Most people know turmeric as the golden spice that colors curries and supports good health. Few realize that turmeric belongs to one of the most fascinating botanical families in the world of fragrance.
The genus Curcuma contains more than 120 different species, growing naturally throughout India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Southern China. While only a handful are cultivated commercially, many remain almost unknown outside tropical forests.
Each species has its own personality. Some smell of fresh mango.  Others evoke ginger, green leaves, camphor, eucalyptus, flowers, citrus or even delicate white blossoms.
Walking through a collection of Curcuma species is like visiting a perfume organ created by nature itself.

A Perfume Hidden Underground
Unlike flowers that proudly display their beauty, Curcuma hides its treasure beneath the soil.  The fragrant part is the rhizome—an underground stem often mistaken for a root.  It grows horizontally beneath the earth, storing energy, aromatic molecules and medicinal compounds until the rainy season awakens new life.
Breaking open a fresh rhizome releases an immediate explosion of scent. Every species tells a different aromatic story. Some are warm and comforting. Others are surprisingly elegant and refined.  Some would deserve a place inside a fine perfume.
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Growing Like Potatoes
One of the most remarkable characteristics of Curcuma is how easily it reproduces.
Each rhizome naturally develops small growing points.
Cut the rhizome into several pieces, making sure each piece contains one bud, plant them a few centimeters beneath the soil, and a completely new plant will emerge.
Like potatoes, Curcuma multiplies underground.
What appears to be a single plant can become an entire family within one growing season.
Nature has created an elegant system of renewal that has allowed these plants to flourish across Asia for thousands of years.

More Than Curcuma longa
When people speak of turmeric they generally mean Curcuma longa, the species famous for its bright orange color and high curcumin content.
But this is only one member of a remarkable botanical family.
Other fascinating species include:

• Curcuma aromatica — Wild Turmeric, softer, sweeter and highly aromatic.
• Curcuma zedoaria — White Turmeric, with camphoraceous, woody and spicy notes.
• Curcuma xanthorrhiza — Javanese Turmeric, native to Indonesia, warm, earthy and rich.
• Curcuma caesia — Black Turmeric, famous for its deep blue-black rhizome and intense camphoraceous scent.
• Curcuma mangga — Mango Ginger, carrying an unmistakable aroma of fresh green mango.

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The blue turmeric is probably the most fascinating member of the Curcuma family.

For a natural perfumer, discovering these species is like discovering entirely new raw materials.
While flowers attract our attention above the soil, Curcuma reminds us that some of nature’s greatest aromatic treasures are invisible until we gently uncover them.

This perfectly illustrates one of the philosophies of Natural Perfumery: learning to smell every part of the plant, not only its flowers.

A Treasure for Natural Perfumers
Although Curcuma is widely appreciated in herbal medicine and cooking, its perfumery potential remains largely unexplored.
Its essential oils can provide freshness, warmth, spice and unexpected aromatic complexity.
More importantly, each species reminds us that fragrance does not belong only to flowers.
Nature perfumes its bark, its leaves, its roots, its resins and even its underground stems.
The art of Natural Perfumery begins by learning to smell every part of a plant.

Reconnecting With Nature
Perhaps the greatest lesson Curcuma offers is not botanical.  It reminds us that some of nature’s greatest treasures remain hidden beneath the surface.
Like perfume itself, they invite us to slow down, observe carefully and rediscover the richness of the living world.
Every journey into nature becomes an olfactory education.
Every plant has a story.
And sometimes, the most extraordinary fragrances are growing quietly beneath our feet.

Join us at the Perfume Retreat in Ubud (Bali) and explore the hidden perfume gardens of Indonesia through exclusive visits, botanical discoveries, and unforgettable olfactory experiences.​

One would probably not even imagine that there could be a perfume journey in Australia — or what many know as the Land Down Under.
​Yet, like all corners of the world, Australia has its own rich history of fragrance, and it begins with the First Nations People.
For over 60,000 years, Indigenous Australians gathered native plants, resins and aromatic woods for perfuming their bodies. Dreamtime stories were told around firesides as aromatic trees burned, and the women of the community would rub scented gums and other botanicals over their bodies as perfume.
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Aroma held great importance during many significant events.
Individual ceremonies carried their own scent signature to dress the occasion, with leaves, flowers and roots being crushed and combined with water or animal fats to create perfumes applied during coming-of-age rituals and as a mark of respect for passed loved ones.
The First Nations People have always shared a deep and intuitive connection with the landscape and its distinct sensory aromas. The fragrances of the land were not simply for personal scenting — they held deep spiritual and therapeutic significance. Each aroma could be specific to a particular tribe, and the scents they captured gave people direction and an understanding of what the sea, sun and land would bring.

