Provencal Protest in the Lavender Fields

Finally, French farmers have had enough with EU regulations, and have taken to the fields to protest the discriminatory European regulations that are due to come into effect in 2018. If we sit around and let the EU bureaucrats continue ruining perfume's historic and cultural uses and heritages, the beautiful lavender fields that are an iconic site in Provence will be no more. In addition, traditional herbalism and aromatherapy are also going to hurt as a result, if the fragrance industry's demand for lavender will tumble down. Article and image via AP.

"Lavender has been used for thousands of years," said  Francis Vidal, honorary president of APAL, an organization of lavender essential oil producers. "We never heard of any serious problems. Instead, we know that lavender oil helped save tens of thousands human lives."

How can a plant that saved and healed thousands of lives can now be considered a "chemical hazard" and require red & black warning labels by 2018? EU regulators got their priorities backwards. And their facts. As long as they have their little bureaucratic jobs, they will keep the lives of growers, distillers, aromatherapists, manufacturers, perfumers and consumers a s difficult as possible.
I'm sure it makes them feel self-importance and worthy. But this has got to stop. Southern France will not be the same without lavender, and neither will the rest of the world!!!

Please share widely, and support the Provencal lavender farmers!

Industry Trends: The Future of Perfumery

the future of the future will still contain today..., originally uploaded by turbohamster.

Those of you who followed closely the recent developments of Cropwatch’s petition and actions to restrain IFRA’s threats on the use of natural materials in perfumery recently may have already read IFRA’s public statement of their support of synthetics and promoting them as the main (if not the only) means to add scent to our lives.

If you managed to delve thus far into these recent developments, you are probably now left wondering what is the future of perfumery and where is the industry going. As it stands now, I made a few observations and speculations and I can only hope that regardless of how the mainstream perfumery is going to smell like, you, who love perfumes, will be able to at least make your own choice about how to smell and what to put on your skin.

IFRA’s official position on synthetics and against natural is going to create a clear schism in the industry. Natural vs. Synthetic will no longer be a theoretical debate in books, on blogs and perfume forums. It will be real separation between the industry of perfumes made only of synthetics, and perfumes made only of natural. There will be no in-between as we observed last century, with classics such as Jicky, No. 5 and others. There will be a complete dichotomy in the industry. These classics will most likely be gradually reformulated to include only synthetic substitutes, and more likely – will be replaced by new perfumes that call for no naturally sourced building blocks in their formulation.

Despite the power of the big fragrance & flaovour corporations, and organizations such as IFRA which stands behind the aromachemicals industry and support its efforts to ban naturals and vanish them from the face of the earth, I would like to be optimistic and say that this will not happen. While those mega-corporations are all plastic-happy in an excitement that resembles the love for lino floors and plastic jewelry in the 50’s – a vast portion of the consumer world (and the most educated, I must add) is moving towards the use of natural and organic materials in their life, and is trying to stay away from artificial, man-made materials, genetically engineered and pesticide-sprayed foods.

And so, intelligent consumers will soon collaborate with niche perfumery houses that care to keep using natural aromatics, and together they will support growers and distillers of natural essences around the world so these traditional crops will be maintained and cared for, and those precious essences that have been friends to mankind since the birth of civilization will be nurtured and preserved.

While the large companies are producing more and more perfumes that are less and less satisfying as a whole – the consumers are left to take matter to their own hands. We’ve seen the growing demand for bespoke and custom perfumes, and this is only going to grow. After all, in a fragrance market that adds more than 500 fragrances each year (I heard that this year it will be even 700 or 800!), it may be a lot more convenient, time efficient and cost effective to commission a personal perfumer rather than spend the year trying three fragrances a day until you find the right one…

Furthermore, perfume consumers will lean more and more towards creating their own personalized scents and scenting their own body products. This concept has been quite popular for many years, but now it will make even more sense than ever. People have been mixing and matching perfumes for a long time, and many companies have been trying to cash on that and launch elaborate lines of incomplete perfumes for that purpose (sold, of course, for more than an average, “complete” perfume would), and encourage over spending on behalf of the customer. I think more and more people will now be curious to learn how to blend their own perfumes instead of relying on the pre-mixed, often under-satisfying concoctions of such lines.

