As this exceptional year comes to a close, we look back with profound gratitude and joy at all we have lived, shared, and created together. 2025 has been an intense, luminous year for perfumery—a year where natural creation, cultural heritage, and global community came together in ways that felt both historic and deeply human.

The New Luxury Awards in Barcelona: A Global Celebration
This summer, the New Luxury Awards illuminated Barcelona during the Barcelona Perfumery Congress.
Our booth became a vibrant crossroads of creativity, welcoming perfumers and exhibitors from 11 regions of the world.
Their presence transformed our space into a living atlas of scent—proof that natural perfumery is not merely surviving, but flourishing on every continent.
The atmosphere was warm, generous, and filled with inspiring exchanges. These moments reminded us why we began this journey: to honor authenticity, talent, and the true essence of luxury.

The New Luxury Summit: Voices that Inspire
During the Congress, the New Luxury Summit gathered a constellation of exceptional perfumers and visionaries who shared not only their expertise, but also their hearts. Each speaker reminded us that perfumery is above all a human story—crafted with patience, integrity, and a profound connection to nature.
Their words continue to echo in us, guiding the future of our community with wisdom and passion.

A Major Partnership in India: Cosmetics & Ingredients Expo, Madras
2025 also marked our important participation as co-partner in the Cosmetics and Ingredients Expo in Madras, India.
India—with its ancient aromatic traditions—offered the perfect setting to build bridges between heritage and innovation.
Our collaboration there strengthened our global presence and affirmed our commitment to honoring local cultures while supporting new creative horizons.

Scent of Healing: A Journey of Wellbeing
This year, our Scent of Healing program blossomed beautifully across continents, with meaningful events held in Palm Springs, California, and Taipei, Taiwan.
These gatherings reminded us that scent is not only an art, but also a medicine for the heart—a source of balance, connection, and inner harmony.
Participants described these encounters discovering natural perfumery as transformative, grounding, and filled with serenity.

Workshops, Webinars & Our Precious Book Club
This year also strengthened our commitment to education and transmission. Through a rich program of workshops and webinars in partnership with the Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy, we supported students, perfumers and teachers around the world in deepening their knowledge and refining their craft. And in November, our Book Club opened the doors to our treasured library, sharing some of the most important works in perfume history—more than 200 rare and precious books that illuminate centuries of aromatic wisdom.

Two Major Publications: A Milestone for Perfumery Literature
2025 will forever be remembered as the year we released two significant books that enrich the world of perfumery:

1. Natural Perfumery
A tribute to the rising generation of natural creators, this book celebrates the exceptional work of 18 perfumers, each sharing their story of success, commitment, and artistic identity.
It is a manifesto for authenticity, talent, and the rebirth of a noble craft.
​https://www.amazon.com/dp/2956524836
​
2. World Perfumery Heritage
As a tribute to perfume, this monumental work traces the beautiful and ancient history of perfume, reaffirming that perfume is both an immaterial and a material heritage. Through rare artifacts presented by Creezy Courtoy at UNESCO, the book reveals a tangible, timeless legacy—one that connects civilizations, eras, and human souls through the power of scent.  https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0G1Y8FZ19

Looking Ahead
2025 has strengthened our belief in a future where perfumery respects its roots, celebrates cultural diversity, and upholds the values of natural creation.
Together, we are nurturing a world where perfume is not only an industry, but a heritage—one to protect, transmit, and cherish.

Thank you to all who walked with us this year.
Your passion, your presence, and your light have made 2025 unforgettable.

With warmest regards,
Creezy Courtoy & The International Perfume Foundation

Can I really succeed as a Natural Perfumer?

Is it sustainable? Can I make a living from it?
I’ve heard these questions so many times from prospective students and aspiring artisans. Here’s a succinct, practical view to inspire you and help you map a viable path.
 
Natural perfumery is a craft you can grow into a living with patience, focus, and a clear vision. It’s not just about making scents—it’s about shaping experiences, caring for people and the planet, and telling your unique story through fragrance. If you’re passionate, committed, and curious, you’ll find opportunities to turn this art into several meaningful careers.
 
