As an avid supporter of the Appropriate Technology movement and an agriculturist with a keen interest in arid and semi-arid tropical plants, I was ready to work at some form of halting the southward spread of the Sahara Desert into Sub-Sahelian Africa. The US AID did not require us to go to Senegal for some reason, but my love of the region that developed due to all my research never stopped.

Some time ago I discovered the incredible project known as The Great Green Wall. Stretching from Senegal on the west coast, the effort was focused on planting a 10-mile wide band of drought-resistant trees to the east coast, ending in Somalia. I believe the primary plants are acacia trees and vegetables. Once the trees become established, their roots can pull up water from the low water table, making it more available for crops, and this is badly needed in this region. The trees will also help cool the air temperatures slightly, a bonus.

The acacia being planted is Acacia senegalia senegal, a source of gum arabic, which has many uses in the food industry and other endeavors. As a perfumer, I’m wondering if the flowers have a lovely scent like Acacia farnesiana (cassie) or Acacia dealabata (mimosa). If so, the flowers could be harvested for extraction of the scent, adding another economic bonus.

green wall women farmers

As climate change is engulfing the world, and raising fears of loss of arable farmland, floods, hurricanes, and more damage, it is heartwarming to see that an initiative started 14 years ago is providing wonderful results. I may never get to visit Senegal or the Sahelian region, but my heart has long been there, loving the culture, and the hardworking, tenacious people. Bravo to Senegal for investing so much in the project, and building the greatest horticultural feature on earth, in cooperation with other nations.

Modern techniques for making perfume

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Modern techniques for making perfume

by Anya McCoy | Jan 7, 2018 | Anya's Garden Perfumes, Healthy perfume, How to Make Perfume, Hydrosols, study perfumery | 2 comments

Perfumers need to be savvy about how to provide a safe product to their customers. Perfume bottles and lab equipment can arrive from the factory with contaminants such as dust, bits of odds and ends (like paper), pesticides (from warehouse spraying), and other assorted things that need to be removed before filling or shipping. If you’re into making perfume or perfume products, you should read this.

Isn’t the New Year all about making good choices, and upping your game? Making sure you offer a sanitized (or more) product should be a goal for every perfumer.

Trio of Anya’s Garden Perfumes – bottles and caps washed before filling to meet sanitary standards

I’m a bit of an OCD germaphobe to begin with, so making my product containers either sanitary, disinfected, or sterile (depending on the end use) is very important. I explain in detail how to achieve these three goals in my upcoming book Homemade Perfume due out in August 2018 from Page Street Publishing.

Sanitary is a given, and easy: wash your equipment with hot soapy water, and air dry. That is necessary for everything. Disinfection can be achieved in a heat cycle in a dishwasher, or by using a bleach or alcohol rinse. Sterilization is most important for any container that will hold a product that contains water, like a lotion or hydrosol. For this purpose, I prefer a UV light unit. I rarely have a container so big I need to bleach the solution. Pictured you’ll find my unit, loaded with bottles on the top, and accessory tools on the bottom. I recommend buying a unit for cosmetology or tattooing purposes, they’re inexpensive and easily portable around your studio – plus, no bleach smell!

Caution: see the blue light? It can damage your eyes, so when the unit is on, I usually drape a cloth over it. This photo took about 3 seconds, and that’s all the exposure I allowed myself.

UV sterilization unit for making perfume products safe.

Homemade Perfume will be a gateway book for those who wish to learn basic techniques for making perfume. It is specially written for those who grow a number of fragrant plants, or who have access to them, so they can be perfume gardeners. The basics of tincturing and infusing for perfume, enfleurage, and distillation.

You will learn how to make the body-, room-, and linen sprays; face-, body-, and hair vinegars; body butters; solid perfumes; alcohol- and oil-based perfumes; and more with your fragrant extractions.

If you wish to study how to make perfume professionally, consider taking my course through the Natural Perfumery Institute. The textbook is a compilation of four decades of perfume research, experimentation, and production. This is a distance learning course and can be successfully completed from any place in the world. Click here to learn more.

2 Comments

Rae Lynn Marie Reffruschinni on January 7, 2018 at 2:31 pm
I was wondering what stage your book was at. Can’t wait til it’s out!
Reply
Joni Evans on January 7, 2018 at 5:33 pm
I’d love to have this book! Please let me know when they’re ready for sale!

Hydrosols: The Tipping Point is Safety!

2023-05-26T15:40:00.000-04:00

Hydrosols: The Tipping Point is Safety!

by Anya McCoy | Nov 2, 2017 | Hydrosols, raw materials of perfumery | 1 comment

I purchased my first hydrosol in 1989, a lovely gallon of Rosa damascena from the May 1989 Turkish harvest. The well-known aromatherapist must have given directions on storage and use, but I don’t recall them. I still have some of that hydrosol, archived for decades in a refrigerator, brought out now and then to sniff, or transfer a bit to a sterile sprayer for use on the tips of my hair. No sign of microbial growth, the main problem with hydrosols, but I am aware that sometimes the growth does not show up as dark swirls or gunk on the bottom of the bottle, it can be invisible.

For readers who aren’t familiar with what hydrosols are, they’re the water from distillation, and they contain water-soluble aromatics of the plant. Many now distill just for the hydrosol, which is a slightly different process from distilling for essential oils, wherein hydrosols are a “byproduct” of the essential oil process.

I often make “stovetop” distillations that don’t require a distillation unit, and pop them into sterile bottles and into the fridge, with an expected shelf life of a week or so. Care must be taken to avoid allowing microbes into the hydrosol, as it is easily contaminated by your fingers, microbes in the air, and such.

Refreshing rosemary simplers’ hydrosol made with fresh rosemary from my garden. Note the bottle and cap from the UV sterilization unit.

