Anya's Garden Perfumes + The Natural Perfumery Institute

Introduction to the Patchouli Phreak Project Patchouli - most people love it or hate it. I'm a hippie from the mid-1960s, so you can guess where I stand. I have a collection of patchouli oils from various countries and from different time periods. I wish I still had some I got back in the 60s, but they're long gone, used up, vaporized into the air. Recently, I did a scent re-evaluation of many of the oils and discovered some amazing evolution in the scents. Patchouli is a "base" note in perfumery, which means it will last indefinitely under good storage conditions, and mellow and evolve during storage. patchouli basking in the semi-shade in my front garden In the next few months, I will write about many of the oils I have stashed in my extensive collection. I'm not going to give the history and create monographs of each oil, I just want to share some of my observations after almost 60 years of collecting them. For the record, I typically use light patchouli in my...

Photo of patchouli plant in Anya's Garden This is an genderless post, men and women can play patchouli panties/bras/undies/boxers/tighty whities! I've written here before I don't use scented laundry detergent. Think it's unnecessary, plus I try to keep my nose as "clean" as possible from extraneous scents. I keep large folded stacks of cotton washcloths in my bathroom for drying hands. Very sanitary, better than towels. About 10 days ago I had a patchouli spill in my perfumery studio. It was minor (thank goodness, with the price of patchouli, and this was gorgeous aged patchouli) and the spill tray caught it. After I poured the bulk of it back into the bottle, I grabbed one of the washcloths (had it nearby for a reason I forget now) splashed some alcohol on it, and wiped the tray clean. Even though only a teaspoon or so, the cloth reeked. Strong stuff. Tossed it into the hamper. Forgot about it. I wash my undies and washcloths together. Opened the garage door...

The price of patchouli essential oil has skyrocketed in the past year. An crucial and historic scent in perfume and body care products, various issues have conspired to create a shortage and suppliers and formulators are scrambling to control cost increases in their products. I know I'm an eternal optimist. I also have a strong background in ethnobotany, economic botany and agriculture. I specialized in tropical and subtropical agriculture in my studies, keep this in mind when you check out the You Tube link, below. In 2005, a team from Haiti met with the President of Rwanda to propose a Patchouli project. There is a series of five videos on You Tube recording the process of establishing a patchouli essential oil industry in Rwanda by the movers and shakers of this project. The videos are educational and uplifting. I am very aware of he political and military turmoils of Rwanda, having several close friends who traveled there in the aftermath and are helping with the rebuilding. Re...