Why natural perfumery matters
 
Natural perfumery blends art and science to create fragrances from botanical ingredients—essential oils, absolutes, resins, and other naturals. It’s about scent with intention: honoring nature, understanding profiles, and crafting experiences that connect memory, mood, and environment. It’s storytelling through scent, with a mindful approach to sourcing and craft.
 
A realistic path to sustainability and success
 
- It can be a meaningful, sustainable path when you treat it as a craft and a small business. Start small, grow organically, and build a brand that reflects your values.
- Demand for natural scents is growing in niche markets—boutique brands, spas, wellness products, candles, soaps, and personal care. A focused, quality-centered approach often leads to loyal customers and repeat business.
 
Your pathway: certifications and beyond
 
If you study Natural Perfumery with us, you’ll also learn Olfaction Training, the importance of olfaction, its psychology but also its physiology. Add the Aromatherapy course, and you become a Perfumotherapist. This four-certification combination provides a solid foundation for a professional, versatile practice.
 
- Olfaction Training: master the basics of scent perception, memory, and fragrance building.
- Aromatherapy: understand how plants influence mood, well-being, and daily life.
- Perfumotherapist: combine perfumery skills with therapeutic principles for well-being-oriented applications.
- Certification balance: the four certifications together open doors in product development, wellness, and education.
 
What you can build with it
 
- Create and brand your own natural perfumes.
- Collaborate with your other talents (art, painting, photography, poetry, horse dressage, yoga…) to build a cohesive brand image that tells a story.
- Launch a line of related products (candles, skincare, bath salts) that share your scent signature.
- Offer workshops, consultations, or scent-design services for individuals and businesses.
- Promote through IPF events, books, and partnerships to reach wider audiences.
 
Today we launched two new Natural Perfumery master classes
Yoga and Scent for yoga teachers and yoga enthusiasts by Shiva Shree Ganesha
www.teachers-academy.org/yoga-with-scents.html
and Horse Dressage with Scents by Jennifer Jones
www.teachers-academy.org/training-horses-with-scents.html

These courses will start in January with very limited seating, and all courses will receive IPF Certification.  
 
Natural Perfumery can be applied to many activities, so let us know what other passions you have and help us create new Natural Perfumery jobs.

We are thrilled to have successfully secured an important presence at Barcelona Perfumery Congress with the Natural Perfumery Summit, the New Luxury Awards Ceremony and a 60-square-meter Pavilion, the largest at the Congress. ​

This was our first major exhibition, featuring participants from India, Taiwan, Australia, and the USA. We designed our booth to resemble an airport counter, complete with destinations along the Perfume Roads and a central photocall backdrop.  At the center, we had the IPF welcome booth and the Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy booth where LA Laura Paris made a great enfleurage workshop. 

Honoured to have been part of the International Perfume Foundation Pavilion at the Barcelona Perfumery Congress 2025.
It was a joy to share XILA’s vision with a global community of passionate perfumers, thinkers, and creators. Heartfelt thanks to the International Perfume Foundation and the Barcelona Perfumery Congress for curating a space where tradition, innovation, and fragrance could meet so meaningfully.
From deep conversations to inspiring connections, the experience reaffirmed XILA’s commitment to blending ancient botanical wisdom with modern sensory science—through scent. Here’s to more scent-led conversations and collaborations around the world.

Sri Kudaravalli, Founder of XILA (India)

To share space with the International Perfume Foundation at the Barcelona Perfumery Congress – surrounded by visionaries who speak scent like a second language – was a rare kind of magic. Cade Black aligns with those reclaiming perfume’s botanical roots – putting plants and flowers back in fragrance and clearing the air of superfluous synthetics. Supporting the IPF and being featured in Creezy’s new book feels less like joining a movement and more like rewriting the script – one wild bloom at a time.
Cade Black

We were delighted to sponsor your event and are thrilled to have been part of its success.
Autur City

Grateful thanks for all your efforts making a successful event in Barcelona
Wild Wood Oils

You can find more info and stories about these beautiful Certified Natural Perfumers and eleven more in the book Natural Perfumery, the Return of Flowers in Perfumes we launched during the event. 