Aromatic smoke from burning leaves was used in ceremony for cleansing and meditation, helping to purify spaces, connect with ancestors and ward off negative energies.
Certain mobs across different territories also made use of aromatic woods. Two such examples are Desert Rosewood (Dysoxylum fraserianum) and Buddha Wood (Eremophila mitchellii), the latter of which is chemically similar to Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis). Crushed leaves were infused in water to wash newborn babies and cleanse them as they began their life in the bush.

The arrival of White settlers to Australia in 1788 would see floral waters and imported scents reach these shores.
​The early settlers continued to use perfume in the British fashion, favouring Victorian-era floral and citrus fragrances brought from home.
The history of perfume in colonial Australia reflects how early settlers sought to maintain European social standards, even as they adapted to a far harsher and unfamiliar environment. In their world, fragrance served as an important tool for social status, personal hygiene and a sense of connection to home. The most fashionable scents among the wealthy included Lavender, Violet, Rose and Eau de Cologne.

In the late 19th century, a significant turning point arrived for the fragrance industry, which would influence what was shipped to Australian shores. Violet had become the most fashionable floral of the era, heavily favoured by Queen Victoria herself. Other popular scents of the time included Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin), exported from the East Indies, Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) and Lily of the Valley (Convallaria majalis).
Around this same period, Australian settlers had also begun experimenting with native botanicals. Researchers and early perfumers started distilling prized native plants, with the most popular being Boronia (Boronia megastigma), Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum) and Sydney Peppermint Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus piperita), used in fragrances and scented soaps. Wearing these soft, powdery aromas was a conscious effort to carry a “garden of England” into the dusty, hot Australian bush.
The early gold rush era brought a wave of new wealth sweeping through the colonies. Wealthy settlers used perfume as a marker of high social standing, with many elite families relying heavily on London-based perfume houses such as J. Gosnell and Co., whose most celebrated scent was their Cherry Blossom fragrance.

As new generations of Australians were born to the land, fragrance became an important part of daily life — a symbol of cleanliness and, for women, an expression of femininity.
Throughout the colonial era, the Miasma Theory held sway — the widespread belief that diseases spread through bad air, or miasma. People would scent their bodies, clothing and handkerchiefs with volatile citrus colognes and herbal toilet waters, all considered a necessary line of medical defense.
Scented soaps soon entered production, and the colonial perfume trade became tightly bound to soap making. Local manufacturers grew quickly, with small companies opening to meet the demands of a fast-growing toiletry industry.

As Federation approached at the end of the 19th century, Australia’s own identity began to take shape, and with it came a shift in local scent preferences. People started to embrace the bush and celebrate its unique aromas. Commercial perfumers began incorporating native oils such as Sandalwood (Santalum spicatum), Boronia (Boronia megastigma) and Wattle (Acacia sp.) into their blends. Interestingly, French perfumers were also importing Australian Wattle and Boronia to lend their elite European perfumes a rare and exotic character.
In the press of the late 19th century, publications such as The Argus in Melbourne and The Sydney Morning Herald began running text-based advertisements for perfumes — copy that had to use incredibly vivid and persuasive language in order to sell an olfactory experience to its readers.

Today, we are seeing a notable swing back towards natural perfumery, driven largely by growing awareness of just how many commercial fragrances are laden with synthetic ingredients. There is now an abundance of small Australian natural perfume producers — some growing steadily in strength, while others have quietly fallen by the wayside, never quite reaching their moment in the spotlight.
It is an exciting time, and Australia’s aromatic story is far from finished.

For interesting articles about Australia native botanicals, subscribe to Aromatica Australia International Journal. 