Quick and easy way to sterilize materials with UV light.

Over the years, I’ve purchased organic hydrosols that I resold, and they were microbe-free. I purchased two hydrosols for personal use, one from a very well-known herbal supplier, and the orange blossom hydrosol quickly went bad. I knew it wasn’t my having a hand in contaminating it, as it had a spray top. When I wrote them, they said they had distilled it themselves from *dried*! orange blossoms, and didn’t know about needing sterile bottles. Mind you, this is a huge company, but I guess nobody did their research. Another bad hydrosol came from a friend who was in the essential oil supply business, but who didn’t know anything about hydrosols. It went bad very quickly.

In 2009, I distilled for the first time, in a glass still, and got a few milliliters of exquisite bay leaf essential oil, and some lovely hydrosol. Well, I wasn’t stringent about sterile bottles, and the hydrosol went bad, even under refrigeration. I should have known better, but the distillation was haphazard, as we were both learning and scrambling around. I never made that mistake again!

Here’s my problem in 2017. Everybody is loving hydrosols and jumping on the hydrosol-making trend. Too many folks, in my opinion, although they may have taken a course with a great distiller, don’t understand all the need for sterilization of equipment, and good labeling.

A few months ago, a local friend received a gift of a hydrosol made from grapes at an herbal conference. She called me when the bottle developed obvious microbial contamination, full of dark swirls. I was shocked and told her to toss it. What made this so urgent in my mind is the fact she has an illness that requires her to have zero immune systems. Yes, she must suppress her immune system to live. No eating at buffets, no digging in the soil, no public transportation, just a very carefully-controlled environment to prevent anything from attacking her because it can KILL her.

The person who gave her the hydrosol is known to me to be very sloppy and incompetent when it comes to safety, from making body butters that can cause citrus phototoxicity and permanent scarring, to not sterilizing her bottles for hydrosols. Ugh. I had warned her many times about her careless use of essential oils, hydrosols, and such, but here was an event that could cause death.

I propose that not only do makers of hydrosols get highly educated on how to sterilize, store, and distribute these beautiful fragrant waters, but they adopt a labeling standard that can help keep the waters safe(r).

The botanical and common name of plant material
Date distilled
Warning to those with compromised immune systems or other health concerns to not use them.
Instructions to not open the cap and leave the hydrosol exposed to air.
Instructions to not touch the neck of the bottle so that their finger comes in contact with the hydrosol.
Do not breathe into the hydrosol, it may distribute microbes from your respiratory system into the hydrosol.
Keep it in the refrigerator
At the sign of anything “growing” inside, discard the hydrosol.
Take the pH of the hydrosol, if it goes above 4.0, discard

Dear reader, can you think of anything else. Please help me correct any errors and spread the word about safety and hydrosols.

1 Comment

Anya McCoy on September 21, 2020 at 2:51 pm
Detailed, easy-to-follow instructions on how to make Simplers Hydrosols are in my book Homemade Perfume, available on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Homemade-Perfume-Exquisite-Naturally-Botanical/dp/162414585X/
Cheers!
Anya

Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin now under $20!

2023-05-26T15:35:00.003-04:00

Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin now under $20!

by Anya McCoy | Nov 2, 2017 | How to Make Perfume, natural aromatics, natural perfumery course, Natural Perfumery Yahoo group, raw materials of perfumery | 3 comments

In 2003, a member of the Natural Perfumery group I host on Yahoo got in touch with the folks at Allured Publishing (Now Allured Business Media) and asked them if they could make the Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin (PFMNO) book available aside from the three-volume set written by Steffen Arctander. The other two volumes held little interest to natural perfumers since they were on the subject of synthetics.

The hardback version of Steffen Arctander’s Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin

It was very difficult to find the PFMNO on eBay or other places for less than a small fortune, often around $700. I had snagged a book for $117 on UK eBay from a retired perfume chemist, but that was a rare score. Allured responded positively and began selling the volume for about $350 if I recall correctly. That was great, and many snapped it up. I developed a relationship with Allured, and they gave me 20-30% off with a coupon code I could publicize. What a great resource for us natural perfumers.

In the past few years, Allured has offered fewer books than before, and they are I suppose going through a business model re-do. The main publication I look forward to every month is Perfumery and Flavorist magazine, it’s relevant and educational.

So what is the PFMNO book about? Most regard it as the best reference for plant and animal essences used in perfume and flavors. I turn to it often, to clarify a point, dig deeper into research, or sometimes just for fun, to muse about these delightful fragrances we have for our art.

Imagine my surprise when I visited Abe Books, a supplier of used books I love for their great prices, and found that they’re now printing PFMNO on demand through Create Space, the branch of Amazon that prints on-demand books. This is where I get my textbook printed (unabashed plug: my perfume course is professional and comprehensive, and comes with a 350-page textbook).

Natural Perfumery Institute cover. Textbook is written by Anya McCoy.

Just visit this page on Abe Books and order PFMNO and you won’t be sorry you did. In fact, you should rejoice in this new age of fabulous opportunities to own such a classic book.

3 Comments

Marge Clark on November 2, 2017 at 7:10 pm
FANTASTIC.. I forget how many hundreds I paid for my old hardcover.. (yellow cover) close to 20 years ago… THANK YOU for sharing this, Anya! I’ve shared the blog in our FB page and some groups. (and maybe some budding perfumers will be intrigued by your course!
Reply
Dan Riegler on November 2, 2017 at 7:15 pm
Thanks Anya!!!
Reply
Mary on November 2, 2017 at 9:48 pm
Thanks so much Anya for sharing as you do. Means a lot to us budding perfumers.