As we saw during our last Natural Perfumery Summit, Taiwan is the most advanced country in terms of natural perfumery. Natural perfume is nearly everywhere, in scented places such as construction sites, offices, hotels, and public areas. This is why the International Perfume Foundation (IPF) opened an East Asia Branch in Taipei. Kristin Chen, a Certified Natural Perfumer who has been teaching aromatherapy, olfaction training, and natural perfumery for many years, has been appointed as the East Asia Chair.

Kristin, you have been appointed as the IPF Chair for East Asia. Could you tell us a little more about your goals for developing Natural Perfumery in this part of the world?
As the IPF Chair for East Asia, my primary goal is to establish a solid foundation for natural perfumery in the region, integrating it into local culture, the wellness industry, and spatial atmosphere design. I want to raise awareness about the benefits of natural scents, positioning them not just as perfumes but as essential tools for emotional regulation, personal identity, and environmental well-being. My vision is to create a sustainable, high-quality market for natural fragrances that aligns with the region’s deep-rooted appreciation for nature and tradition.

What short-term actions do you plan to implement to achieve these goals?
To build momentum, I plan to take the following short-term actions:
• Organizing educational workshops to introduce the value and applications of natural perfumery to professionals and consumers.
• Collaborating with local businesses, brands, and hotels to incorporate natural scents into spatial design, increasing market awareness.
• Promoting the certification system for natural perfumery, ensuring clear quality standards and credibility within the industry.
These initiatives will help create a structured framework to support the growth of natural perfumery in East Asia.
​
What is your long-term vision for the growth of Natural Perfumery in East Asia?
I envision natural perfumery becoming an integral part of daily life in East Asia, much like tea culture or traditional herbal medicine. Over time, I hope to see a shift where people choose natural fragrances not just for their aroma but for their holistic impact on well-being, emotional balance, and personal rituals. My long-term goal is to establish a thriving industry where natural perfumery is not only appreciated as a luxury but is also a recognized and essential element of self-care and environmental consciousness.

Natural perfumery is an art born from earth and spirit, a delicate dance between science and the mystic. In the hands of a natural perfumer, botanical essences are gathered, coaxed, and woven into fragrances that capture nature’s quiet miracles. To work with these raw materials is to step into an ancient lineage, one that resonates with the spirit of alchemy as much as the craft of perfumery.
Like alchemists seeking to turn base metals into gold, the natural perfumer transforms flowers, woods, and resins into olfactory wonders that reveal beauty, mystery, and memory. This practice is at once physical and spiritual, an alchemical journey toward balance, harmony, and beauty.

Each raw material is a gift from nature, carrying the memory of sun, soil, and rain. These plants have lived and breathed, absorbing the spirit of their environment, and when harvested and distilled, they become essences of time and place—a living record of the earth. As petals, leaves, roots, and resins transform into fragrant oils, they pass through a process that echoes the old paths of alchemy. Where alchemists saw gold in their base metals, the perfumer finds poetry in these natural materials, treating them with reverence, unlocking their aromatic souls through steam, pressure, and patience. The goal is not merely to extract scent, but to capture something deeper—the essence, the pulse of the plant itself. In this, the natural perfumer is on a journey of transformation, one that is as much about discovery as it is about creation.

In essence, natural perfumery is alchemy—a transformation of nature into beauty, experience into memory, earth into spirit. It is a reminder that, in our fast-paced, technology-driven world, there is still a place for the slow, mindful craft of creation. To be a natural perfumer is to be an artist, a scientist, and a seeker, journeying through the shifting boundaries between matter and the divine. In every bottle is a story, a fragment of the earth, a whisper of magic that only nature can provide.

If this calls to you, we invite you to discover more through our Natural Perfumery course or our Raw Material Extraction master class, where the philosophy, techniques, and artistry of natural fragrance creation await. Or explore our collection of courses and masterclasses, and let your journey into the world of natural perfumery begin. ​​

Thank you to everyone who contributed to making our event such a success!

In partnership with the Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy, Natural Perfumes Only, Autur City and the Tisserand Institute, Creezy Courtoy delivered an insightful presentation on IPF activities, highlighting IPF Education, the Natural Perfumers Certification, and the World Perfume Museum Collection. She also emphasized the importance of olfaction and introduced her Olfaction Training Course for both perfumers and children.

