natural perfumery ingredients and notes
Radical Transparency. The Living Palette.
Welcome to my active botanical dictionary. For thousands of years, perfumery was considered a fine art, a quiet luxury created from nature and afforded exclusively by the rich and noble. In the past one hundred years, perfume became highly accessible to the masses, but this industrial shift led the way to mass-produced synthetic and petrochemical-based fragrances. While these cheap aroma-chemicals are inexpensive to manufacture, they stay in our environment forever and interact directly with our hormones, acting as known endocrine disruptors with long-term implications we still do not fully understand.
True botanical perfumery is now a rare, dedicated niche—a small global group of artisan perfumers devoted to using only 100% natural ingredients. I carry that artform forward with respect and admiration for the craft and art, but also add aromatherapy to the mix, selecting and layering these ingredients for their and impact on our mood. In my studio, I partner solely with sustainable and ethical suppliers who provide fully transparent supply chains and meticulous GC/MS laboratory reports for every single batch to guarantee our ingredients remain entirely unadulterated. Furthermore, we mindfully follow all international IFRA safety recommendations for the maximum usage of natural compounds, ensuring the ethical and safe handling of every plant material.
These pure plant ingredients are exceptionally precious and costly, requiring skill, physical space, patient time, and deep clinical expertise to weave into something truly beautiful. It is an evolutionary art form that demands continuous learning from year to year and decade to decade. While there is always a new plant or a new aroma to discover, the traditional methods I use are as old as time—relying on steam distillation, cold-pressing, long macerations, infusions, handcrafted tinctures, enfleurage, alcohol washes, evaporative techniques, and infused botanical oils.
Beyond our global palette, I collect precious crops directly from my own land where I grow plants using permaculture and organic practices, and from trusted local spaces, tincturing these estate-grown plants in pure organic alcohol to craft original aromas that carry the terroir of Wisconsin - our unique fingerprint of sun, soil, climate, time, and space - and therefore cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Making this pure, natural perfume available to all is a beautiful thing. Below, you can explore the exact structural note behavior and sensory definitions of our living palette.
Welcome to my active botanical dictionary. For thousands of years, perfumery was considered a fine art, a quiet luxury created from nature and afforded exclusively by the rich and noble. In the past one hundred years, perfume became highly accessible to the masses, but this industrial shift led the way to mass-produced synthetic and petrochemical-based fragrances. While these cheap aroma-chemicals are inexpensive to manufacture, they stay in our environment forever and interact directly with our hormones, acting as known endocrine disruptors with long-term implications we still do not fully understand.
True botanical perfumery is now a rare, dedicated niche—a small global group of artisan perfumers devoted to using only 100% natural ingredients. I carry that artform forward with respect and admiration for the craft and art, but also add aromatherapy to the mix, selecting and layering these ingredients for their and impact on our mood. In my studio, I partner solely with sustainable and ethical suppliers who provide fully transparent supply chains and meticulous GC/MS laboratory reports for every single batch to guarantee our ingredients remain entirely unadulterated. Furthermore, we mindfully follow all international IFRA safety recommendations for the maximum usage of natural compounds, ensuring the ethical and safe handling of every plant material.
These pure plant ingredients are exceptionally precious and costly, requiring skill, physical space, patient time, and deep clinical expertise to weave into something truly beautiful. It is an evolutionary art form that demands continuous learning from year to year and decade to decade. While there is always a new plant or a new aroma to discover, the traditional methods I use are as old as time—relying on steam distillation, cold-pressing, long macerations, infusions, handcrafted tinctures, enfleurage, alcohol washes, evaporative techniques, and infused botanical oils.
Beyond our global palette, I collect precious crops directly from my own land where I grow plants using permaculture and organic practices, and from trusted local spaces, tincturing these estate-grown plants in pure organic alcohol to craft original aromas that carry the terroir of Wisconsin - our unique fingerprint of sun, soil, climate, time, and space - and therefore cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Making this pure, natural perfume available to all is a beautiful thing. Below, you can explore the exact structural note behavior and sensory definitions of our living palette.
my personal perfumery tinctures
These are made here by me on my farm and are tinctured in high proof organic alcohol or extracted via enfleurage. I grow many plants here on my farm, (see*) or purchase from a sustainable source and then hand grind and tincture.
