In this episode, Frauke brings back a favorite guest, Master Perfumer Christophe Laudamiel, to help educate us on the age-old debate of natural vs. synthetic in Perfumery.

Christophe begins by defining what natural and synthetic molecules are, explains the role of petroleum and pine oil in perfumery raw materials, as well as describes the safety, availability, and consistency of natural materials vs. those from a lab.

He debunks the myth that natural disasters are the reason brands move from natural to man-made (ie. Madagascar vanilla, Grasse rose, Tunisian neroli), and passionately pleads for more support for aromatic plant farmers and communities around the world.

Christophe explains how he uses both naturals and synthetics to inform his artistic creations, and what role each plays based on what you're trying to achieve.

He also discusses the "clean" movement and the importance of getting facts from the right sources, as well as explains the incredible misinformation about sustainability.

This conversation is not only eye-opening and clarifying, but will leave you more informed that one is not better than the other, but rather both play important roles in Perfumery.

Learn more about Christophe and his work here.

Learn about Christophe's initiative The Perfumery Code of Ethics.

Read the Keap article about Fragrance Transparency: Natural vs Synthetics