Lakenda Wallace captivated the audience with her course designed to assist nurses in supporting Alzheimer’s patients, while Rachel Binder explored the fascinating quantum physics of plants and the higher hertz healing power of roses and other plants to restore cellular organization.

Terry Johnson presented his visionary program, Healthy Homes for America, adding a unique dimension to the event.

We would like to thank all the amazing perfumers from Los Angeles and New York who participated in the Scent of Healing event in Malibu.

The public truly enjoyed the experience discovering Natural Perfumery with: Jackie Brenner - De Kloka, Leanne Hirsh - Perfumera Curandera, Lakenda Wallace - Modern Peasant, Rachel Binder - Pomares Stolen Perfume, Amy Bilodeau - Orris Water, Victoria Artz - Common Senses and Rodney Hughes - Therapeutate Perfume.
​ 
Each visitor received a special gift bag that included a lava bracelet. They had the opportunity to explore and try perfumes at each perfumer’s booth, selecting their favorite to add to their bracelet. 
The feedback was fantastic, and every visitor left with at least one perfume. 

Self Respect
If you love and respect yourself, you are ready to love and respect others and everything else. To love yourself is to respect how you treat yourself, your own home: your body. Life on Earth can be fragile and looking after your health by changing your lifestyle will make you feel better, giving you more respect for yourself.
 
Respect of Health

Perfumers are responsible for every product they put on the market. They should have the full knowledge of the composition of their products, the effect the product could have on consumers. They should make sure that the production chain will also be respectful for consumer’s health. Acting ethically and with self respect, requires perfumers to never intentionally offer something to others that you will not use yourself*.
 
Respect of the Earth

We are made by Nature. Earth is our small planet and we need to make sure everything we do will not damage the Earth and its eco system. We need to be aware that what nature offers us has always been free. We usually just take from Nature and forget to be thankful for all the wellbeing that nature provides us. We should always take time to think about this and to be thankful. We should also replace what we’ve taken by replanting to rebuild the Earth’s eco-system. Replanting flowers for perfume on the Earth will also bring back bees, other pollinators and replenish the eco-system.
 
Respect of Air and Water

Perfumes are gases, mixed in the air and are very critical for the environment as they contribute to the water cycle that might pollute oceans and seas. When all the chemical compounds get in the air and mix, anything other than Natural might become a problem.
 
Respect of the Environment
Packaging and toxic chemicals are the most important elements of degradation of the earth so all packing material used should be recyclable and/or re-useable.
We should limit this significant amount of packaging material and rethink packaging for perfumes. Perfumers should may be use multi packaging for very exceptional and rare luxury gifts to be kept as collectibles.
 
Respect of Products Transparency and Quality
Perfumers should list all ingredients on their packaging without revealing their trade secrets.  If the product is natural, perfumers should use botanical names to describe their products. To make sure product quality is respected during the entire supply chain (since perfumers are not growing and distilling their own plants and flowers) perfumers need to make sure their suppliers are trustworthy and certified*.
 
Respect of Humans, Animals and Plants Kingdoms
We should make sure that our perfumes are animal cruelty free (no musk; no animal testing). Animal testing should be definitely replaced by human cell tests as they are more efficient. If perfumes should be tested, final products should be tested on humans. Growers should also make sure that plants are replanted correctly not to damage the eco-system. They should also make sure the work is done with respect for human labor.
 
Products Made with Natural Resources
Perfume has its own unique values of quality, flower and plant benefits: values that today’s consumers are looking for. Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the importance of improving their lifestyles; they reject eating processed food or smelling processed perfumes. They want to disconnect from synthetics and feel a physical and biologic need to Reconnect with Nature. New Luxury Perfumes are Perfumes made with Naturals.
 
Products Made as Works of Art

Beauty is always a blessing for consumers. Therefore it is important to choose designers and perfumers carefully to make sure they are making a real impact and are positively inspired. Art is a blessing and inspiration can be contagious. Beautiful presentations are kept and collected as pieces of art.
 