There’s growing excitement being generated this year among most US consumers looking for American-made products that specifically cater to them, significantly amplified by America celebrating her 250th birthday on July 4th.
Many experts believe this enthusiasm for American-made niche products will extend far beyond July, which indicates an exciting and profitable future ahead for Natural Perfumers.

For instance, a recent Ipsos market study (The Ipsos Consumer Tracker, May 19-20, 2026) supports the point that American businesses have an increasing advantage in the huge US consumer market, favoring smaller community-oriented businesses over large, foreign-based companies. This advantage certainly applies to US Natural Perfumers.
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“Two in three Americans say they take into account whether a product is made in the U.S. when making purchases, and the same number say they think American-made products are better quality,” according to the study.

The Ipsos Consumer Tracker study by the numbers:
65% of Americans think American-made products are better quality.

• Americans' loyalty to local brands is strong: 83% say “I like keeping money in my community.”
• 58% of Americans like buying American goods, even if they cost more.
• The number of Americans who say they’re willing to spend extra for a brand that appeals to them is up 15 points in the last decade-plus — rising from 36% in 2013 to 58% in 2026, according to Ipsos, and this number will continue to grow in the future.

Natural Perfumers have a unique opportunity to take advantage of this market swing as well as other dynamic forces of change that are unfolding in the US consumer market.
Consider that Robert F. Kennedy Jr., US Secretary of Health and Human Services, has been focusing a great deal of attention on products that pose health risks for Americans, such as those products that have synthetic ingredients, flavorings, fragrances, or risky food dyes.
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Here are a few ways to take full advantage of this amazing shift in the US consumer market:

• Continuously remind consumers that you are an American business
• Message consumers concerning your connectivity to local communities and other market niches
• Emphasize that you are a Natural Perfumer, rather than one of the synthetic alternatives
• Focus more of your attention on those consumers that not only desire American-made niche products but can afford to pay for greater quality and other value elements, such as sustainability (Baby Boomers and Gen X, for example.)
• Promote your IPF Certification, New Luxury Code, and IPF Standards that include prohibiting synthetic ingredients, animal products, and GMO. This market strategy develops consumer trust and confidence in your products or brand.

American consumers are clearly ready to unite around homegrown businesses, including Natural Perfumers, so it’s time to “meet the moment” and develop appropriate consumer messaging directed at local communities and market niches to profit from this vibrant, American-made market shift.

​The rise of the “New Luxury” consumer is transforming the global market. Across industries — from perfume and beauty to hospitality, fashion, wellness, and food — consumers are no longer purchasing products simply because of a logo, a celebrity campaign, or the power of a brand name. They are asking deeper questions.

What is inside the product?
Where does it come from?
Who created it?
What values does it represent?
How does it make me feel?

Luxury is no longer defined by excess. It is defined by meaning.

For decades, luxury consumption was often associated with status, social recognition, and exclusivity. Owning a prestigious brand was enough to symbolize success. But a profound shift is taking place. Today’s consumers are more informed, more conscious, and more emotionally connected to their purchases. They seek authenticity over image, substance over marketing, and human stories over industrial perfection.

The new consumer does not want to be manipulated by branding alone. They want truth. They want transparency. They want to feel connected to the soul of a product and the vision of its creator.

This evolution marks the emergence of what we call New Luxury.

New Luxury is not simply about higher prices or refined aesthetics. It is about emotional and spiritual value. It is about products created with integrity, craftsmanship, respect for nature, culture, and human wellbeing. Consumers are searching for experiences that nourish them emotionally and sensorially, rather than products designed only for mass consumption.

The word luxury itself reveals this forgotten meaning. Its roots come from the Latin word lux, meaning “light.” Luxury originally referred to illumination, enlightenment, and elevation — something that brings beauty, harmony, and a higher quality of life.

True luxury is therefore not superficial. It is transformative.

A truly luxurious product brings more than ownership. It brings a feeling of alignment. It reconnects people with beauty, with nature, with culture, with emotion, and often with themselves. It creates satisfaction that goes beyond the object itself.