Strange Magic Perfume

2023-05-26T15:33:00.000-04:00

STRANGE MAGIC PERFUME

A perfume of color-changeable tinctures from an organic garden in Miami, Florida. Read about a giveaway of this perfume, below.

The sustainable, cold-process extraction process of plant fragrance debuts

Launched May 31, 2017

Anya McCoy, perfumer, botanist, and founder of Anya’s Garden Perfumes in Miami has released Strange Magic, the first perfume composed of about 95% organic fragrant tinctures. Strange Magic is made with tinctures that reveal hidden colors in the flowers, leaves, and roots when they were placed in the alcohol. Anya has tinctured for herbal purposes for forty years, and for perfume purposes for twenty years. It wasn’t until she dropped snow-white Michelia alba flowers into the alcohol and saw the alcohol turn pink, then red, then dark red that she realized there were some hidden secrets in some flowers – Strange Magic.

White champaca flowers turn a gorgeous red in alcohol

The magic appeared a few years ago when she dropped a handful of white Michelia alba flowers into 190 proof alcohol. She wanted to make a fragrant tincture of this delicious smelling flower to add to her array of natural raw materials for her perfumes. As soon as the flowers started to sink into the alcohol, the alcohol took on a pink tinge. It was quite startling, and by the second day, the alcohol was a light shade of crimson. The more flowers added to recharge the alcohol with scent, the deeper red the menstruum got, eventually becoming burgundy/opaque. Some said it was the dyes or waxes in the flowers revealing themselves, but she said it was Strange Magic.

Plant dyes have been known for thousands of years, but the colors extracted are somewhat related to the original plant material’s color. Onion skins make a golden dye, blueberries a bluish dye, and so on.

This was different.

She’s tinctured herbs, woods, roots, leaves, and flowers for many years, beginning with simplers herbal tinctures. What an epiphany the white champaca flowers were. Numerous tinctures that had changed color now flooded her consciousness. The yellow ylang ylang flowers turned the alcohol olive green, and eventually opaque, like the Michelia.

White jasmines such as the sambac Grand Duke of Tuscany turned deep gold. White gardenias and tuberoses again – deep gold. She had been using the orangy/brown jasmine absolutes and concretes from the 70s, but never put the color change together until the white champaca. She’d never seen any talk of the color change on any of the aromatherapy or perfume forums she’d been on for decades, other than the color change mentioned was the blue azulene color that developed when chamomiles were distilled, everyone seemed entranced by that. The azulene is not present in the fresh flowers, but develops in the distillation process.But white jasmines turning orangy/brown? No. No discussion.

Yellow ylang ylang flowers turn the tincture green, and get darker with each recharge. The scent is very, very strong! Beautiful

Ylang Ylang essential oil is pale yellow. The absolute of the same flower? Green. Her tincture? Dark Green. It’s the alcohol wash of the concrete that reveals the green color, and the alcohol menstruum I used.
Well, it’s time to honor the Strange Magic of color change that happens, don’t you think?

Here are a few color-changing plants in Strange Magic, but not all are listed – after all, magic needs a bit of secrecy:

Aglaia: yellow flowers	Dark amber tincture
Orris: pale white rhizome	Bright coral, orange tincture
Chamomiles: white flowers	Blue oils when distilled
Gardenias: white flowers	Dark amber tincture
Jasmines: white flowers	Deep amber tincture (some, not all)
White Champaca: white flowers	Crimson red to dark red tincture
Ylang ylang: yellow flowers	Olive green to dark green tincture
Cashmere Bouquet Clerodendrum: white flowers	Deep red tincture
Vintage white ambergris from Vanuatu	Orange tincture

Artisan perfumers can work with sustainable fragrance materials with a “grow your own” plan to harvest and tincture the fragrant plants. If they can garden, and have suitable space in the garden, it’s possible to lessen the carbon footprint associated with purchasing essential oils and absolutes. All that’s needed is 190 proof alcohol, and harvesting and recharging the alcohol to make the tincture strong with fragrance.

It is not a fast or rushed process: Anya and her assistants spent many hours over the years hand-harvesting the flowers, placing them in alcohol, straining them out, recharging them over and over. If you know the heat and humidity of Miami, you know the dedication this took. Some tinctures have been recharged dozens of times to reach the scent strength desired. Still, it is worth it because the cold process, with no heat destroying some of the more delicate floral notes, and the sustainability of producing some of the raw product on-site are dual bonuses of the eco-conscious perfumer.

Anya is currently in discussions with publishers about a book she has written Perfume From Your Garden. It’s the first of its kind, detailing extraction methods for the perfumer, soaper, gardener, hobbyist, or DIYer who wishes to capture the fragrant plants from their garden at the height of their beauty.

Samples and 15ml spray bottles of Strange Magic are available at https://anyasgarden.com/store.htm

Until June 20, 2017, there is a chance for you to win Strange Magic by registering and commenting on the Cafleurebon review of the perfume.

Anya’s resume:

Founder and Instructor at Natural Perfumery Institute https://perfumeclasses.com

Owner and CEO at Natural Perfumers Guild http://naturalperfumers.com

Owner/Perfumer at Anya’s Garden Perfumes http://anyasgarden.com

Former Writer at Organic Gardening (magazine)

Former District Manager at USDA Soil and Water Conservation District (elected position State of Florida)

Former Adjunct Professor of Urban Planning and Design at Florida Atlantic University

Former Landscape Architect at Collier County, Florida

Studied Landscape architecture at SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Masters Degree

Studied Economic Botany at University of California, Riverside Bachelors

1 Comment

Nina on June 19, 2017 at 6:04 am
What a beautiful accomplishment! Congratulations. Your reviews are glowing & colorful— everyone will want to try it! Enjoy this latest masterpiece.

