Change Is Good

I have noticed lately that some natural perfumers have discovered natural isolates and aroma molecules synthesized from natural (plant based) materials. I have been using these materials for years, and can remember a time when many natural perfumers would not have thought to use such materials and considered them synthetic. Well....they are synthetic in regards to processing. They are not, in regards to starting materials.
I spent a lot of time discussing this with folks, but didn't get very far. The mindset was so closed to even the possibility of using these materials that I decided to let it go and move on. Amazing what a few years can do. And no one is more pleased to see this than I am.
In my work I will more often than not choose a plant based synthetic over a crude based synthetic. Not to be confused with nature identical, which (for the most part) are crude based doppelgangers of natural isolates.
Whether one calls these materials synthetic or not is just a matter of personal preference, as there are arguments to support both sides.
The truth is, all perfumery materials are synthesized to some degree.
Choosing the natural aroma chemical over the crude is a great way to stay true to ones craft, but it isn't (as some would believe) the most economical one. Natural aroma chemicals are still way more expensive than their crude based counterparts. For example. Natural Heliotropine is 1,450.00 pr kilo, the synthetic is 113.00 pr kilo. Phenylethyl Acetate Natural is 800.00 pr kilo the synthetic is 54.00 pr. kilo. Yes just 54 bucks. Many synthetic chemicals are dirt cheap like this. It is why the perfume industry chooses to use them.
Pricing was obtained from one of my suppliers Vigon International.
For anyone interested in natural aroma chemicals Vigon has a fair amount, Sigma Aldrich has a better selection and for some of the harder to find in natural, AM Todd has a good selection. A M Todd bought out Moore Organics, moorelab.com. so if you try to google them you will get a redirect. They are located just thirty minutes from me so I can pick up supplies from them directly. Hopefully the buy out has not prompted them to close down their facility here.
Unlike a rose oil that will have subtle changes from year to year due to climate and soil conditions, aroma chemicals are standardized to always be the same, so sharing the info. isn't such a big thing.
I am not so quick to share the source of small batch distillations of special oils. (smile)
Change is good in this regard because it not only adds to the possibilities in the formulation of natural perfumes, but also peels away the layers of fear and ignorance when it comes to perfumery materials.
I am all for expanding the mind, and know from years of experience that the best way is with education. It's one thing to be fearful of something with just cause, it is insanity to be fearful of shadows and imaginary threats. Or worse to let ignorant ill-informed people yank us around by the nose.

Do The Right Thing

For the past few days I have been sitting at the computer typing ingredients labels for our new Acousticjus oil parfums. I had long ago made the decision to add more extensive ingredients lists to all of our perfumes, and decided to start with these and go on to our other brand Soivohle. As anyone who ever reads the label on a commercial bottle of perfume knows, there is usually a long list of ingredients listed. These are primarily ingredients deemed allergens etc. by the Perfume Industry Organization IFRA (International Fragrance Association). It is required that members of the IFRA comply with their guidelines, and are also adhered to by non-members with global distribution. The IFRA restrictions and guidelines on some (not all) ingredients used in perfume formulation are considered by many to be overly restrictive and sometimes biased against natural materials.  This alone is enough to give even the largest corporations headaches, as they are forever reformulating products to comply with the ever increasing restrictions and guidelines.
Now enter the Safe Cosmetics Act of 2010 H.R. 5786.  A new piece of legislation designed (in theory) to put the squeeze on cosmetics companies with even more regulations than are already in place.  But in fact if one reads the proposed bill, it is very clear that it will be the small natural products companies who will be put out of business. Legislation like this is not really geared towards fairness and common sense, or even good science, as I see no good science in anything that I read regarding this bill and others like it. The large chemical companies will survive this kind of legislation because they have the money to put enough loopholes in the final draft to protect themselves from any real harm. It is the small independent company doing the right thing, creating safe, often all natural and organic products who will suffer. Here we are in a time of great economic strife and legislators are proposing new regulations that will put thousands of honest hard working people out of  business. I think they should tell it like is is and rename it the.....
"Put small business' who make safe cosmetics out of business Act of 2010"
I don't think it matters much which side of the political fence we sit on these days. The Democrats want to over regulate everything and the Republicans want to throw all regulation out the window. Surely there is a place somewhere in the middle where common sense and solid data mean something.
But back to perfume: I am right on the edge of re-naming all of my products Altar Oils, Incense, and Linen Spray. Safe for use on skin but not recommended.  How sad is that. To be living in a world controlled by fear and mis-information. I understand that people want safe cosmetics and for the most part I think this is just what we have. As a small business owner who is creating just on the edge of this industry in perfumery, I can say with all honesty that my aim is to do the right thing. I am not out to harm folks or use materials that have legitimate claims against them.Yet at the same time I will not demonize a material or ingredient based on unsound or non-existent science.

So what are these folks going to do once they have successfully driven the safe cosmetics companies out of business. Who are they going after next. The organic farmers, the quilters, the bee keepers.

Now back to those labels............

ACOUSTICJUS

It seems like a zillion years ago that I had this crazy idea to launch an off shoot brand of ethanol free natural products. After sending in the latest Office Action on our trademark, I am hopeful that this will be the end of the nitpicking. Originally I played around with the idea of launching it as a separate entity within the Soivohle Brand, but realized that this would be too confusing so I set out on a new adventure. Unlike the labor intensive Soivohle Naturals. Acousticjus is a more mainstream natural line consisting of oil or water based products, such as body sprays and toners, oil perfumes etc.  I am going ahead with the relaunch of this line, and will have several things available at Scentual Artistry within the next few weeks.  I will also have a list of items on the acousticjus.com website, available y special request.
ACOUSTICJUS IMAGE/DRAWING: C. LIZ ZORN 2008