Dilutions and Smelling "Consciously"

by Yuko Fukami

Everyone knows that olfactory training is important to making perfumes. Without knowing how things smell, how would you mix and match them? Duh! What I didn't realize before I started smelling consciously was how varied the same smell or same kinds of smell can be. During the very first perfumery class I took with Lisa Fong, all the balsams she had on the table -- Peru Balsam, Tolu Balsam, and benzoin -- smelled basically the same to me. Ditto with the citruses. After working with them and evaluating the dilutions I've learned to tell them apart. Dilution is a very powerful tool I learned from Justine Crane in evaluating oils and blends. For me, when something is diluted to 5% or 1%, all the parts of the scent are taken apart so that you can smell each aspect better. It's like spreading your clothes out on the floor and seeing what's inside the drawer. Once you know what was in the drawer, you begin to recognize it even without spilling the entire contents of the drawer on the floor again and again. (Though you might keep finding something new every time you do this.)

Evaluating is a time consuming process, and one that's not always fun. I know I'm way behind schedule in my evaluations, but when I do get around to it, I can expect a payback almost immediately.

*Yuko Fukami is a graduate of NNAPA Natural Botanical Perfumers Antiquarian Perfumery Course, a graduate of Washington University, St. Louis, with a Masters in Architecture, was a Communications Specialist at Nexfocus, wrote freelance articles at PACE Interior and Architecture, and was the Project Manager at Esherick Homsey Dodge and Davis (EHDD). Yuko currently works as a Translator/Transcreator, Cross-cultural and Language Consultant, as well as the creatrix of extraordinary Natural Botanical Perfumes. Yuko's website, Parfum Phyto, is scheduled to open in 2011.

Dilution Charts

Volume (30 mls = 1 fluid ounce)

Dilution Ratio %	Raw Material	Diluent
5.00%	1.5 mls	28.5 mls
10.00%	3 mls	27 mls
15.00%	4.5 mls	25.5 mls
20.00%	6 mls	24 mls
25.00%	7.5 mls	22.5 mls
30.00%	9 mls	21 mls
35.00%	10.5 mls	19.5 mls
40.00%	12 mls	18 mls
45.00%	13.5 mls	16.5 mls
50.00%	15 mls	15 mls

Weight (28.4 grams = 1 ounce by weight)

Dilution Ratio %	Raw Material	Diluents
5.00%	1.42 g	26.98 g
10.00%	2.84 g	25.56 g
15.00%	4.26 g	24.14 g
20.00%	5.68 g	22.72 g
25.00%	7.1 g	21.3 g
30.00%	8.52 g	19.88 g
35.00%	9.94 g	18.46 g
40.00%	11.36 g	17.04 g
45.00%	12.78 g	15.62 g
50.00%	14.2 g	14.2 g

Learning Your Materials

by JM Crane

The number one, be-all, end-all bit of advice to be given a new perfumer is to learn your materials. That means take the time to familiarize yourself with the essential oils, absolutes, concretes, tinctures and dilutions you plan to use in your perfumes. I know -- this could take years. But before you lose heart, you should know there is a simple way to start.

As soon as your materials arrive, evaluate. Whip out your notebook, or if you prefer, rev up the computer, and start taking notes. Keeping meticulous notes is key to this process. First, write down from which supplier you purchased the material, the date of purchase, and all identifying information on the bottle, such as extraction method, country of origin, et al. Check the invoice that came with your order to be sure you have all the data.

Open the container of essence you're evaluating and wave it gently under your nose (do not put your nose into the container), write down your impressions. Is it fruity? Medicinal? Sweet? Harsh? Hot? Spicy? Watery? Whatever comes to mind, even memories should be included in this process. You could describe it as the way your grandmother's bathroom smelled or as the stench of gym socks. Focus on the scent and pick it apart in your mind. Sniff a bit on a scent strip, again waving, not diving into the essence. More impressions? Write them down! Do you like it? Hate it? Want to dump it in the trash or pour the entire bottle over your head? Now it's time to work on dilutions.

If your menstrum (medium) is oil, you'll want to try a small oil dilution. The same if your menstrum is alcohol. Drop a single drop of your scenting material along with three drops of your medium into a small bottle or bowl. Make sure the elements in the bowl are well mixed using a scent strip or a glass rod as a stirrer, then sniff. Write down your impressions, everything that comes to mind. Drop a few more drops of your menstrum into the bowl, mix well and sniff again. Make more notes. Be sure you keep track of your dilution ratio as well.