Respect of Truth in Advertising
Perfume should be advertised truthfully and transparently, without lies or misrepresentations. If a perfume has no flower or plant ingredients, it is unethical to use pictures that make people believe there are real flowers in the product. Consumers want and deserve the truth. They want to trust products so companies and perfumers need to work to get back consumer’s trust.
 
Respect of Cultural Heritage

Every culture in every part of the world has different ways to approach perfume. Perfume is part of culture like food and should be respected. The beauty of our world is its diversity. Perfume is heritage and there is a history of perfume in each part of the world that could be a real source of inspiration for perfumers. Creating scent collections should include stories, purposes and beautiful presentations that can be kept afterwards.
 
Respect of Communities
From self-respect comes the respect of others, including consumers, who are part of a community and are the best promoters inside of that community. If they are satisfied with a product, they will not only come back to buy more but they will also communicate their satisfaction to others within their network of family and friends. Consumers should get answers to their inquiries when asking information about products or have a complaint directed at companies who put the products on the market. Retailers should also receive enough to have trained people at store level providing accurate information.
 
NEW ECONOMY
Remember that each successful transaction means that both parties - buyers and sellers- have to be happy and satisfied.
 
 ​* IPF is certifying the whole fragrance production chain to protect perfumers and consumers health.

More info 
​Registration New Luxury Awards

When it comes to the world of natural perfumery and essential oils, certification by the International Perfume Foundation (IPF) holds significant importance. The IPF has long been a proponent of the natural, emphasizing the connection between nature and human well-being. In an industry where many brands have merely adopted a natural façade, the IPF certification serves as a crucial distinction separating those who sell truly natural products from those pretending to. Since its inception in 2013, the IPF certification has been instrumental in guiding consumers toward genuinely natural and ethical brands and perfumers.

Beyond just a stamp of approval, being certified by the IPF means being showcased on the Certification website page, providing consumers with easy access to perfumers' details, brand contacts, and logos. Moreover, the privilege of displaying the IPF and New Luxury Code logos on their own websites further solidifies a brand's commitment to authenticity, enabling consumers to readily identify those who eschew synthetics and uphold the standards of the New Luxury Code. This visibility not only benefits the certified members but also empowers consumers to make informed choices, fostering a marketplace where true natural products are celebrated and distinguished from mere imitations.​

Starting this year, you will find IPF logos prominently displayed on perfumers' packaging. This comprehensive approach reflects our commitment to supporting the natural and ethical standards upheld by both the perfumers and their creations.

Visit our Standards for Certification
Apply for Certification

It is a great pleasure to celebrate the second anniversary of the IPF Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy Courses. These Academy courses are a true success story for many reasons, but the most important one is seeing natural perfumers building successful businesses. For all teachers of the Academy, it is the most beautiful reward and the response we anticipated when we decided to begin this project.
In this article, we will share why the Academy is so dear to us and give examples of our natural perfumers' success stories.
 
The Natural Perfumery Teachers Academy Courses started with only three courses in 2021; we are the most significant natural perfumery learning academy led by 11 teachers, with 7 courses and 30 masterclasses today, increasing the number of masterclasses monthly. The idea is to respond to all needs and questions from our students, teaching them natural perfumery and leading them to create not only their perfumes, scented products, and brands and guiding them to very successful businesses.
 
The Need for Natural Perfumery Education
In teaching Olfaction Training and Aromatherapy it is valuable for perfumers to understand the importance of the olfactory sense and the beneficial power of nature. It is also essential to re-educate perfumers who have completely forgotten the real meaning of perfume. Most perfumers working in a laboratory today are chemists and have little knowledge of botanicals. Unfortunately, this natural know-how is on the verge of completely disappearing.
Most natural perfumery schools need to improve, and teaching drop counting instead of weighing does not make professional perfumers. Some of these schools were losing their students along the way as their courses were either 9 or 10 months in length (much too long), or there were only workshops. None of them had aromatherapy or olfaction training in their curricula.
 