A Modern Perfume Organ

2023-05-26T15:03:00.001-04:00

A Modern Perfume Organ

by Anya McCoy | Apr 2, 2017 | Anya McCoy, Anya's Garden Perfumes, How to Make Perfume, natural aromatics, natural perfume, natural perfumery course, Natural Perfumery Institute, raw materials of perfumery | 7 comments

I started collection essential oils and absolutes in 1966. At the time, I didn’t know my bottles of aromatics were supposed to be arranged on a tiered shelf called a perfume organ. Because I was a botanist, I categorized them by the part of the plant they were extracted from: florals, woods, leaves, etc., and kept them in plastic boxes for storage.

Later, I had a beautiful old wooden printer’s tray, which, when attached to a wall, provided a lovely display for the small bottles, but was impractical for working, and, of course, didn’t hold the larger bottles.

In 1990 or so, I stored my perfume organ in a beautiful Thai display case.

Anya McCoy with Thai display cabinet holding perfume organ oils

I finally located a man in Kentucky who made the wooden tiered racks for essential oils you’d see displayed in stores. I carefully measured what I perceived I’d need, and sent him the information. He constructed a lovely, modern-looking perfume organ out of pine, sweet and pale yellow and perfect for my needs – at the time.

What many artisans’ perfume organs still look like, but this was only temporary. You can see the beginning of my dilutions on the bottom row. This photo is about 10 years old

All my bottles, except the ones that needed refrigeration were on the organ, interspersed with the dilutions I used in everyday blending. The dilutions sat right next to the undiluted aromatics, and that was okay for a while.

The Modern Perfume Organ in Practice

Ah, visual serenity, aesthetic beauty, and so much more refined! This perfume organ should be the desired type for artisan perfumers. Modern, cost-effective, and so easy to use!

Top notes are on the top level, middle notes, of which there are hundreds, are on middle levels, and base notes along the bottom. Why dilute your essences? It saves a lot of money, first of all. Imagine using undiluted pricey oils, like rose otto, for all of your mods. Secondly, now you get the scent of the rose “opened up” by the alcohol in the dilution, too. Two great bonuses!

Don’t ever struggle with trying to use labdanum or tobacco absolutes by the drop again! The diluted essences are very fluid.

Now only dilutions are on the perfume organ. Most are 10%, some higher, some lower. The undiluted raw materials are kept in a refrigerator, with their specific gravity noted on a blending database. You may be able to blend a perfume modification with a diluted essence, but you need the specific gravity to be able to blend any quantity. This is taught in my Intermediate Level Perfumery course. Enroll now in the Basic course, which will prepare you to further your studies at the Intermediate Level.

7 Comments

Jude Fanton on April 2, 2017 at 3:12 pm
Very Helpful Anya as raw beginners we have a disorganised organ in extremis, a tall stainless steel set of shelves with drawers underneath. Thank you.
Reply
- Anya on April 2, 2017 at 7:44 pm
  Glad to have helped, Jude
  Reply
Doreen stelton on April 2, 2017 at 6:04 pm
This is fun to see and to learn about your progress. I have two questions.
Do you keep all undiluted raw materials in the fridge? Or just citrus, fir, cedar, butter, ginger, pepper, etc. (the usual suspects)?
Also, do you keep diluted citrus, fir, cedar on the organ?
Oh – I am also wondering about violet leaf. Does it change much as it ages?
Thanks!
Reply
Anya on April 3, 2017 at 12:06 pm
Hi Doreen:
I have a “warm” cabinet also for stuff that doesn’t need refrigeration. Yes, all diluted aromatics are on the organ. The alcohol preserves them.
I’ve never had violet leaf change, have you? This could be a good question for the student forum on Yahoo to get more input.
Anya
Reply
- Doreen stelton on April 3, 2017 at 12:39 pm
  Thank you for your response! I wonder if the violet has deepened or it is the difference between two different distillations… I have two VL diluted from different distillation batches. Both from Eden that seem quite different. Which I realize is normal also. But so markedly different it made me wonder.
  Smell ya’ later!
  Reply
Florencia aguila on November 4, 2017 at 1:13 pm
How can I enroll to learned to make my own perfume and how much it will cost to me to join ?
Reply
- Anya on November 4, 2017 at 2:50 pm
  Dear Florencia
  Please visit http://PerfumeClasses.com and read about the two options for enrollment. If you have any questions, please contact me from the website. Thanks, Anya

Perfume in the Sunlight

2023-05-26T14:59:00.003-04:00

Perfume in the Sunlight

by Anya McCoy | Feb 3, 2017 | Anya's Garden Perfumes | 2 comments

I have been busy with new perfume labels and decided to try some new photos. I typically like a clean white background, and I may do that for the new website, but for this photo, I decided to capture some sunlight with the back garden included. I’m very happy with the prisms that appeared but did notice that the bottles were underfilled a bit. Corrected, up to the brim now!

Do you like this photo? It’s a departure from my usual backdrops, for sure.

Anya’s Garden Perfumes

If there is anyone in the Miami area who has experience with product photography, please contact me. I would like to discover new ways to showcase my perfume, soaps, botanicals, textbook, and other related products. One problem is many of the printed words in my photos appear blurred, such as the words Anya’s Garden Perfumes within the botanical golden leaves of my logo. This is an ongoing problem, and I’d love to solve it!

2 Comments

marge clark on February 3, 2017 at 2:56 pm
I personally love the photo. Plain white backgrounds are so often recommended , but there’s a sterility to them. This shot is full of life.
Reply
JP on April 20, 2018 at 8:25 am
I agree with Marge, plain white background can look very sterile and lifeless . Love the background on this photo! It’s as if the sun has it’s spotlight on your natural bounty!