After you've made your dilution, you will want to revisit it every so often to smell its progression. Slip a scent strip into the bottle and sniff. Write down your impressions and the date you tested the essence. You may find at this point that you have either under diluted your materials or over diluted them. Make adjustments and take more notes.

Repeat this process with all the materials you obtain. It's much easier to begin when your new materials arrive or your tincture is done brewing than to wait until your perfumer's palette is complete and jumping into that daunting task. This simple process can help you form cohesive impressions of your materials.

Reprint: Horse Chestnuts

Horse Chestnuts

by Lisa Abdul-Quddus

It happens often yet I still get amazed at how simple actions can spark inspiration and discoveries. Take, for example, a conversation back in January 2009 between Natural Botanical Perfumer Justine Crane and one of her Antiquarian Perfumery students, Pauhla Whitaker. Pauhla started a discussion about a subject totally different from where that discussion ended. Basically, she casually mentioned the smell of horse chestnuts and very briefly described what they were. Justine suggested she tincture them, and voila! The Natures Nexus Academy of Perfuming Arts students had begun a journey in horse smells. Pauhla generously supplied the students with horse chestnuts and there began the experimentation.

If you do a search for horse chestnuts you will most likely find links to Aesculus hippocastanum, a tree that bears fruit containing seeds or nuts, referred to as chestnuts or horse chestnuts. So to give a brief description of what horse chestnuts are for those unfamiliar, they are the soft knobbly bits or growths found on a horse above the knee area of the front legs and below the hock of the hind legs. They grow normally over time in layers and can be easily peeled or shaved off. If horse chestnuts grow too big they can be unsightly but cause no harm to the horse. Pauhla says think of them as toe nails. When your toe nails grow too long you clip them. If left alone horse chestnuts can peel and fall off on their own. Often though they are taken care of by a farrier during regular grooming. And being that they grow from the horse's body they carry within them a mildly horsey more leathery scent. As a bonus for those that use animal essences in their natural perfumes horse chestnuts are cruelty free.

When I evaluated the horse chestnut tincture I found it to be cool and actually somewhat fresh. It is rustic for sure, but not fecal. Definitely animalic, sweaty, but not like stepping into a barn where horse scents can be concentrated. A chestnut is but one element taken from a group of other horse related smells, most notably lacking the warmth or heat that I would guess comes more from the horses own body heat than anything else. In conducting my own experiments with this tincture I found it gives my blends a 'lift' and cuts some of the sweetness of various essences while adding an agrestic note. I found this happened when added to a blend that was dominant in jasmine sambac.

I randomly selected a few essences to test with horse chestnut tincture added and these are some of my findings.

Patchouli - 10% dilution - ratio 1:1 Patchouli alone has a warm earthy, woody scent. With the addition of horse chestnut tincture it became almost boozy like congac with a light leather. Over time, and as the alcohol evaporated the leather note became stronger.

Tobacco absolute - 1% dilution - ratio 1:1 Tobacco absolute is warm, sweet and smoky. Adding horse chestnut tincture gave this a lift with a faint animalic note that blends well with the richness of the tobacco absolute. Think a campfire, burning tobacco, leather saddles and of course the horses.

Cilantro - 1% dilution - ratio 1:1 Cilantro is fresh, bright and herbal, like drawing in the aroma of a fresh cut bunch from a garden. The horse chestnut tincture overpowered the cilantro at the 1% dilution, although the cilantro was still detectable. These two together made for a very fresh, cool combination that actually pulled a tiny bit of sweetness from the cilantro. 

I've found that when added to heavier base notes the horse chestnut tincture takes a back seat but still makes its presence known. With lighter notes it can take over but will diminish over time letting the lighter notes shine through while still adding an animalic element to a blend. One must also factor in the dilution percentages of the essences being used as well as the strength of the tincture. For those interested in animal smells horse chestnuts are worth adding to your palette if you can obtain them. Experiment with various essences to see what this tincture can add to your blends.

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Lisa Abdul-Quddus, Owner of Blossoming Tree Bodycare on Etsy, Third-Year Student/Mentor NNAPA Antiquarian Perfumery Course

Justine Crane, Natural Botanical Perfumer, Owner of The Scented Djinn, Tutor for Natures Nexus Academy of Perfuming Arts

Pauhla Whitaker Consultant, AmimOils, essential oil therapy for animals, Third-Year Student/Mentor NNAPA Antiquarian Perfumery Course