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Resins, Gums & Balsams (Deep Base Notes / Fixatives)
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Spices & Grains (Warmth, Texture & Kick)
Botanical Extractions
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pure essential oils & absolutes ethically sourced
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Ancient Saps & Ground resins. The Raw Incense Library
Crafting traditional hand-rolled incense sticks and slow-burning cones requires an entirely separate universe of natural raw plant materials.
I formulate exclusively with whole tree barks, raw fossilized saps, and sun-dried permaculture botanicals that I hand-grind from scratch right here in Deerfield, Wisconsin. By blending this coarse plant matrix with pure water and water-soluble botanical binders, I shape a malleable, aromatic dough that preserves the true, clean realism of the plants. Below, you can explore the exact raw ingredients, binders, and estate-grown crops that shape our slow-burning smoke rituals.
I formulate exclusively with whole tree barks, raw fossilized saps, and sun-dried permaculture botanicals that I hand-grind from scratch right here in Deerfield, Wisconsin. By blending this coarse plant matrix with pure water and water-soluble botanical binders, I shape a malleable, aromatic dough that preserves the true, clean realism of the plants. Below, you can explore the exact raw ingredients, binders, and estate-grown crops that shape our slow-burning smoke rituals.
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Natural Binders & Combustion Bases
Makko Powder (Machilus Thunbergii) The absolute foundation of traditional Japanese xartisan incense. Water-soluble, completely odorless, and naturally high in plant mucilage, Makko acts as both my structural adhesive binder and my clean, slow-burning fuel base. It ensures a clean, velvety stream of smoke that respects your breathing paths. Joss Powder (Litsea Glutinosa) A traditional, high-grade bark binder harvested from the Litsea tree. Packed with natural plant polymers that activate the moment they touch pure water, Joss powder provides exceptional structural flexibility. I weave this clean, odorless binder into my hand-rolled dough mixes to prevent cracking and ensure our sticks and cones cure evenly on our solar-powered farm. The Terroir of Wisconsin: Estate-Grown & Foraged Botanicals
Pine Resin (Pinaceae) — Hand-Harvested Scent Profile: Rich, sharp, bracingly green, and intensely woody with an old-world forest realism Artisan Sourcing: Hand-harvested directly from my own land in Deerfield, Wisconsin, gathered exclusively from windfall trees following seasonal storms to honor the earth and completely respect the life cycles of our living conifers. Artisan Sourcing: Hand-harvested directly from my own land in Deerfield, Wisconsin, gathered exclusively from windfall trees following seasonal storms to honor the earth and completely respect the life cycles of our living conifers. Wisconsin Peony Petals Gathered at peak early-summer bloom right from our herb farm. When ground whole into our custom dough runs, peony petals introduce a delicate, plush floral creaminess and traditional soft sweetness that instantly rounds out our sharpest resinous base notes. Lavender Buds Dried slowly in dark bundles inside our solar studio space. Ground into our Lunar dough, these whole botanical buds coax your immediate workspace or bedroom into a soft twilight blanket of honeyed floral peace to quiet a racing thoughts process. Tulsi / Holy Basil Cultivated with deep permaculture intent right on our Deerfield acreage. This sacred green leaf releases a warm, deeply comforting current of hot spicy clove-basil and sweet licorice herbs to instantly restore an anxious system. Lemon Verbena Hand-plucked at summer sunrise and cured slowly. Ground whole, it acts as an exquisite, bright burst of pure lemon-green candy and crisp grassy citrus to instantly sweep away afternoon brain fog and creative exhaustion. Homegrown Rosemary & Sage Grown organically right outside our workshop doors. This high-potency herbal combination releases a sharp, piercing camphorous needle notes profile and deep savory green focus that anchors your awareness into a calm state of alert attention. Wisconsin Prairie Sage Wild-foraged from our surrounding dry meadows and fields. This rugged local botanical infuses our smoking matrixes with an intense, crisp