The Beauty of Botanicals Made Liquid – The Passion of Natural Perfumers

2023-05-26T14:57:00.004-04:00

The Beauty of Botanicals Made Liquid – The Passion of Natural Perfumers

This article originally appeared on Basenotes.net on Feb. 20, 2008

by Anya McCoy

20th February, 2008

This flower is at the limit of wilting or decomposition that I will allow into my tincture. On-the-spot decisions are necessary when processing botanicals, and hands-on natural perfumers become adept at the process.

The 21st Century Revival and Redefinition of Natural Perfume by Natural Perfumers

Like everyone who has progressed with passion, training, and persistence to become a perfumer, the new wave of natural perfumers started with an intense love of scents. Many can trace their formative moment – the zing of recognition – when a scent transformed their life, and put them on the path of creation. They probably smelled everything around them (as did I) from grass to dirt, flowers, other people, cement, perfume, cereal, ink, paper, plastic dolls, toys, food cooking, hair, furniture, the air before a storm, rotten wood, burning leaves – in other words, the full spectrum of fragrance in the environment. The natural environment, complex, challenging, and often sweetly rewarding enticed and enchanted us. We were hooked.

Many who love perfumes in general, whether they contain all-natural ingredients or not, cite the kiss goodnight from a mother swathed in evening clothes, diffusing an exotic scent as she bent over them before setting out to a party as a defining moment, a moment when perfume’s magic of transformation of their mother into an otherworldly, fragrant unknown star in the sky touched them deeply. Perfume profoundly moves us, and natural essences move us the most – we are entranced with their beauty, complexity, and “aliveness.”

When the synthetic chemical scents coumarin and vanillin were discovered in the 1880’s, they were quickly added to the corporate perfumer’s palette, and natural perfumery as it had existed up until then disappeared. Looking back in time perhaps four or five generations, it must be acknowledged everyone who loved perfume knew only perfume with synthetics blended in with the naturals.

Whether floral and discreet or ambery and animalic, loaded with civet, musk, castoreum, and ambergris, the all-natural perfumes created in the pre-synthetics era disappeared.

The pre-1890 natural perfumer had a rather limited range of aromatics to choose from, as many of the Indian and Asian essences we now have easy access to were not used in Western perfumery at that time. Today, champaca, lotus, ambrette, agarwood, and many other exotics round out the number of botanicals available to the natural perfumer. That, along with the adoption of classic French techniques of blending using top, middle, and base notes, helps differentiate the modern natural perfumer from the 19th-century one.

A look back to the 19th Century would be little more than an intellectual exercise for a perfumer without the eternal beauty and complexity of the fragrant botanical extracts to kindle the fire of passion in the modern natural perfumer.

Since aromatherapy had opened the doors of small-scale distribution of essential oils, all the natural perfumer had to do was nudge open a few more doors, and suppliers were providing them with concretes and absolutes, attars, and other raw materials. The aromatic palette was complete, and the niche field of modern natural perfumery was launched.

Some of the beginner natural perfumers liked, and had, all sorts of perfumes in their possession, from the classics like Chanel No. 5 to modern niche Serge Lutens creations. Still, others professed a dislike to the strong sillage and diffusion of modern perfumes. There was no common ground on like or dislike of perfumes containing synthetic chemicals – only a professed love of natural aromatics.

Yes, even though they had easy access to aromachemicals – synthetic versions of the naturals, and fantasy scents – they chose to work with only naturals.

Why have you decided to be a “naturals-only” perfumer is a question we often get. The person asking the question may list the negatives:

Your raw materials are very expensive.
Your perfumes don’t last as long as those with synthetics, and they don’t have great diffusivity or sillage.
The raw materials are difficult to work with.
You’re artisans, often working out of a spare room in their house, isolated.
You have to for the most part, train yourselves and fund your own business.
You have to search out distribution networks, or, more realistically, depend on the internet or local stores for sales.
You realize they’ll never get rich at this, or have a corporate safety net.

We answer – Because.

Because:

We’re in it for the art.
We regard the natural essences as providing the richest, most beautiful, complex, challenging liquid artform to work with.
The fragrances evolve on the skin in a way synthetics don’t and captive us with their slow, seductive nuances.
We don’t like big-volume perfumes with a lot of sillage or diffusivity.
We like subtle, complex aromatics that stay close to the wearer’s body and evolve slowly on the skin.
We take delight and pleasure in experiencing a unique natural aromatic.
The discovery and unlocking of a complex accord within a natural is rewarding.
The ability to connect on a level that speaks to an eternal fragrance is wonderful e.g., the cypriol we use is the same cypriol that was used in ancient Egypt.
The excitement of being on the ground floor of a new art as it develops, and realizing that if we’ve come this far in approximately five years, how far we can go with natural perfumery in the next fifty?

There is no competition with mainstream perfumery. We’re just two different art forms, like oil painting is different from digital art. There are completely different aesthetics, mediums, and results, and so it is and will always continue to be. These parallel arts will always have things in common, such as the need to respond to market trends, sourcing, R&D, and the need to always keep learning, keep on top of the perfumery and keep current, and that is our common ground.

Natural perfumers will always create for those who appreciate hand-made items from natural sources, and they are fortunate to live in the time of the internet and global transport that delivers raw aromatics and customer's orders to their studio, allowing them to develop their art and business outside of the closed world of corporate perfumery schools.

We have a pronounced advantage in our pioneering of tincturing and infusing rare botanicals for our own use. Natural perfumers are as apt to create their own jasmine bases and tuberose tinctures as buy it from the supplier if they have a garden to grow the botanical in. Others are tincturing seeds and soil to recreate some of the more exotic scents out of India, such as ambrette and mitti, which is soil attar.

