You Can Eat My Perfume

 Originally published Sept. 22, 2013

There’s a saying in the natural lifestyle world: “Can you eat….so and so” meaning is the lotion or body care product made with pure and natural ingredients? I was reminded of this recently when someone interested in buying my perfume wrote me several times, asking specific questions about the ingredients. I answered each email, also telling her to check out my Ingredients page. She then sent another email asking if I used undenatured alcohol. Of course, I do, and I wondered why she wasn’t finding the answers on my website.

I discovered the Ingredients page was listed last on the menu, so I moved it up to the #4 position.

I want customers to know that the ingredients in my perfumes are so pure, they could eat them. Rose, citrus, jasmine – all are good enough to eat – or drink. I’m not saying you should ‘eat’ my perfumes, although I do remember Maria Browning of Bitter Grace Notes blog and Elena Vosnaki of Perfume Shrine blog musing online about using my Fairchild perfume in a recipe!

Click here to read about the full transparency of the ingredients of Anya’s Garden Perfumes.

Deconstructing a perfume, and revealing all the raw materials, is second nature to an ethical perfumer.  There may be allergies that would prevent someone from wearing the perfume: a rose allergy, for instance. Let the customer know in advance what’s in the perfume, so they can make an informed decision. Vegetarian or vegan? You may not wish to wear perfume with some animal extracts in it. All of the animal extracts used in my perfumes are certified food flavors by the FDA, including castoreum, civet, ambergris and goat hair (natural extracts of the latter are found in all goat milk and cheese products, by nature of milking the goats). I once used a touch of Hyraceum in one of my perfumes, but have discontinued use since it’s not certified GRAS (generally recognized as safe). It’s not that it may not be safe, but it hasn’t been tested.  I also have all of my tinctures tested for microbial activity. Safe!

I think I’ll go put a drop of RiverCali in some chocolate syrup 🙂 It’ll make a nice citrusy/rose/vanilla note!

PS: Yes, it’s Ask the Perfumer Sunday, I just wanted to get this blog post up. Have any questions? I’ll be here until 10PM ET USA tonight, chained to the computer as I work on the Perfume From Your Garden book. Next Sunday I’m playing hooky, so ask today if you have a question you need answered.

PS Don’t forget to check the ‘be advised of follow-up posts’ so you don’t miss my answers.