Interview by Creezy Courtoy IPF Founder and Chair
Roxana Villa is a Certified Natural Perfumer and the Founder of her brand Illuminatedperfume. She also chaired the panel that developed the IPF Standards for Natural Perfumers.
When and how did you start becoming a natural perfumer?
My trajectory into the realm of perfume was non-linear, looking back, l am able to see many sign-posts on the circular path I’ve been on.
When and how did you start becoming a natural perfumer?
My trajectory into the realm of perfume was non-linear, looking back, l am able to see many sign-posts on the circular path I’ve been on.
"There are moments in our lives,
there are moments in a day,
when we seem to see beyond the usual.
Such are the moments of our greatest happiness.
Such are the moments of our greatest wisdom.
If one could but recall this vision
by some sort of sign.
It was in this hope
that the arts were invented.
Sign-posts on the way to what may be.
Sign-posts toward greater knowledge."
~ Robert Henri
A few sign-posts leading to becoming a natural perfumer are deeply embedded in my matriarchal lineage, the privilege to travel quite a bit as a child, a deep interest in the arts and natural remedies. I was born in the port city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, the women in my family had European roots and a rich culture in cooking, knitting and home remedies. and all wore fine fragrances.
In the mid 60’s my parents moved to Los Angeles where my very independent mother, with limited English, worked in a knit shop in Beverly Hills while my father worked for Argentine Airlines. I had the opportunity to travel back and forth between LA and Buenos Aires, as well as visit Paris quite often due to my mother's work in fashion.
After graduating from Otis Art Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (BFA) and skill sets as an illustrator, letterpress printer and book binder I moved to NYC to pursue a successful career as an award winning freelance illustrator. My niche within the print industry was focused in the wellness and environmental arenas.
After a six year stint in NYC I moved back to LA, gave birth to my daughter Eve who I raised holistically. When Eve was three I was introduced to aromatherapy, attended the first World of Aromatherapy Conference in San Francisco and then studied to receive a certificate and began teaching aromatherapy at the Massage School of Santa Monica while still working as a free-lance illustrator.
Eventually I was able to fuse all my passions and talents, launching Illuminated Perfume at the Ojai Lavender Festival in 2008.
In the mid 60’s my parents moved to Los Angeles where my very independent mother, with limited English, worked in a knit shop in Beverly Hills while my father worked for Argentine Airlines. I had the opportunity to travel back and forth between LA and Buenos Aires, as well as visit Paris quite often due to my mother's work in fashion.
After graduating from Otis Art Institute with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (BFA) and skill sets as an illustrator, letterpress printer and book binder I moved to NYC to pursue a successful career as an award winning freelance illustrator. My niche within the print industry was focused in the wellness and environmental arenas.
After a six year stint in NYC I moved back to LA, gave birth to my daughter Eve who I raised holistically. When Eve was three I was introduced to aromatherapy, attended the first World of Aromatherapy Conference in San Francisco and then studied to receive a certificate and began teaching aromatherapy at the Massage School of Santa Monica while still working as a free-lance illustrator.
Eventually I was able to fuse all my passions and talents, launching Illuminated Perfume at the Ojai Lavender Festival in 2008.
As the founder of IPF standards for natural perfumery, what are your thoughts about the future of Natural Perfumery?
It appears that true Natural Perfume has been getting more and more traction recently and will continue to do so as human beings choose to move toward authenticity in all aspects of their lives with a focus on health and wellness. We have come to realize that a synthetic lifestyle, void of nature and harmony, has no long-term worth. In order for us to all thrive together, including the honey bees, animals, trees etc., a circular/wholistic perspective is the key.
What do you think of Biotechnology?
The challenge with “biotechnology” and all the various terms and modalities that big industries come up with, is that they are stuck in an old model that is based on “more, more, more” and greed, with no true respect for nature. The key to innovative solutions is creativity combined with science and humanity working in partnership with the intrinsic intelligence of nature, this formula will transform our world. Instead of biotech, I suggest we adopt the ideas of early 19th century English designer William Morris, who advocated for a return to the beauty of craftsmanship in the midst of the rising industrial complex.
What about IPF forbidding the use of isolates?
I know isolates can be a polarizing topic for many. For me, and what I visualized for my ideal natural perfume organization was that no isolates be used since there is so much smoke and mirrors around the word and that under a microscope it is difficult to ascertain if an isolate is truly isolated from an essential oil or created in a lab.