And the clincher? Our mothers, who first turned us on to the world of perfume, love our scents, and we now give back to them and their generation our liquid treasures, botanicals made naturally.

You may wish to sample the creations of the Certified Natural Perfumers in the Natural Perfumers Guild. Their perfumes undergo a rigorous certification process and are also held to high standards of packaging and ingredient transparency. http://NaturalPerfumers.com

Natural Perfumers Guild logo

3 Comments

Jude Fanton on January 12, 2017 at 7:22 pm
Dear Anya – I love everything you have written. It is so in-line with what we believe in, and practise, here in our subtropical garden in Australia. I really appreciate that you researched the history of synthetic aromas and give the pros and cons of natural perfumery from many perspectives.
We started tincturing only in July last year, 2016, when we found the medicinal herbs Hypericum perforatum (St John’s Wort), Arnica montana and Gentian spp in the mountains of Les Cevennes, France; and then alpine flowers in Roumanian Transylvania; continuing in autumnal Hokkaido, northern Japan and back here in our extensive garden.
So far we have made 130 tinctures, a few enfleurages and warm oil macerations. I am having fun mixing scents at our perfume organ with our friends as my new year present to them. Little (and big) girls love that, as do our male friends too.
Perfumery is a natural progression after 35 years producing our food, including six species of mushrooms, and foraging the wilds, as well as founding and running a national network to conserve traditional varieties of food plants.
I really appreciate that you share your knowledge and experience.
Best wishes from a warm and steamy subtropical southern summer, Jude Fanton
Reply
- Anya on February 3, 2017 at 1:56 pm
  Thank you Jude. We’re a tiny bit chilly here in Miami, where it’s out winter. So glad to hear from you, subscribe to my blog, as I hope to be more active on it.
  Reply
Tina Smith on January 26, 2017 at 6:10 pm
I found this to be very interesting. Thanks♡

Perfume From Your Garden Treasures in Two Jasmines

2023-05-26T14:51:00.000-04:00

Perfume From Your Garden Treasures in Two Jasmines

by Anya McCoy | Jan 10, 2017 | Anya's Garden Perfumes | 0 comments

Jasminum auriculatum and Jasminum azoricum

There are ten species and cultivars of jasmines in my gardens, and I want to share information about two very rare ones that are particularly rewarding. Jasmine auriculatum is a vine/bush with heady, green, sharp, somewhat indolic (if harvested at night) flowers. In India, this species of jasmine is called Juhi, and I first smelled the absolute in 1976 at the Magic Dragon shop in West Los Angeles.

Here’s a photo of me with my young J. auriculatum vine in 2011. It was taken by my front door, but the auriculatum didn’t last there long – I had to move it. Why? Because around 10:00 PM at night, the scent would go so indolic, I thought a dog left a deposit by my front door! Sweet during the day, deadly stink at night, it had to be moved to the back fence, far from the house.

The young Jasminum auriculatum vine by my front door – until it revealed its stinky nighttime scent.

In the back garden, the transplanted vine grew into a huge bush, with a sturdy main trunk. My apprentice Brian recently harvested the flowers at 6 P.M., before the indole developed. With such a sweet, delicate scent, this flower is a true delight. Into the tincture jar it went, adding to the earlier harvests’ menstruum.

But first I had some fun showing jasmine love

jasmine auriculatum flowers arranged into a heart shape

Dropping some jasmine auriculatum flowers into the alcohol.

The flowers can be harvested, tinctured, strained, and recharged daily.

Jasminum azoricum

At the front of my property, greeting visitors as they walk to drive up the driveway, is a very aggressive Jasminum azoricum vine. It covers a huge hibiscus bush, and I explain by calling it the jasmine-hibiscus bush to confuse viewers.

This multi-branched vine is about ten years old, and without any supplemental fertilizer or watering, rewards me with flowers almost every day of the year. Like the auriculatum, the azoricum flowers are very fragile and star-like. The azoricum needs to be harvested by noon because it cannot take the day's heat. The jasmine scent is lightly accented by a vanilla note, making it particularly delightful.

Jasmine azoricum flowers bloom year-round! Sweet, gentle scent.

The tiny flowers need a lot of patience in harvesting, and the yield is small, but, oh, so beautiful.

Jasmine azoricum flowers

When all is said and done, it’s a wonderful feeling to have these two lovely, rare jasmines growing in my garden, because they go into the tincture bottle and provide a unique fragrance for my natural perfumes.

Comparison Between Natural and Synthetic Perfumes

2023-05-26T14:46:00.003-04:00

Comparison Between Natural and Synthetic Perfumes

by Anya McCoy | Apr 25, 2016 | Anya's Garden Perfumes, Healthy perfume, natural aromatics, natural perfume, raw materials of perfumery | 6 comments

As head of the Natural Perfumers Guild, founder of the Natural Perfumery Institute, and a perfumer who only uses 100% natural aromatics in my perfumes, I am often asked about the differences between natural and mainstream (contain synthetics) perfumes. I created the following chart years ago for my textbook, and it’s a good, quick reference on the subject.

The bottle may hold natural or mainstream perfume. It’s the customer’s decision based on preferences, scent, price, or lifestyle whether to purchase it – or not.