This is why consumers today increasingly value artisan creators, natural ingredients, traceability, sustainability, ancestral knowledge, and products with a story. They are no longer looking only for what is fashionable. They are looking for what feels real.

In perfumery, for example, this shift is particularly visible. Consumers are asking not only “What does this perfume smell like?” but also “What is inside this perfume?” They want to understand the origin of the raw materials, the philosophy of the perfumer, the emotional intention behind the fragrance, and whether the creation respects both nature and human wellbeing.

The same transformation can be seen in fashion, hospitality, gastronomy, and wellness. People increasingly seek meaningful experiences instead of standardized luxury. They desire connection instead of consumption.

New Luxury therefore represents a cultural evolution. It is a movement away from empty prestige toward conscious pleasure. Away from aggressive consumption toward intentional living. Away from artificial storytelling toward authenticity.

The brands and creators who will shape the future are those capable of offering not only products, but values, emotion, vision, and soul.

Because in the end, true luxury is not about possessing more.
It is about feeling more.
Feeling enlightened.
Feeling inspired.
Feeling aligned.

There are places in the world that do not simply welcome you — they regulate you. Bali is one of them.

Beyond its temples and ceremonies, Bali carries another form of intelligence: one that rises from the earth itself. It is in the rhythm of water flowing through the rice terraces, in the medicinal plants growing wild at the edge of pathways, in the offerings left at the foot of ancient trees, and in the softness of the air after rain. This is why so many people arrive in Bali exhausted and leave changed. The island does not merely host. It restores.

The Balinese often speak of the island with the tenderness reserved for a living being. Many call her Mama Bali — not as a poetic metaphor, but as a recognition of her nourishing force. Bali feeds, protects, receives, and rebalances. She is not approached as a landscape to consume, but as a presence to honor.

This relationship with the land is nowhere more visible than in the rice fields. More than agriculture, Bali’s rice terraces are a living system of intelligence. Their flowing geometry follows the sacred subak, the ancient Balinese irrigation system organized not only by engineering, but by spiritual philosophy. Water is shared as a blessing, not controlled as a commodity. The rice fields are designed in cooperation with the land, in dialogue with mountains, rain, and time.

​To walk through the rice fields of Ubud is to understand that healing in Bali begins long before one enters a spa. It begins with humidity, silence, chlorophyll, water, and breath. It begins with the nervous system remembering how to slow down. The visual repetition of green terraces, the scent of wet earth, the sound of flowing irrigation, the medicinal density of tropical air — all of it acts quietly on the body.

Even the name Ubud reveals this ancient relationship with healing. The word is believed to derive from the Balinese word ubad, meaning medicine or remedy. Long before Ubud became known for retreats and wellness tourism, it was already regarded as a place of healing — a place where medicinal plants were gathered, where herbs were prepared, and where the surrounding landscape itself was understood as therapeutic.

This is perhaps what makes Ubud so unique. Its healing was never invented. It was remembered.

Here, wellness is not trend. It is geography. It is agriculture. It is ritual. It is the intelligence of plants, water, and sacred balance woven into daily life.

For those who work in fragrance, Ubud offers a powerful lesson: perfume has always belonged to a larger ecology of wellbeing. It begins with the environment — with the quality of air, the presence of water, the scent of leaves, bark, flowers, and rain. Here, perfumery reconnects with its original source: the living dialogue between nature, body, and the invisible intelligence of scent.

This is the true luxury of Bali.

Contact us if you want to join our next Perfume Retreat​ in Bali.

This shift presents a powerful opportunity for Natural Perfumers.
For thousands of years, long before synthetic perfume existed, aromatic botanicals were used across cultures not only for beauty, but for atmosphere, ritual, comfort, and emotional balance. Natural perfumery is uniquely equipped to reintroduce this dimension to the modern consumer.

Once Natural Perfumers begin to think in terms of Wellbeing Fragrances, they open the door to a distinct product category—one that should be positioned, marketed, and sold differently from traditional fine fragrance..

Take our sister industry, fresh flowers, for example. Retail florists organize their business by product category. Their primary category is flowers for gifts and celebrations—Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, birthdays—which account for the majority of sales. Their second category is wedding flowers, and their third is memorial arrangements.
Each category is sold differently because each serves a different emotional and functional purpose.
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The same is true for perfume.

