Anya's Garden Perfumes + The Natural Perfumery Institute

As many of you know, I have fought for years against the creeping corporate takeover of indie and microbusinesses. Just search on this blog for IFRA, EU, FDA Globalization Act and government. The future of our businesses is in immediate danger. I am horrified that several organizations that represent indie and microbusinesses are in lockstep with the FDA and tweeting and blogging about their 'victories" with legislators, either blinded or too blind to see the horrible demise in store for our businesses - they should be fighting the FDA, not kowtowing to it, giddy with "making progress". They're not, they're being fooled. Please everyone - don't be the frog in the pot of cool water who never feels the heat being turned up until it is too late and he's cooked. Read this following speech, given at the International Herb Symposium by Stephen Buhner and pass it around, and more importantly, ask those who are all puffed up and happy that the FDA and legisla...

What the FDAGA 2009 will do to the American artisan food of cosmetic businessperson Do you make any body care or foodie product in the artisan manner? Artisan soap, artisan bread, artisan cheese, artisan perfume, etc? Don't let your guard down over the new "improved" Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009 (FDAGA2009). Please bookmark the links I'm providing here, you'll need them if you are an artisan. Also subscribe to this blog and others who are updating our efforts to understand (and in my case, fight) the FDAGA2009. A big sigh of relief went out from many who had opposed the horrifying fees proposed in the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2008 were eliminated from the Food and Drug Administration Act of 2009. I agree, dropping the fee was a great act. I called Donna Maria of the Indie Beauty Network in early June of 2008, alarmed. I had blogged about it the month before, and knew it was trouble, but couldn't figure out just what the trouble was. Don...

Click here to read or download a copy of HR 759, the FDA Globalization Act of 2009 The FDA Globalization Act of 2008, which died in committee in December was expected to be introduced this year modified and it's here, much earlier than expected. On Tuesday I called Rep. Janet Schakowsky's office because it had been reported earlier that she might be the one to reintroduce the bill. Her rep said it was "unclear" at this time if she would. Well, the next day, in true DC confabulation, it was introduced by Rep. Charles Dingell (DemMI) (the original author of the 2008 bill) and Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (DemNJ) as the FDA Globalization Act of 2009 HR 759. Until the bill is released on the internet today for close examination, a cursory look indicates that they may have backed off on the high fees and registration hurdles (more fees) that they were aiming at us, the little guys of the cosmetics industry. This is what is gleaned from the press release , but I'm holding of...

Anya's Garden Online Basic Natural Perfumery Course The worldwide course is one year long and consists of nine modules of study Do you find you make some common mistakes in your attempts to create perfume? Do you even know if you're making mistakes? Are your blends muddy and you don't know why? Do you wish to gain a solid understanding of the basics of perfumery - basics that will last you a lifetime of study and perfume creation? Then this online, interactive course is for you. This course is for those who desire comprehensive basic training in: - Natural Perfumery - to become a Professional Perfumer - Education in a natural art - General interest in blending natural aromatics for the bath and body industry Materials Provided for Study - An aromatics kit of 25 absolutes and essential oils, labeled with botanical name, and country of origin. The bottles are 4ml in size, and four of the rare essences are diluted to 10%. Many students have said these aromatics far surpass any...

I'm working with others to organize a two-pronged effort to expose the agenda of the Energy and Commerce Committee to effectively shut down our artisan businesses. Are you the member of a Guild of association of like-minded folks who make bread, body care products, toys, cheese, wine or any other made-in-America proudly and lovingly handcrafted item? You need to join us. Please volunteer - write me at my website contact page. You can visit the White House pag e and register your objection to the FDA Globalization Act or it new incarnation - not sure what the name will be yet. Click on the contact page and send your message. Here's what I wrote (messages are limited to 500 characters.) The Energy and Commerce Department is pushing the FDA Globalization Act or a form thereof and it will effectively put small artisan business out of business. We are organizing a grassroots group of associations of artisans - bread, cheese, perfume, bath and body care, etc. to fight the fees they...

Got your attention? Too bad we all weren't paying attention to the US Energy and Commerce Committee. Sell handmade toys, children's clothing or any child-oriented item in your shop? Have some handmade children's toys, clothing or bath or body product you want to donate to a shelter? Perhaps you want to give some handmade cradle or bassinet away to your best friend. Forget it. Come February 10th, you have to: Empty your shop of the toys, forget about donations, and don't give them away - you might as well send them to the dump. The landfills across America should be full of handmade children's products in the coming months. Why? The U.S. Energy and Commerce Committee, the same group that attempted to pass the small-business-killing FDA Globalization Act last year, passed the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act in August. Quietly, sneakily, this bill was passed into law and is just now becoming evident for what it is - the death knell for any handmade artisan pr...

You don't have to be Einstein to recognize the disastrous effect this unfair corporate-sponsored Act will have on the small independent business owners who make cosmetics, perfumes and other body care products. STOP THE FDA GLOBALIZATION ACT OF 2008 Today I took part in a meeting of a Coalition of small business owners/organization leaders who are very concerned about the proposed FDA Global Harmonization Act of 2008 here in the USA. We are pooling our membership rolls into building a groundswell of grassroots efforts to give us strength in numbers as we work towards stopping the FDA. The most articulate message I have seen so far on this subject is by the President of the Indie Beauty Network, Donna Maria Coles Johnson, and I urge you to visit her blog and view the video she prepared on this. Then, PLEASE sign the petition on that site, and don't forget to use your full name and city and state. The short story? This GHA will effectively put many of the small perfumery, body ca...