resinous wind and clean desert-like smoke that helps establish a protective somatic boundary across your room. Local Mugwort (Artemisia) Collected from the untamed border edges of our acreage. This ancient dream-herb releases a bitter, deeply complex medicinal green leaf profile and sharp herbal smoke, making it a spectacular companion for introspective evening routines. Northern White Spruce & Pine Needles Harvested following seasonal midwest storms from our estate conifers. These whole needles release a piercing wilderness air, crisp cold needle saps, and fresh resinous timber tones to deliver an authentic forest focus straight into your room. Wild Juniper Needles Snapped fresh from local bushes and ground by hand. It brings a dry, snappy, and deeply peppery evergreen twig profile to our blends, instantly lifting heavy ambient room air with true botanical realism. Rose Petals & Dianthus Petals Collected petal by petal throughout our summer garden runs. It lends a deep, velvety texturized depth and traditional honeyed softness to our incense dough, comforting your physical senses and wrapping your surroundings in safety. Sticky Cottonwood Buds Wild-foraged along our property in early spring. Packed with rich, sticky balsamic propolis, these resinous buds melt natively into our burning paste, releasing a sweet honeyed amber, old wood bark texture, and cozy woodland warmth. Wisconsin Sweetgrass Cultivated in our wild prairie areas. Ground whole, it releases a rich, sun-baked coumarin aura and pure vanilla-hay sweetness that coaxes your entire indoor airspace into deep, peaceful relaxation. |
Tree Resins and Woods
Copal Blanco (White Copal)
Aroma Footprint: Bright, crisp citrus, clean pine needles, and high-vibrational solar energy. Copal Negro (Black Copal) Aroma Footprint: Deeply mysterious, sweet heavy balsam, dark vanilla pod, and heavy rich smoke. Copal Oro (Gold Copal) Aroma Footprint: Warm golden honey, rich caramelized amber, and smooth balsamic tree sap. Frankincense Carterii Aroma Footprint: Peppery lemon citrus, ancient cold cathedral stone, and clean woody resin saps. Frankincense Serrata Aroma Footprint: Sweet succulent orange rind, light airy balsamic tears, and sunny warm spice. Myrrh (Nile/Classic) Aroma Footprint: Bitter buttery tree sap, warm medicinal barks, and old-world temple smoke. Black Myrrh Aroma Footprint: Heavy scorched earth, dark molasses, rich licorice root, and deep velvet shadows. Sandalwood Powder (Red / Pterocarpus Santalinus) Aroma Footprint: Soft woody timber, dry ground barks, and subtle rustic forest earth tones. From downed wood, sustainably sourced. Agarwood Powder (& Oud) Aroma Footprint: Deeply luxurious, velvet ink, dark exotic wood trunks, and complex primordial earth. Himalayan Cedarwood Powder Aroma Footprint: Deeply dry pencil-shaving timber, clean sweet wood bark, and crisp forest floor. Organic Palo Santo Powder Aroma Footprint: Luminous lemon-mint wood, sacred white wood smoke, and clearing incense saps. Musk Ambrette Seeds Aroma Footprint: Velvety botanical musk, rich nutty plant fat, and intimate skin-like warmth. Balsam Fir Wax Aroma Footprint: Jammy evergreen needle paste, sweet forest absolute, and concentrated green resin balm. Elemi Resin Aroma Footprint: Lemony frankincense tears, sharp peppery green stems, and clean balsamic saps. Labdanum Resin Aroma Footprint: Heavy sticky amber, sweet plum leather, and rich balsamic moss saps. Pixuri Seeds (Amazonian Patchouli) Aroma Footprint: Exotic herbal spice, warm powdery earth, and dark velvety patchouli leaf. Black Spruce Wax Aroma Footprint: Deep resinous conifer sap, thick wilderness bark, and sweet balsamic evergreen tree hearts. Benzoin Resin Aroma Footprint: Comforting vanilla sugar, sweet balsamic benzoin glaze, and warm holiday kitchen saps. Copal Negro (Black Copal) Aroma Footprint: Deeply mysterious, sweet heavy balsam, dark vanilla pod, and heavy rich smoke. Copaiba Resin Aroma Footprint: Mild peppery timber, soft sweet balsam oil, and creamy wood sap tears. Galbanum Resin Aroma Footprint: Intense bitter green pea, snapped leafy stem, and sharp primordial resin. Dragon's Blood Resin Aroma Footprint: Rich volcanic earth, fiery amber spice, and deep medicinal tree sap. Opoponax Resin (Sweet Myrrh) Aroma Footprint: Dark sweet toffee, velvety resin soup, and wine-like warm balsamic spice. Mimosa Wax Aroma Footprint: Powdery yellow almond, green cucumber flower, and soft velvety honeyed saps. |