A Wellbeing Fragrance should not be sold in the same way as a traditional fragrance. It is not simply a perfume chosen for its scent trail or seductive appeal. It is a purposeful olfactory product—created to enhance atmosphere, support ritual, and accompany emotional wellbeing through scent.

1. A different purchasing logic
  Wellbeing Fragrances are not purchased in the same way as traditional perfumes. Consumers are not choosing only a scent they “like,” but a fragrance aligned with a desired mood, ritual, or emotional state..

2. A unique market position
Large synthetic fragrance brands may imitate scent, but they cannot easily replicate the botanical depth, ritual intelligence, and cultural authenticity that give natural perfumery its deeper value.

3. A broader consumer base
Not everyone seeks a signature fragrance, but nearly everyone seeks better sleep, more calm, greater focus, emotional comfort, or a more beautiful atmosphere. This opens a wider and more diverse customer base.

One important note of caution: in today’s regulatory environment, Natural Perfumers must be careful with language. Words such as “cure,” “heal,” or direct therapeutic claims can create legal complications, particularly in Europe and the United States. The opportunity lies not in presenting perfume as medicine, but in positioning it as a sensory product that supports wellbeing through ritual, atmosphere, and botanical intelligence. This distinction is essential.

The case for Wellbeing Fragrances aligns perfectly with the growing demand for more conscious lifestyles, more intentional consumption, and more meaningful relationships with scent.

For Natural Perfumers, this is more than a trend.
It is the opening of a new category—one that allows perfume to be purchased not only for beauty, but for purpose.

And in doing so, it creates the possibility for consumers to purchase both: fragrance for pleasure, and fragrance for wellbeing—each with its own role, each with its own value.

​Bali is one of the rare places in the world where beauty is still offered before it is consumed. Here, ritual is not reserved for museums or memory. It lives in the streets, in the temples, in the hands of women weaving flowers at dawn, and in the quiet discipline of daily offerings. For anyone working in perfume, Bali offers something deeply familiar: a world where scent, gesture, beauty, and meaning are still inseparable.

Among the many sacred rhythms of Balinese life, Saraswati holds a special place. Celebrated every 210 days according to the Balinese calendar, Saraswati is the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, language, and the arts. She is not tied to the full moon, but to a more ancient rhythm — one that honors the transmission of intelligence, memory, and refinement. On Saraswati Day, books are blessed, temples are adorned, and learning itself is treated as sacred. In Bali, knowledge is not merely accumulated. It is revered.

But Saraswati is not only knowledge — she is refined perception.
She invites:
- silence before creation
- listening before speaking
- sensing before naming

In perfumery terms, Saraswati is the moment when a scent becomes meaning.

The magnificent vertical offerings carried by women to the temple. Built with fruits, flowers, cakes, and intricate palm leaf ornaments, these sculptural towers are among the most elegant expressions of Balinese ritual. Each gebogan is a gesture of gratitude. Its abundance is symbolic, its beauty intentional, its structure deeply refined. It is not decoration. It is an offering.

Each element carries meaning:
- Fruits evoke abundance, gratitude, and life energy
- Flowers express beauty, grace, and impermanence
- Palm leaf ornaments reflect craftsmanship, patience, and human intention
- The vertical form creates a link between earth and the unseen

Like perfume, the gebogan is made to create harmony, emotion, and presence before disappearing.

What makes Bali so exceptional is that beauty here is never separated from ritual. The scent of frangipani and incense drifts through temple courtyards. Flowers are not arranged for ornament alone, but for meaning. Fruit is stacked not to impress, but to honor. Every detail carries intention. In this sense, Bali preserves something the modern world has almost forgotten: beauty as presence.

Traditionally performed by young girls in temple ceremonies and royal courts, Legong is a dance of precision, grace, and symbolic language. Every gesture of the hand, every movement of the eye, every turn of the body carries meaning. Legong is not simply performed. It is offered. Like perfume, it communicates through suggestion, refinement, and invisible emotion. It is an art of subtlety — one that speaks not through force, but through resonance.