Chart for Quick Comparison Between Natural and Synthetic Perfumes

	Natural	Mainstream (contains synthetics)
Perfumer’s Goal:	Beauty and Health	Beauty
Aromatic Palette:	Essential oils, concretes, absolutes, CO2s, tinctures, and infusions	Primarily synthetic aromachemicals, minimal essential oils, and absolutes
Number of Aromatics per Blend:	10 – 30	30 – 100+
Creative Process Goals:	Blend to create unique classic artisan vision with top/mid/base notes	For corporate perfumers: meet market demands; can use top/mid/base structure, or linear
Diluent:	Typically undenatured alcohol; sometimes oil, cream, or solid base	Typically synthetic denatured alcohol; solid, dry spray
Customer Experience:	Perfume unfolds on skin, revealing layers of scent	Strong aesthetic statement, trendy, or nod to vintage
Drydown time:	1 – 8 hours;base may persist for 24 hours	1 – 24+ hours
Cost per pound of undiluted compound:	Extremely expensive; some aromatics are $10 – $100,000 per pound	Very inexpensive; corporations insist on lowest cost; there are rumors of a $20 per pound limit
History:	Link to ancient Egypt, historical figures, use naturals in both ancient and modern style blends.	Link to ancient Egypt, historical figures, use of synthetics to replace naturals began in 19th century.
Diffusion of Scent:	Arm’s length, slight sillage, unobtrusive	Can scent an entire room; strong sillage
Known respiratory issues:	Little or none. If you are allergic to roses, rose oil in a natural perfume might trigger an allergic response.	Well-documented; some municipalities have enacted no-fragrance laws

I hope this guide will clarify some issues on natural versus synthetic perfumes. If you have any questions on this issue, feel free to comment.

If you want a quality education in natural perfumery, click here to read more.

6 Comments

Be-en-forêt on April 25, 2016 at 8:27 pm
Hi Anya, I’ve been following your wonderful blog for quite a while. I thought you would like to know that it is currently displaying very poorly on my Sony Android device. Long, thin strings of words and some buttons are not working.
Reply
- Anya on April 27, 2016 at 3:03 pm
  Hi
  I haven’t blogged in several months, and this is the first report I got about the problems viewing and the buttons not working, so thanks for letting me know. I’ll look at the site later on my cel and see what I’m viewing. I may have to get the webmistress to work on it.
  Anya
  Reply
Marshalla on April 25, 2016 at 10:12 pm
Thank you for sharing this guide. As an entreprenuer of natural skin care, this was helpful because A. I didn’t realize that even the alcohol that mainstream perfume companies use are synthetic and B. The price difference between the price per pound for essential oils is compared to the synthetic grade.
Keep lighting the way!
Reply
Corinne Walder on April 27, 2016 at 2:08 pm
what about allergies with synthetic perfumes…. that you sneeze for 15 minutes when somenone sprayed herself before going out : (
Reply
Carol Gay Fagerhaugh on November 19, 2017 at 11:43 am
Are Natural perfumes really more expensive than popular name brand and iconic name perfumes ?
Reply
eleneetha on July 28, 2019 at 6:43 am
great article Anya! Thank you so much!

Make Hydrosol the Simplers Herbalist Way

2023-05-23T19:11:00.000-04:00

Make Hydrosol the Simplers Herbalist Way

by Anya McCoy | Jan 17, 2016 | Anya's Garden Perfumes, Ask the Perfumer, Herbalism, Hydrosols, natural aromatics | 4 comments

Simplers Distillation to Create a Quick and Easy Hydrosol

There are times I just want to spray a delectable floral, spice, herb, or other botanical water on my face or body. The well-known botanical waters rose or orange blossom, are also known as hydrolats, distillate waters, or hydrosols. I’ll call them hydrosols for this article because that is perhaps the best-known name for them.

What’s the difference between Hydrosols and Simply Boiling the Botanical?

When you boil a botanical, whether it’s a rose or oolong tea, you are making an infusion. All of the properties of the botanical are being drawn out into the hot water, and you can drink it ‘as is’. When you make a hydrosol, many of the chemical properties of the botanical are left in the water in the bottom of the pot, as in making tea. It’s the volatile, scented properties of the botanical that rise with the steam, condense on the iced top of the container (more about that below), and drip down into a container that will collect the hydrosol.

Hydrosol is much more concentrated than tea, and should always be diluted before using it in food or drink. However, if you’re like me, you make it mostly for spraying on the body or hair, or for splashing on the face, like a toner.

Why Make Hydrosols?

Why hydrosol? Besides the health benefits of using a botanical with beneficial chemical components, maybe I just want to capture the ethereal citrusy scent of rare lemongrass (C. flexuosus) from my garden. It’s sweeter and lighter than the bulbous “regular” lemongrass we all know from Asian recipes, and I find it very refreshing. Maybe I only have a few dozen golden campaca flowers, or a few handfuls of ylang-ylang, in all their rare and glorious sensual beauty. Let’s not forget the lemon leaves, rosemary, lime leaves, patchouli, pineapple sage, and other fragrant beauties I have in my garden — the list is long, and I love them all!

Some ideas for a simplers’ hydrosol – lilies, rose geranium, citrus rinds, leaves, or flowers, dried patchouli or other herbs or teas – etc., etc.

I have several distillation devices: a 2 Liter glass hydrodistillation unit from Heart Magic, and a gorgeous piece of art in the form of a 20 Liter copper hydro- or steam-distillation unit from The Essential Oil company. Due to their small size, I mostly get hydrosol, and a little bit of essential oil. Using them, I get anywhere from a pint to three liters or so of hydrosol. These units are great for production, but sometimes when I just want a quick hydrosol, I don’t set up the formal distillation units. Instead, I use a method that was probably used thousands of years ago and is still efficient and productive today.

I call it a simplers’ distillation, paying homage to the ancient simplers’ method of herbal tincturing and infusion. The simplers’ way means nothing is measured, and the botanical is simply covered by the menstruum – water, in this case – and the process is adapted for a stovetop or campfire.

Our ancestors in northern climates probably used cold water from a stream or well, but since Miami’s tap water (which I filter) rarely goes lower than 78F, I have to resort to using ice to facilitate the necessary condensation. This condensation of the rising steam is what chills the steam and allows the scented hydrosol to fall into the bowl for collection.

