Everyone over the past several decades has been exposed to amazing technological advances that have created many well-known benefits. Yet, these technologies have also included unintended and largely unnoticed Dark Effects for Natural Essences.

Separation from Nature
One of the most negative effects of technology on natural essences has been to separate us from nature. Consider what the world would be like if synthetic fragrances (first synthesized in the late 19th century) were allowed to totally replace natural perfumes and other natural essences: no flowers and plants grown for their aromatic, medicinal properties which have contributed to the health of humans for thousands of years. Without those flowers being grown, pollinators could also eventually disappear. Since bees are already threatened from a number of issues, this situation alone could tip the scales, and risks our ability to produce sufficient food naturally.  
Some people actually claim that this would be positive, since technology will allow us to develop food synthetically. But is this really the world we want for ourselves, our children, and their children?
This is why IPF strongly urges everyone in the natural essence community to join with IPF in rejecting synthetics, following IPF/SEOS standards, and reconnecting with nature.
One of the challenges to reconnecting with nature is widespread internet support for synthetics. For example, anyone can search and find statements from the “perfume industry” stating that it is impossible to create perfumes without the use of synthetic ingredients. Of course, that opinion fails to explain how perfumes were developed for thousands of years prior to synthetic fragrances!

USDA Organic Certification
In addition, many perfumers and consumers are under the false assumption that when products are Certified Organic (organic certifications around the world now uses US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Organic Certification) those products are synthetic pesticide-free. 
They are not. Here is the USDA web page explaining that most (but not all) synthetic pesticides are prohibited:  https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/allowed-prohibited-substances  
This is exactly why IPF developed IPF/SEOS standards which are superior to organic standards by totally prohibiting the use of all synthetic substances including synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, and synthetic fragrances.
​
Perfume Oils and Fragrance Oils
Lastly, the synthetic chemical industry is working hard at replacing natural sources with their synthetic substitutes. For instance. some unscrupulous companies use very deceptive ways of disguising the synthetic basis of their products, such as using terms like “perfume oil” or “fragrance oil” that are actually synthetic oils. Once they get a foothold in the natural essence community, they will be tough to dislodge, as is the case in India and other countries already. Here is just one example that natural perfumers and aromatherapists should be aware of:
https://makesy.com/collections/fragrance-oils/shop-by_fragrance-oils?sort_by=manual
The future successes of the natural essence community depend on educating ourselves and our customers to recognise the importance of only using products we know to be truly natural, which are the best reasons for supporting IPF’s guidelines and standards.
 

by Terry Johnson

When studying the origins of Natural Perfumery and Natural Aromatherapy three things become very clear:
​

1. We have an amazing history, heritage and culture that need to be remembered and continually connected with.
2. From nature’s abundance of plants and flowers we can produce wonderful substances (such as essential oils and natural perfumes) that have long histories of providing humans with improved health and happiness.
3. This history, heritage and culture as well as these incredible plants and flowers, the products they produce and the people who work with them are existentially threatened and must be protected and nurtured.

Of course, we have other threats to deal with such as the pandemic, but the much greater and longer term threats are competitive in nature. For Natural Perfumers the threat is large synthetic perfume brands. Natural Aromatherapists are threatened by huge, billion-dollar essential oil retailers. 

As formidable as these companies appear, we can successfully compete with these wealthy giants if can utilize the following strategies:
​

1. Develop, grow and certify the high value, sustainable essential oil supply chain
2. Improve retail messaging and pricing strategies to better serve artisan retailers and their high value consumers

The first few steps in achieving these strategies are already underway.  
In early 2019, The International Committee on Sustainability of Aromatic Plants and Essential Oils was formed. By June of 2020 the Committee had developed Sustainable Essential Oil Standards (SEOS) for growers and producers. These are the most comprehensive standards (including organic) for essential oils. You can find out more here:  https://www.essentialoilstandards.com/

Now that we have SEOS, the International Perfume Foundation (IPF) will be able to complete the certification of the entire essential oil supply chain including growers, producers, distributors, schools, Natural Perfumers, Natural Aromatherapists, Natural Olfaction Trainers and Natural Perfumotherapists.

As SEOS Certified products become more available, IPF will share this information with everyone. These new SEOS standards will help the supply chain achieve the authenticity, integrity and transparency necessary to attract many more high value consumers who are willing to pay more for products that have greater value to them. 

Once these consumers are satisfied with that value, they become loyal customers who will repurchase again and again. At that point we can begin the process of staking out the huge untapped, high value end of the market as our own.