CUSTOM BOTANICAL PERFUMERY F.A.Q.
Q. Are your custom botanical perfumes and aromatherapy products vegan?
A. YES! Every one is plant-derived with no animal testing!
Q. Are your custom botanical perfumes all natural and organic?
A. My perfumes are all plant-based using only essential oils, absolutes, resinoids, infused carrier oils and plant waxes with no synthetics, isolates or anything else ever added. I consider my botanical perfumes to be natural but because I do use some absolutes, resinoids, etc that use chemicals in their extraction processes, I choose not to call them “all natural”. While many of the ingredients I use are already organic and I strive towards using more organic all of the time, currently some materials I use still are not.
Q. Is your custom botanical perfume safer to use than commercial perfume?
A. Yes and no. My botanical perfumes have ZERO added chemicals or synthetics. They use only essential oils, absolutes, resinoids, carrier oils, handmade plant extractions and infusions, plant waxes, and plant butters. That is all. While modern commercial perfumes are created with what are considered safe aroma chemicals, many people would argue that artificial ingredients created in labs do have risk and can cause ill effects. That being said, botanical perfumes are plant-based and from nature, but some materials they are composed with can cause risks or issues if improperly used as well. Natural or botanical does not automatically equate to safe, but when used with awareness they can create wonderful perfumes. I love crafting custom natural botanical perfumes but I am a Custom Holistic Aromatherapist first and that informs how I do perfumery. There is always the possibility of an unforeseen allergic or adverse reaction to wearing any perfume but all of my perfumes take safe usage seriously and that allows me to build perfumes for clients we can both feel good about.
Q. Are your custom botanical perfumes and aromatherapy products produced with sustainability in mind?
A. Yes. Sustainability is important to me. I choose my suppliers carefully and seek out those who also care about this issue. My bottles and containers are all simple and reusable and I do not believe in wasted packaging either.
Q. Do natural botanical perfumes perform as well as commercial perfumes in terms of things like projection, longevity and sillage?
A. Yes and no. The aroma chemicals used in commercial perfumes can offer more stability and can enhance things like longevity, sillage and projection in ways that natural botanical materials may not be able to. That being said, it is absolutely possible to create natural botanical perfumes that can also satisfy those wishes but there are many factors to consider. Some natural botanical ingredients are excellent at filling a room or lasting into the next day but they are particular aromas. An earthy, resinous and incense style perfume may be likely to offer more of those qualities than say a lighter, citrus and herbal perfume.
Q. Do natural botanical perfumes wear differently than synthetic or commercial ones?
A. They do, especially oil-based and solid perfumes (my specialties). Oil-based and solid perfumes are known to wear closer to the skin because the oils, waxes and butters they are made with hold the perfume and allow them to evaporate far more slowly than perfumes in an alcohol base. Natural botanical perfumes also last longer when applied to well-moisturized skin and in small amounts can also be applied to hair ends for those whose skin seems to absorb the oil-based and solid perfume too quickly.
Q. Are natural botanical perfumes only simple combinations of materials that smell like “aromatherapy blends”?
A. Of course not (although some therapeutic blends I create for my Custom Holistic Aromatherapy clients can be lovely enough to be worn as perfumes on their own anyway). Botanical perfumes can be either as simple or complex as the wearer and perfumer want to make them. They are often felt by some perfume lovers to be considered more complex and layered and less linear in their wear than commercial perfumes.
Q. Are your custom botanical perfumes unique to each person?
A. Yes! Every custom signature botanical perfume I create for someone is only ever used for them and cannot be ordered by anyone else and through the magic of personal skin chemistry, no perfume smells exactly alike on anyone. Our individual senses of smell and personal chemistry are reasons why the perfume someone we know bought wears and smells differently on us than on them when we wear it, or even smells differently on different days. When it comes to my custom proprietary botanical perfumes, personal chemistry and individual sense of smell also play a role here. Botanical materials also change from time to time and because every perfume is made to order, no two perfumes will ever be exactly alike. It is truly an experience as individual and unique as every client is.
Q. How long do natural botanical perfumes last and how should they be stored?
A. These are natural materials that are perishable so the sooner they are used, the better but due to my use of jojoba oil as a base (unless someone has an allergy and I will use fractionated coconut oil instead) they can last quite long when stored in cool, dark and dry places.
If you have a question I may not have covered here and to book your consultations, please do not hesitate to CONTACT ME HERE. Wishing you a scentsational day!
- Melinda Erin Whitehead - Custom Holistic Aromatherapist.
A. YES! Every one is plant-derived with no animal testing!
Q. Are your custom botanical perfumes all natural and organic?
A. My perfumes are all plant-based using only essential oils, absolutes, resinoids, infused carrier oils and plant waxes with no synthetics, isolates or anything else ever added. I consider my botanical perfumes to be natural but because I do use some absolutes, resinoids, etc that use chemicals in their extraction processes, I choose not to call them “all natural”. While many of the ingredients I use are already organic and I strive towards using more organic all of the time, currently some materials I use still are not.