Inverted glass lid with metal handle (all non-reactive materials) showing steam starting to materialize after a few minutes of water and rosemary in pot being heated.

After steam appears, place a ziplock bag filled with ice on the lid. You will have to replace it with a new bag with ice several times during distillation. They can be refrozen and reused over and over.

This method is easy any season of the year, anywhere you live, and with any fragrant botanical, you have on hand, which can be from your garden, the grocery, or even dried – dried rose petals work well with this method, as do many other dried botanicals.

Equipment needed:

All of the equipment needs to be made of non-reactive material, such as stainless steel, enamel, or pyrex.

– A large pot or saucepan
– A lid with a slight dome, no flat lids. Turn the lid upside down, so the hydrosol will drop down into the bowl.
– A platform to elevate the bowl. It should be as small as possible to do the job because the area around it needs to be sufficiently generous to hold as much plant material as possible. I use an upside-down custard cup aka a ramekin, with a flat bottom
– Plant material: fresh is best, but you can experiment with flowers, seeds, bark, roots, and other materials that are dried.
– Filtered water
– Appropriate size ziplock plastic bag to fit onto the lid. I use one-gallon bags.
– Ice to fill the plastic bag. You may need to refill the bag several times as the ice melts, so have a backup supply of ice. After the distillation is completed, I let the melted ice in the bag refreeze by placing the bag inside the lid and placing it in the freezer. That way, the bag is conformed to the lid, and in a solid chunk, which slows down the melting time for the next distillation.
– Sterile container for the finished hydrosol. Directions on how to sterilize the container are detailed below.

Directions

1. Place the pot or saucepan on the heat source
2. Place the platform to elevate the bowl in the bottom of the pot, centered.
3. Place the plant material around the platform, up to the top of the platform. Pack the plant material to fit as much as possible in the space.
4. Pour in enough water to cover the plant material.
5. Place the bowl on the platform
6. Place the lid on the pot, inverted, so that the dome faces down, to allow the steam to drip into the bowl. The hydrosol will drip from the handle into the bowl
7. Turn on the heat to high, and when the water begins to boil, turn it down to medium and place a bag of ice on the lid.
8. Maintain an even temperature for the heat, and replace the bag of ice as needed with a fresh bag of ice.
9. The distillation is finished when the plant material looks “spent”, or you detect an odor that indicates no more fragrant molecules are being extracted.
10. Lift the bag of ice from the lid
11. Do not open the lid. Allow the pot and contents to cool down to room temperature.
12. Remove the lid and pour the contents of the bowl into a sterile container and secure a lid on the container.
13. Label the container with the date, plant material, and method used.
14. Store in a cool place, out of sunlight.

Sterilizing The Hydrosol Container

There are several methods that you can choose from to sterilize the container you use for storing the hydrosol, whether it is a jar or bottle. Of course, glass is the best choice, due to its non-reactive properties, and a tight-fitting cap is necessary, as a cork will allow microbes to migrate into the container.

1. While the hydrosol is cooking on the stove, place your container and its lid into a separate pan and gently boil for at least twenty minutes. Carefully remove the container and lid with tongs, and place them upside down on a clean towel. Allow them to cool. You may also boil a pyrex or stainless steel funnel at this time if you wish to use it for transferring the hydrosol to the container.

2. Use an alcohol wash of the container and lid and funnel (optional) by diluting 190 proof undenatured alcohol to 170 proof and washing the inside of the container and the lid and funnel with it.

3. I use a UV light box, such as the ones used by tattoo artists and cosmeticians. I place the container and funnel on the top shelf, and the cap on the bottom, facing upwards, so the UV light can reach the inside of it. Put the UV machine on for 15 minutes to sterilize.

Quick and easy way to sterilize materials with UV light.

Refreshing rosemary simplers’ hydrosol made with fresh rosemary from my garden. Note the bottle and cap from the UV sterilization unit.

My photos don’t do the process justice. The first link is good documentation of the process. The author uses dried elderflowers.

http://ourheritageofhealth.com/elderflower-water-a-homemade-hydrosol/

This video is a great tutorial on simplers’ hydrosol making. She uses fresh rose petals, so it’s a great visual. My instructions and preferences differ a bit from hers: I like a glass lid so I can observe the process, and I think it’s a lot more convenient to place the ice cubes in a plastic bag. Also, as noted above, I’m very strict about sterilization. Hydrosols can grow microbes very quickly if not transferred into sterile containers with sterile lids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vnv4gTeTv8

Combo hydrosols

Experiment and find some combinations of plant materials that you like. Mint, rosemary, and bay leaf. Rose and jasmine – yum! Patchouli and cedar wood shavings. Citrus and ambrette seeds. Have fun!

4 Comments

Cynthe on January 18, 2016 at 9:56 am (Edit)
What a lovely project! Just moved and don’t have my high elevation (5000 ft) garden planted, but will definitely give this a try. Thanks for the deep winter season inspiration.
Reply
Rachel Lindstrom on January 18, 2016 at 9:11 pm (Edit)
Wow. I can’t wait for my garden to mature to try this. Thank you so much, Anya!
Reply
Alisha Adkison on May 25, 2016 at 10:50 am (Edit)
Is the platform absolutely necessary? I’m wanting to use a mason jar and it’s so tall the platform makes it not fit. I’m doing this for the first time and using rose petals from my front yard. I love your blog. After my wedding, I’m hoping to get your book.
Reply
- Anya on June 17, 2016 at 12:21 pm (Edit)
  You need to use something shorter, it’s that simple. Sorry I saw this so late, hope you had some success