Will the prices for naturals go higher? Will the decrease because of the lack of demand from the large fragrance houses? We are yet to see. I am not an economy expert, but this situation could lead to interesting developments in the industry and the marketplace that I find very difficult to predict. But I think either way, the result will be extreme and will make a mark that will be hardly forgotten in the history of perfume.

You are invited to partake in this discussion and tell us what you think will happen to perfume in the future. Is there any hope? Are we going to have a choice as consumers? Are perfumers becoming mere puppets of large money-driven corporations? Are we going to be able to afford quality perfumes with natural essences in the future? Are ntural essences going to become completely extinct? Tell us what you think, we will listen and publish your comments.

Must Read: Tony Burfield's Article on Basenotes

Don't miss Tony Burfield (Cropwatch's co-founder) article on Basenotes:
Tony Burfield speaks of the current events in the perfume industry regulation and how they affect consumers and perfumers. This article is extremely relevant and touches upon very important issues in the perfume industry today, as well as its future.
The article is supplemented by explanations to the various acronyms discussed in the article, provided by Anya McCoy (Artisan Natural Perfumers' Guild director). For more information about the issue, click on the FAQ on this page (scroll down to the bottom, and it will download as a PDF; if you have problems reading a PDF, feel free to contact me).

Artisan Natural Perfumers' Guild Press Release re IFRA's 40th Amendment

-Boycott Called to Halt Adoption of International Fragrance Association’s (IFRA) 40th Amendment by UK-based Watchdog Organization Cropwatch Gains Momentum with Online Poll and Petition. Poll by Perfumer and Flavorist newsletter P&Fnow shows a landslide for Cropwatch with 85.1% of the vote.

-USA- based Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild joins in effort to Demand Opening the Process Up for Public Input and Review of the Process before thousands of small perfumery and toiletry businesses are adversely affected by restrictive, unfair compliance standards.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: MIAMI SHORES, Fla./February 8, 2007. On February 7, 2007, fragrance and flavor trade magazine Perfumer & Flavorist released the results of an online poll showing 85.1% of readers in favor of boycotting proposed fragrance industry guidelines that will heavily limit the use of natural essential oils in perfumes and cosmetics.

Compliance with these guidelines (the IFRA 40th Amendment) requires that listed essential oils and naturally occurring constituents be kept to certain minimal levels in consumer products. At the core of the Amendment are safety issues in regard to skin reactions. The ANPG and Cropwatch fully support sensible safety guidelines to protect the consumer, but do not believe IFRA has proved that many of the essential oils affected present the supposed risk, nor have they allowed input from the impacted concerns, especially small businesses.

Although IFRA guidelines are only mandatory for their members, they have become the industry norm globally. Consequently, the livelihood of many small businesses is being threatened by an organization that does not represent them. Adhering to the complex measures not only requires sophisticated computer software, which most small natural products businesses do not possess, it also unfairly targets natural ingredients. Without a level playing field, these small businesses cannot be expected to compete. Approximately 200 essential oils will be controlled by IFRA if their 40th amendment is ratified.

Previous IFRA guidelines have been responsible for the reformulation of many classic perfumes, essentially destroying works of art that existed in liquid form. It is asserted that perhaps a warning label would have sufficed in allowing the original perfume, scent intact, to remain on shelves. Just as demand for natural toiletries and fragrances is growing worldwide, the 40th Amendment could do damage from the level of growers, distillers, up to suppliers and manufacturers. The end result may be the destruction of businesses and the absence of genuine naturally scented shampoos, creams, lotions, perfumes and soaps from store shelves.

