Natural Cologne + Perfume: Why the Fragrance Industry is Returning to its Roots

Something intriguing is happening to the fragrance industry. After decades of saturating the market – and our necklines – with overpowering synthetic and toxic ingredients, natural perfumery is having a huge comeback. From ancient Sumer where the first archaeological residues and perfumery containers have been found dating back to ~4,000 BCE, through Egypt and Palestine / Israel in 2,000 BCE, and distilled in the advanced perfumery techniques of Unani (Greek-Arabic) practitioners at the turn of the first millennium, natural perfumery has an impressive history.  As crafters of natural  frangrances, we're thrilled to see this shift back to the art’s herbal roots (and flowers, and leaves). Synthetic fragrances are not only filled with chemicals that cause skin irritations, they also project far beyond the wearer causing headaches and repulsion – the exact opposite response we are hoping to achieve.

Moonlight Botanical Fragrance contains jasmine—traditionally seen as a lush and floral heart note, and a plant with a long history of use in perfumery

Perfumery is an ancient craft that only recently included any synthetic ingredients. Much like the traditional art and science, we use techniques such as infusion and maceration – as well as distillates and super-critical extracts – to formulate complex and satisfying scent blends. We will continue to honour this tradition by crafting formulas that are entirely plant-based, all natural and rich.

Raven Botanical Fragrance is rich in Vetiver, a long-lasting earthy, woody and grounding base note popular in natural perfumery.

Benefits of Natural Scents

° Natural ingredients require minimal processing

° Free of petroleum products that are harsh on skin and the environment

° Minimizes skin irritations and reactions

° Intimate scent projection - only for yourself and those in your vicinity

Check out our full range of natural colognes and perfumes below:

Wild Man Natural Cologne - our first and best-selling scent!

Solstice Botanical Fragrance features tonka bean butter - a deep and woody-sweet scent with natural staying power.

Meadow Botanical Fragrance combines bright lemongrass with sweet coconut - a light and fruity formula.

Classic rose and cardamom combine with mandarin in our best-selling Passion Botanical Fragrance.

Further Reading

The perfumer’s garden: scent and well-being in some Greek and Roman sources: Studies in the History of Gardens & Designed Landscapes: Vol 44 , No 2-3

Ya’qub b. Ishaq Al-Kindi – Aal-e-Qutub Aal-e-Syed Abdullah Shah Ghazi

Two Texts on Scent: Aristotle and Theophrastus — Ancient Medicine