Ask The Perfumer - Sunday, July 11th, 2010
Ask the Perfumer anything about perfume creation - Sunday July 11, 2010. I'll answer your questions and give you tips on how to pursue your dream of perfumery
Anya McCoy founded the USA's first modern natural perfume line in 1991. Since then, she has nurtured and educated natural perfumers worldwide with a comprehensive distance learning course. Anya is the Head Instructor at the Natural Perfumery Institute, the first online NP course, founded in 2007. She is a recognized leader in the art and the 'go-to' person for anyone interested in natural perfume.
Natural perfumery using EO's. What is the best fixative?
ReplyDeleteHi MIchelle:
ReplyDeleteIt all depends on your complete blend. There's no way to just say "this is the best fixative." Perfumery is complex, and each aromatic needs to relate to the others in the blend.
Hello Anya,
ReplyDeleteIs there anything I can add to neroli oil and lavender oil to stop them from going "off", or should I just keep them in the fridge?
Thanks very much.
Amanda
Hi Amanda:
ReplyDeleteAll citrus and high-linalool oils like lavender benefit from one-half of one percent up to one percent addition of alpha-tocopheral to slow down oxidation. That's Vitamin E, and it's also available in a form called T-50 Vitamin E - Alpha Mixed Tocopherols.
There are many others that need refrigeration, such as boronia absolute, the blue oils, etc.
Also remember to quickly remove the amount of aromatic you need and return the bottle to the fridge to prevent them suffering from a fluctuation in temperature.
Making sure your bottles don't have too much "air space" at the top also helps retard the oxidation process.
Hi Anya,
ReplyDeleteI'm struggling with my lovely tobacco leaf in a solid I'm making! I am pairing it with Cocoa and Labdanum and I seem to muddy it, lose the agrestic warm feel of it which is what I want to have come through. Thought of Hay maybe? Any suggestions for a lift? have a great Sunday!