To illustrate how the existing and proposed regulations from IFRA do not make sense, ANPG President Anya McCoy recently blogged on Peanuts vs. Perfume. Peanuts can kill susceptible people, yet their sales are unrestricted: Some perfumes may cause a rash, yet the International Fragrance Association’s (IFRA) 40th Amendment wants to severely limit the public’s access to them. Consumers are allowed to make informed decisions about peanut products, yet with IFRA and EU (see the related FAQ) guidelines and regulations in place, consumers will no longer have the freedom to make informed decisions about which scented products they wish to use. Access to aromatherapy essential oils may also be limited.
The ANPG believes the amendment may be unreasonable because the measures are based on questionable scientific premises, and they are decided behind closed doors without any possibility of public discussion or debate. Since the call for a boycott was proposed two weeks ago by little-guy Cropwatch, 549 people have signed an online petition, backing the challenge to the Goliath IFRA. http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/ifra40/signatures.html

Therefore, the ANPG joins Cropwatch in asking for a moratorium on the IFRA 40th amendment, until these issues have been fully addressed. We ask that a review of the scientific methodologies that were used in the original determinations of skin sensitization be examined, that the compliance requirements be reviewed, and that warning labels on products be considered in place of prohibition or restriction. Guild Founder, noted natural perfumer and author Mandy Aftel, and Guild President, perfumer Anya McCoy will be working with others in the industry to challenge the IFRA stance and open the amendment adoption process to the public.

For more information, you may download a detailed FAQ from: http://artisannaturalperfumers.org/cropwatch_ifra.htm

CONTACT:
Anya McCoy, President
Artisan Natural Perfumers Guild
P.O. Box 245
Miami Shores, FL 33153
PHONE. 305-756-0065
Website: http://artisannaturalperfumers.org

email: http://artisannaturalperfumers.org/contact.htm

IFRA vs. CROPWATCH Poll Results

The Poll results are positively in support of Cropwatch in regards to the 40th amendment. You can view the results here, on the Perfumer & Flavorist Magazine.
This is not good news yet - but it means the opening of a discussion on the topic in the industry (the magazine is the largest and most influential in the industry), possible changes to the 40th amendment in the future, which will hopefully to some changes in the regulation & legistlation in Europe.

Reminder: Poll on Perfumer & Flavorist Magazine

Tomorrow is your last chance to tell the Perfumer & Flavorist Magazine what you think about the CROPWATCH vs. IFRA debate.
Scroll to the bottom left of the magazine's homepage, and make cast your vote!
The results will be published on the magazine February 7th.

To learn more about the topic, I urge you visit Cropwatch as well as Anya's blog, where the issues are explained in an in-depth yet easy-to-read fashion.

Announcements du Jour

A few important announcements for today:

THE NEW PENDANTS HAVE ARRIVED!
Please scroll below to view the photos of each and read some more additional information and recommendation for each pendant's unique gemstone. To order your favourite colour, click here.

CONTEST WINNER
The winner of the "Smells Don't Lie" contest is Leopoldo!
Leopoldo gets a 2ml miniature vial of the precious, Valentine's Day Limited Edition Roses et Chocolate.
Thank you to all of you for commenting and sharing your fascinating nosey stories. I am very pleased to hear how you are all using your noses creatively and for extremely important pursposes in your daily life! Even though the contest is over, I'd still like to hear more of these fascinating stories, so keep the comments and stories coming!

UPDATES ON BASENOTES' FRAGRANCE DIRECTORY
Grant of Basenotes has once again surprised me when he updated all the release dates of my perfumes on the Basenotes Frgarance Directory. The directory now lists all of my upcoming perfumes for this year, as well as a few long forgotten ones that are produced on special request only.
For those of you who are members of Basenotes and tried my perfumes - you can add your own reviews including those of the most recent releases (Film Noir, Razala, Roses et Chocolat, etc.).

POLL: PERFUMER & FLAVOURIST MAGAZINE "CROPWATCH vs. IFRA" POLL
There are only 7 more days for you to voice your opinion about the IFRA's 40th amendment issue, and tell the Perfumer & Flavourist Magazine who you think is right - Cropwatch or IFRA in their online poll (scroll to the bottom left of the page). The results will be published February 7th - so PLEASE hurry up and VOTE!
Every voice counts in what may be a historical turning point which will determine whether or not we will be able to enjoy our beloved perfume classics and natural perfumes in the very near future!
You are also invited to sign the petition Tony Burfield has initiated against the 40th amendment. Nearly 500 people signed so far, but we need more signatures to make a difference in determining the future of aromatics in the 21st Century!

To read more about the topic, visit Cropwatch.org, Anya's Garden, and about The Freedom to Choose and my recent posts about the topic. More updates to come... Have a fantastic day!

Sign The Petition! Save Perfume!

