Natural Perfumes

Perfume Aromas  In Concert With Nature. 

By Karoleen Keys

Beginning Your Fragrance Journey

 Our online course starts in July 2025

The art of creating natural perfumes is like learning to paint with invisible colors. Each essential oil represents a unique note in nature's symphony, waiting to be discovered and understood. When I first began teaching others about natural perfumery, I noticed how their eyes would light up at the moment they first understood how different scents could dance together.

Let's start where every perfumer must: with the fundamentals of scent families. Just as a painter needs to understand primary colors, a natural perfumer must become familiar with the basic categories of essential oils. These families include:

• Florals - the heart notes that speak of blooming gardens
• Citrus - bright top notes that lift our spirits
• Woods - base notes that ground and sustain
• Herbs - middle notes that add complexity and freshness
• Resins - deep base notes that provide lasting power

In my early days of teaching, I would bring a simple exercise to my students that I'd like to share with you now. Choose just three oils – one from each note category (top, middle, and base). Spend time with each one individually. Close your eyes, breathe deeply, and allow the scent to tell its story. What memories does it evoke? What emotions arise? This intimate connection with individual oils is the foundation of all perfume creation.

Remember, there's no rush in this process. Some of my most beautiful fragrances emerged from months of getting to know a single essential oil. As one of my mentors once told me, "The oils will speak to you when you're ready to listen." At first, I thought this was rather mystical advice, but over the decades, I've found it to be profoundly true.

Your journey into natural perfumery doesn't require an enormous collection to begin. Start small, with quality over quantity. I still remember my first proper essential oil collection: just five bottles, carefully chosen, that became the foundation of countless experiments and discoveries. These early experiences taught me that limitations often spark the most creative solutions.