Q. Is your custom botanical perfume safer to use than commercial perfume?
A. Yes and no. My botanical perfumes have ZERO added chemicals or synthetics. They use only essential oils, absolutes, resinoids, carrier oils, handmade plant extractions and infusions, plant waxes, and plant butters. That is all. While modern commercial perfumes are created with what are considered safe aroma chemicals, many people would argue that artificial ingredients created in labs do have risk and can cause ill effects. That being said, botanical perfumes are plant-based and from nature, but some materials they are composed with can cause risks or issues if improperly used as well. Natural or botanical does not automatically equate to safe, but when used with awareness they can create wonderful perfumes. I love crafting custom natural botanical perfumes but I am a Custom Holistic Aromatherapist first and that informs how I do perfumery. There is always the possibility of an unforeseen allergic or adverse reaction to wearing any perfume but all of my perfumes take safe usage seriously and that allows me to build perfumes for clients we can both feel good about.
Q. Are your custom botanical perfumes and aromatherapy products produced with sustainability in mind?
A. Yes. Sustainability is important to me. I choose my suppliers carefully and seek out those who also care about this issue. My bottles and containers are all simple and reusable and I do not believe in wasted packaging either.
Q. Do natural botanical perfumes perform as well as commercial perfumes in terms of things like projection, longevity and sillage?
A. Yes and no. The aroma chemicals used in commercial perfumes can offer more stability and can enhance things like longevity, sillage and projection in ways that natural botanical materials may not be able to. That being said, it is absolutely possible to create natural botanical perfumes that can also satisfy those wishes but there are many factors to consider. Some natural botanical ingredients are excellent at filling a room or lasting into the next day but they are particular aromas. An earthy, resinous and incense style perfume may be likely to offer more of those qualities than say a lighter, citrus and herbal perfume.
Q. Do natural botanical perfumes wear differently than synthetic or commercial ones?
A. They do, especially oil-based and solid perfumes (my specialties). Oil-based and solid perfumes are known to wear closer to the skin because the oils, waxes and butters they are made with hold the perfume and allow them to evaporate far more slowly than perfumes in an alcohol base. Natural botanical perfumes also last longer when applied to well-moisturized skin and in small amounts can also be applied to hair ends for those whose skin seems to absorb the oil-based and solid perfume too quickly.
Q. Are natural botanical perfumes only simple combinations of materials that smell like “aromatherapy blends”?
A. Of course not (although some therapeutic blends I create for my Custom Holistic Aromatherapy clients can be lovely enough to be worn as perfumes on their own anyway). Botanical perfumes can be either as simple or complex as the wearer and perfumer want to make them. They are often felt by some perfume lovers to be considered more complex and layered and less linear in their wear than commercial perfumes.
Q. Are your custom botanical perfumes unique to each person?
A. Yes! Every custom signature botanical perfume I create for someone is only ever used for them and cannot be ordered by anyone else and through the magic of personal skin chemistry, no perfume smells exactly alike on anyone. Our individual senses of smell and personal chemistry are reasons why the perfume someone we know bought wears and smells differently on us than on them when we wear it, or even smells differently on different days. When it comes to my custom proprietary botanical perfumes, personal chemistry and individual sense of smell also play a role here. Botanical materials also change from time to time and because every perfume is made to order, no two perfumes will ever be exactly alike. It is truly an experience as individual and unique as every client is.
Q. How long do natural botanical perfumes last and how should they be stored?
A. These are natural materials that are perishable so the sooner they are used, the better but due to my use of jojoba oil as a base (unless someone has an allergy and I will use fractionated coconut oil instead) they can last quite long when stored in cool, dark and dry places.
If you have a question I may not have covered here and to book your consultations, please do not hesitate to CONTACT ME HERE. Wishing you a scentsational day!
- Melinda Erin Whitehead - Custom Holistic Aromatherapist.
DISCLAIMER: By your use of both this site and / or any of the services and products offered within it, you are agreeing to accept ANY AND ALL responsibility and liability for actions and / or consequences either directly or indirectly related to the use of this site and it's services and products. The information contained within this site and given through it's services and products is meant to offer you INSIGHT into circumstances you may be encountering in your life and in NO WAY intends to replace professional medical, health, financial, legal or any other advice, but is to be applied with common sense and used along WITH other professional advice as required. No refunds or guarantees will be offered or given and a penalty will be charged to those who miss scheduled appointments. Melinda Erin Whitehead makes no guarantee of satisfaction for this site or her services and products and also reserves the right to terminate any client relationship at any time for any reason. All products sold are vegan, custom, handmade to individual client order, unique, one of a kind, sold only as curios and with no guarantees or refunds.