It appears that true Natural Perfume has been getting more and more traction recently and will continue to do so as human beings choose to move toward authenticity in all aspects of their lives with a focus on health and wellness. We have come to realize that a synthetic lifestyle, void of nature and harmony, has no long-term worth. In order for us to all thrive together, including the honey bees, animals, trees etc., a circular/wholistic perspective is the key.
What do you think of Biotechnology?
The challenge with “biotechnology” and all the various terms and modalities that big industries come up with, is that they are stuck in an old model that is based on “more, more, more” and greed, with no true respect for nature. The key to innovative solutions is creativity combined with science and humanity working in partnership with the intrinsic intelligence of nature, this formula will transform our world. Instead of biotech, I suggest we adopt the ideas of early 19th century English designer William Morris, who advocated for a return to the beauty of craftsmanship in the midst of the rising industrial complex.
What about IPF forbidding the use of isolates?
I know isolates can be a polarizing topic for many. For me, and what I visualized for my ideal natural perfume organization was that no isolates be used since there is so much smoke and mirrors around the word and that under a microscope it is difficult to ascertain if an isolate is truly isolated from an essential oil or created in a lab.
One of my instagram followers recently suggested I read Elixir: A Parisian Perfume House and the Quest for the Secret of Life by Theresa Levitt. This validates the importance of true nature perfumes, especially with the added benefit of having a conscious human making them. Here’s a description of the book:
For centuries, scientists believed that living matter possessed a special quality--a spirit or essence--that differentiated it from nonliving matter. But by the nineteenth century, the scientific consensus was that the building blocks of one were identical to the building blocks of the other. Elixir tells the story of two young chemists who were not convinced, and how their work rewrote the boundary between life and nonlife.
In the 1830s, Édouard Laugier and Auguste Laurent were working in Laugier Père et Fils, the oldest perfume house in Paris. By day they prepared the perfumery's revitalizing elixirs and rejuvenating eaux, drawing on alchemical traditions that equated a plant's vitality with its aroma. In their spare time they hunted the vital force that promised to reveal the secret to life itself. Their ideas, roundly condemned by established chemists, led to the discovery of structural differences between naturally occurring molecules and their synthetic counterparts, even when the molecules were chemically identical.
Scientists still can't explain this anomaly, but it may point to critical insights concerning the origins of life on Earth. Rich in sparks and smells, brimming with eccentric characters, experimental daring, and the romance of the Bohemian salon, Elixir is a fascinating cultural and scientific history.
The scientific establishment will often deride those of us with visionary and radical insights, specifically into nature and/or the wholistic working on the universe.
By standing strong, with deep roots, an open heart and reaching high into the heavens, we will change those who do not have the sensitivity outside of the box they have created.
What do you think about IPF creating a Natural Perfumery School in Los Angeles? Will you join us giving lecture or masterclass ?
I think the IPF creating a Natural Perfumery School in Los Angeles makes perfect sense and I would very much appreciate being a presenter, thank you for asking!
For centuries, scientists believed that living matter possessed a special quality--a spirit or essence--that differentiated it from nonliving matter. But by the nineteenth century, the scientific consensus was that the building blocks of one were identical to the building blocks of the other. Elixir tells the story of two young chemists who were not convinced, and how their work rewrote the boundary between life and nonlife.
In the 1830s, Édouard Laugier and Auguste Laurent were working in Laugier Père et Fils, the oldest perfume house in Paris. By day they prepared the perfumery's revitalizing elixirs and rejuvenating eaux, drawing on alchemical traditions that equated a plant's vitality with its aroma. In their spare time they hunted the vital force that promised to reveal the secret to life itself. Their ideas, roundly condemned by established chemists, led to the discovery of structural differences between naturally occurring molecules and their synthetic counterparts, even when the molecules were chemically identical.
Scientists still can't explain this anomaly, but it may point to critical insights concerning the origins of life on Earth. Rich in sparks and smells, brimming with eccentric characters, experimental daring, and the romance of the Bohemian salon, Elixir is a fascinating cultural and scientific history.
The scientific establishment will often deride those of us with visionary and radical insights, specifically into nature and/or the wholistic working on the universe.
By standing strong, with deep roots, an open heart and reaching high into the heavens, we will change those who do not have the sensitivity outside of the box they have created.
What do you think about IPF creating a Natural Perfumery School in Los Angeles? Will you join us giving lecture or masterclass ?
I think the IPF creating a Natural Perfumery School in Los Angeles makes perfect sense and I would very much appreciate being a presenter, thank you for asking!
RSS Feed