The following is a message from Tony Burfield of Cropwatch. I urge you to sign this petition, and contribute to a better chances that small perfume houses - namely those who use strictly natural essences - as well as the entire natural aromatics industry (farmers and distillers across the world) will remain sustainable.

At this cross-roads in the history of perfume-related legislation, it is of utmost importance that the consumers and the professionals in the field will be heard. It is your right to be able to choose which products you want to use. We are now facing the danger of eliminating materials (i.e. essential oils) that were used traditionally for many generations and caused no harm when used properly. These essences are beneficial to our health as well as our emotional well-being. Just imagine your life without your favourite perfume... Mitsouko, Miss Dior, No. 19 with no oakmoss (or very little)... Citrus colognes with no citrus... This is what IFRA is leading us to.

Here is the message from Tony himself, so you can get an idea of the urgency of the matter and why you MUST sign on the petition if you want to ensure the pleasure of natural aromatics in our lives for years to come, without needing miles of paperwork for every single drop.

"Hi all,

At last (!) we have a petition up - protesting against the 40th IFRA amendment and its implications for all natural aromatics/essential oil users at

This isn't really just about Cropwatch, its about taking a stand against one of the prime movers (IFRA) in a regulatory process, which (intentionally or otherwise), is slowly phasing out the use of natural materials in favour of synthetics in cosmetics/fragrances. We can see a similar process going on - the phasing out of natural aromatic materials - in many other areas - biocides, over-the-counter medicines, household products etc. etc.

Please, please, please .... help us by signing this petition.

A good showing here in particular can help us enormously by proving that David (us) can triumph over Goliath (the Corporates). A bad showing means that we can be dismissed by the authorities as insignificant.

Please help us by spreading the word on this petition to as many groups and individuals as possible.

Cheers,

Tony"

Did I mention the petition yet?
If you haven't signed yet, do it now!
Stand up to your Fragrant Rights for quality perfumes and the freedom of choice!

Cropwatch Launches a Campaign to Boycott IFRA's 40th Amendment

As a response to IFRA's 40th Ammendment, Tony Burfield of Cropwatch is now leading a boycott and a petition. Click here to read a letter of IFRA as a response to Tony Burfield's letter. The first time in history that IFRA needs to defend itself.

I urge you to cast your vote for Cropwatch vs. IFRA in the poll run by Perfumer & Flavorist Magazine (it appears on the bottom left corner of the homepage). The results will be published in the February 7th issue of the magazine. Wouldn't it be fantastic if consumers will once and for all have an impact about these regulatory decisions instead of those being made for them?

It seems we have reached a point where taking action is in place.

More updates later, as the campaign proceeds, as well as more explanations about IFRA, the 40th amendment, saftey, and what it has to do with us - perfumers, perfume connoisseurs and consumers.

For now, here is a quote from Tony Burfield:
"The Pro-Synthetics Stance of the EU Cosmetics Sector.
The ongoing policy direction of the Cosmetics section of the EU Commission then, is effectively condemning EU cosmetic/fragrance consumers to a synthetic chemical future, via the progressive & continuous assaults, often on dubious toxicological grounds, on the freedom to use, formulate with, & to buy, products which contain natural aromatic ingredients. These regulations against natural ingredients are biting deeper & deeper, such that incoming new perfumers do not have the skills to create fragrances with natural materials any more, as they are only expert in synthetic (Corporate) perfumery.
Cropwatch believes the right for EU fragrance consumers to choose natural perfumes composed entirely of natural ingredients, is a basic human right, and this principle should be tested in law. The current demand for 100% natural perfumes - and now even a demand for 100% organic perfumes - is high in the EU marketplace. However perfumery companies cannot legally place many traditional natural perfume types on the marketplace (e.g. citrus colognes, fougeres etc.) because of existing regulations and red tape which work against formulation with natural ingredients. But fragrance consumers don’t want 100% synthetic perfumes – they have noticed that they smell unfinished, ‘chemical’ & disgusting - they want perfumes composed either of both natural & synthetic ingredients, or of 100% natural ingredients, and Cropwatch can’t see why EU fragrance consumers shouldn’t have them."

Another interest read: I also recommend you read this article.