The Natural Perfume Book: Simple, Sensual, Personal Aromatherapy Recipes [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Mindy Green (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Experimenting with different aromas is remarkably simple using the recipes and instructions found in this book. A description of different essential oils introduces readers to the basics of aromatherapy - the fundamentals of blending and the range of notes that make up any fragrance.

Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Interweave Press; illustrated edition edition (August 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1883010624
• ISBN-13: 978-1883010621
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 6 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #307,011 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars You'll never go back to store-bought perfumes!, May 5, 2005

By	Rebecca Silence (Kalamazoo, MI) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

As an aromatherapy educator and soapmaker, I love natural health and beauty products. Since I began using essential oils to create my own scent blends several years ago, I've never looked back, and I've never missed those overpriced, synthetic, store-bought perfumes that always ended up giving me a headache.

This enjoyable little book is a great place to begin to learn how to blend your own original perfume. In less than 100 pages, the author introduces 40 essential oils, 30 natural fragrance recipes, and two easy and instructive blending lessons. The book also features several handy charts; I find myself referring to the table on note type and odor intensity very often when choosing which oils will combine nicely together.

The book is put together in a very straightforward, user-friendly way. Rather than delving deeply into the science of aromatherapy (for that information, I highly recommend The Aromatherapy Companion, by Victoria Edwards, or any book by Valerie Ann Worwood), the author simply focuses on using all-natural, plant-derived essential oils to create scent blends. You can use these blends to make fragrant bath oils, body splashes, room freshening spritzes, linen and lingerie sprays, or, best of all, your own signature perfume.

Her recipes are great places to start - my favorites are Angel's Whisper and Chocolate Eclipse - but soon you'll become addicted to developing your own original blends.

P.S. The poetic quotations on perfume and scent that are scattered throughout the text are almost worth the price of the book itself!

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good "starter" book for perfumers, October 10, 2004

By	Clementine (Lincoln, NE) - See all my reviews

I decided to purchase this one after reviewing a copy from the library. It is not a complete reference by any means, but if you're interested in blending your own fragrances and want to stick to exclusively non-synthetic ingredients, it is an excellent reference.

I would not recommend it if you're interested in exploring the "medicinal" aspects of aromatherapy (which are dubious, in my opinion, but I am certainly no expert). It focuses on 40 specific essential oils and does not give enough information on the aromatherapeutic qualities of each.

But if you're strictly interested in creating custom fragrances for yourself, this is a good starter. Perhaps not as "pretty" as Mandy Aftel's "Essence and Alchemy," but far more informative.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a good book to start with..., June 7, 2005

By	sequoianorcal (Santa Rosa, CA USA) - See all my reviews

I enjoy this book and think it is worth having in your library if you are interested in truly natural perfumery.

My one critcism is that many of the recipes include sandalwood (Santalum album), an oil that I have moral issues with using. It is a threatened species and I don't necessarily think it is responsible to encourage those beginning in their exploration to purchase and use it heavily. It's incredibly unfortunate because sandalwood is one of my favorite scents in the whole world, but I can't justify destroying a species to make perfume. Apparently the cultivated Austalian species, Santalum spicatum, is considered a good alternative. I wish she had at least mentioned the controversy in her book.

I suggest anyone interested in this book research the status of Santalum album, as well as alternatives for its use in perfumery prior to purchasing oils for the recipes. Hopefully the aromatherapy and natural perfumery community will begin to raise its consciousness regarding the overharvesting of plants for aesthetic and medicinal uses.

All in all, I recommend this book with the exception explained above. I took a half day class with Mindy Green last year and thought she was a wonderful teacher. She has a lot to offer.