The IPF Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy Courses fill this gap by covering everything from scent formulating to marketing and branding your perfumes. One thing that sets the Academy apart from other perfume schools is its focus on sustainability. Natural Perfumers should use only ethically sourced ingredients, and the Academy teaches perfumers how to create environmentally friendly perfumes. This commitment to sustainability has helped the Academy attract perfumers and aromatherapists who are passionate about creating fragrances that are beautiful, natural and responsible.
 
We are proud to share knowledge and help perfumers gain skills worldwide thanks to our home-learning experience. Via email and zoom meetups, we always stay close to our perfumers to help them grow their passion.
 
Let me share with you some of their success stories!

Dolores Burns, Sealore Natural Skincare - Ireland
Dolores Burns is trained in Natural Skincare and enrolled in the Fall 2022 session with Vennie Chou. In March, she developed a luxurious skincare and sustainable brand Sealore that won the Beauty Shortlist Award in Europe. Sealore delivers the most luxurious marine concentrates that soothe, nourish, and strengthen even the most sensitive and delicate skin while supporting each body system for optimum health.    www.sealore.com

Michelle Palmer, It Makes Perfect Sense - Australia
Michelle Palmer is a natural perfumer based in Australia. She enrolled in the Natural Perfumery Academy's courses in the Fall of 2022 and has since become a successful perfumer with her line of natural perfumes called It Makes Perfect Sense.
Michelle credits the Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy Courses with giving her the knowledge and confidence to start her own business. The New Luxury Award 2023 nominated Michelle's brand. 
www.itmakesperfectscents.com.au

Elizabeth Rowe, Elisheva - Australia 
Elizabeth Rowe is a well-known psychotherapist and hypnotherapist in Paddington, Australia. She enrolled in the French Natural Aromachology Course last January to gain knowledge for creating her brand of aromachology skincare Elisheva Wellness. In a few weeks, Elizabeth will launch her line of unique products which is a 100% natural skincare range (cruelty-free, vegan, free from parabens or SLS, etc., ethical, and sustainable) that aligns with the New Luxury Code set by the International Perfume Foundation. Her next goal is to learn Olfaction Training and French Natural Perfumery to bridge her knowledge of aromachology with natural perfumery to complete her line of products. 
 www.elishevawellness.com

Jan Kusmirek, Fragrant Earth - UK
Jan Kusmirek has been our first Perfumotherapist, after following Aromatherapy, Olfaction Training and French Natural Perfumery.
He is the founder of Fragrant Earth. He just released a book called A Nose Through History where he mentions page 169 "The International Perfume Foundation based in Paris works to keep the natural tradition alive and trains specialist perfumers"
​www.fragrantearth.com  

​Sri Kudaravalli, Xia Apothic - India
Sri Kudaravalli is a natural perfumer based in India. She enrolled in the Natural Perfumery Academy's courses starting in the Fall of 2021 and has since become a successful perfumer with her line of natural perfumes called Xia Apothic.
Sri has followed the curriculum of perfumotherapy, business and marketing, and aromachology . She credits the Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy Courses with giving her the knowledge and confidence to start her own business. Xia Apothic won the Jury Special Prize at The New Luxury Award 2022, and has two fragrances nominated for The New Luxury Awards 2023, in the brand and perfumer’s categories.
www.xilaapothic.com

Saeed Alqarni, Yafoooh - Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Saeed Alqarni is a Certified Perfumotherapist, following Aromatherapy, Olfaction Training and French Natural Perfumery Courses. He has been nominated several times as a perfumer and as a brand in the New Luxury Awards.
His brand Yafoooh, specialises in oud, and is very successful in the Middle East. www.yafoooh.com


The Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy and natural perfumers successes are a testimony to the power of Natural Perfumery.
​Using only pure, plant-based ingredients, natural perfumers can create scents that are beautiful, sustainable, and environmentally friendly. In addition, the Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy Courses have played a crucial role in helping develop the skills and knowledge natural perfumers need to create successful businesses worldwide. As more and more people become interested in natural perfumery, we can expect to see even more success stories like those of Sri Kudaravalli, Michelle Palmer, Elizabeth Rowe, Dolores Burns, Jan Kusmirek, Saeed Alqarni. The next success may be you!
Intensive "Study from Home" Courses and MasterClasses are starting each first Monday of the month at the Natural Perfumery Teacher's Academy.