For those who work with scent, Bali offers more than inspiration. It offers remembrance. A reminder that perfume was never merely cosmetic. It was ritual. It was offering. It was art. It was presence.

In Bali, this truth still lives.
 
Join us to experience it during our Perfume Retreat on January 19-24, 2027

The Return of Nature, Memory, and Authentic Connection
Across the world, hospitality is evolving.
Travelers are no longer searching only for comfort, design, or prestige. They are searching for meaning. For authenticity. For a deeper emotional connection with the places they visit.

This shift marks the return of nature at the heart of the hospitality experience — not as decoration, but as foundation.  And at the center of this transformation lies something invisible, yet profoundly powerful: natural fragrance.

Beyond Design: The Invisible Architecture of Memory
We remember places not only through what we see, but through what we feel.
Among all our senses, smell is neurologically unique. The olfactory system connects directly to the limbic brain — the region responsible for memory and emotion. Unlike sight or sound, scent bypasses rational processing and speaks directly to our subconscious.
This is why a single natural fragrance note can suddenly transport us back to a moment, a landscape, a feeling.

A guest may forget the exact furniture of a suite, but years later, the subtle aroma of local jasmine, vetiver, orange blossom, cedarwood, or frangipani can instantly bring back the atmosphere of that stay.  Natural fragrance anchors experience into long-term memory.

Local Natural Fragrances: The Soul of a Place
In a world of standardized hotel concepts and synthetic signature scents, something essential has been lost: terroir (geographical identity).
True luxury today is not uniformity.  It is authenticity.
When a hospitality space incorporates local natural fragrances, it does more than scent a lobby. It tells a story. It honors geography. It connects guests to the living environment of the region.

In Bali, frangipani and ylang ylang.
In Morocco, orange blossom and cedar.
In Tuscany, rosemary and cypress.
In Provence, lavender and jasmine.

These are not just powerful marketing tools. They are cultural signatures.
Natural fragrance becomes an olfactory passport — allowing guests to experience the spirit of the land itself.

​What makes a perfume successful today is no longer limited to its olfactory construction or even its technical excellence. Success emerges when a fragrance carries a life, a culture, and a voice that reaches far beyond the traditional perfume world.
This is precisely what we observe in the journeys of two Certified Natural Perfumers whose paths illustrate a profound shift in contemporary perfumery: Jennifer Jones and Ana Elena Sastrias.
Both are perfumers, yet neither confines perfume to the perfume industry alone.

Jennifer Jones, Founder of the brand Scents of the Texas Hills Country: The Intelligence of the Horse Translated into Scents.​
Jennifer Jones comes from the world of horse dressage, a discipline built on time, humility, and an acute sensitivity to living beings. Dressage is an art of listening before acting, of developing trust through patience rather than control. This philosophy naturally infuses her perfumes. They are born from a deep understanding of how scent interacts with emotion, memory, and presence—not only for humans, but also within the refined sensory world of horses.

By doing so, Jennifer reaches an audience that extends far beyond perfume lovers. Her work resonates with equestrians, animal specialists, and individuals drawn to embodied practices and non-verbal intelligence. Her fragrances are not positioned as lifestyle accessories but as tools of connection, awareness, and relationship. In this sense, perfume becomes a bridge between disciplines, cultures, and sensitivities.

Ana Elena Sastrias, Founder of the brand AES Creation Natural: Painting Bowie in Olfactory Form.
​Ana Elena Sastrias follows a different yet equally powerful path. As both a painter and a natural perfumer, she approaches fragrance as an artistic language rather than a commodity. Her tribute perfume inspired by David Bowie’s Hunky Dory is driven by a clear intention: to speak directly to Bowie’s universe and to those who inhabit it. Reaching Bowie fans is not incidental—it is central to her vision.

Ana is deeply passionate about Bowie, not as an icon to reproduce, but as an artist whose work continues to inspire transformation, freedom, and creative courage. Her perfume is conceived as a tribute, a sensory homage that weaves together three artistic dimensions: music, painting, and scent. Notes become colors, accords echo melodies, and the fragrance itself functions as an extension of her visual art. The result is an olfactory experience that speaks as much to music lovers and art collectors as it does to perfume connoisseurs.