Explore the enchanting world of botanical aromatics and learn how to create your own perfume! This self-paced virtual workshop covers everything you need to know about working with nature's precious materials to make beautifully scented oil-based perfumes.
This is Botanical Perfumery taught through the eyes (& nose) of an herbalist, not a classically trained perfumer. Join me for a unique take on the aromas of plants and discover how to weave them together.
The course can be purchased with the Perfumery Kit, which includes all necessary supplies for crafting your own perfumes plus 15 botanical scents from the herbalist's personal collection of essential oils, resins & absolutes.
The course includes a dozen 5-10 minute video lessons, plus downloadable notes, optional quizzes and a Community Forum for Q&A. Course materials will be available for a minimum of 2 years from the purchase date, and your enrollment will be continually extended to include all future content additions & updates.
To access the class after purchasing, login to our site, scroll down on your account page, and click on the workshop to enter. The Community Forum for Q&A can also be found on this page and is linked inside the class. You will receive an official welcome email within 48 hours of signing up, as well as periodic emails to notify of any major updates.
Enthrall your senses as you learn through experience. Our thoughtfully curated Perfumery Kit is complete with all the necessary ingredients & supplies you need to start your aromatic alchemy journey. Purchase the optional kit with the virtual course to receive everything needed to make your own beautiful essences at home.
Note that while only 3 vials for finished perfumes are provided, you will have ample materials to make many more creations with the materials provided! As always, our creations ship plastic-free with minimal excess packaging.
The following mesmerizing aromas have been selected for the beginning perfumer based on their ability to appeal to a wide variety of personal tastes and versatility in playing well together. This palette includes some of the cornerstone fragrances of classic botanical perfumery plus more unique essences that are easy to fall in love with. Note that if a scent is not for you, it likely is for someone else in your life!
All extracts are purely botanical in nature ~ no fragrances, synthetics or isolates here. They were purchased from reputable US suppliers and the countries of origin are denoted below. Each aromatic comes in glass vial with either 2ml (ºorganic) or 1ml (*starred) of extract.
1. PIKAKE | *absolute | India | Jasminum sambac
2. JASMINE | *absolute | India | Jasminum grandiflorum
3. ROSE | *absolute | Morocco | Rosa x damascena
4. LAVENDER | ºessential oil | Netherlands | Lavandula angustifolia
5. YLANG YLANG | essential oil | Madagascar | Cananga odorata
6. BERGAMOT | ºessential oil | Italy | Citrus bergamia
7. LIME ºessential oil | Sri Lanka | Citrus aurantiifolium
8. CARDAMOM | ºessential oil | India| Elletaria cardamomum
9. LABDANUM | resinoid | Spain | Cistus ladanifer
10. BENZOIN | resin | India | Styrax benzoin
11. MYRRH | resin | India | Commophora myrrha
12. SANDALWOOD | *essential oil | Australia | Santalum spicatum
13. PATCHOULI | ºessential oil | Indonesia | Pogostemon cablin
14. VETIVER | essential oil | Indonesia | Chrysopogon zizanioides
15. CEDARWOOD | essential oil | USA | Cedrus virginiana
Meet the aromatic botanicals that have allured & enchanted humans across the ages ~ Rose, Sandalwood, Myrrh and so many more. Learn how to weave them into harmonious tapestries of wearable scent with powerful healing benefits.
Discover all the various ways that plant scents can be extracted and the methods that produce them. We will discuss essential oils, absolutes, resinoids, supercritical CO2 extractions & enfleurage.
Gain an understanding of how to use the different types of extracts safely and in proper dilution. Get insight on how to distinguish between real botanical oils and knockoffs. See our list of reputable suppliers so you know exactly where to go to create your perfume apothecary. And then learn about shelf life & proper storage so your extracts last as long as possible!
Meet 30+ botanicals and their extracts, grouped by aroma category. Each ingredient profile includes information about the plant & its origin, extraction methods, price & aroma as well as the unique properties & healing benefits.
A sampling of our palette includes:
FLORAL: Rose, Pikake, Ylang Ylang
CITRUS: Bergamot, Lemongrass, Lime
EARTHY: Vetiver, Patchouli, Labdanum
GOURMAND: Vanilla, Cacao, Benzoin
How do you build an aromatic blend? We'll discuss scent harmonies (or pairings) so you have a foundation for layering aromas. Then I'll walk you step-by-step through creating a perfume from start to finish and adding base oils to dilute it properly. Watch a video demonstration to see the process come to life.
Each lesson consists of slides with audio in a short video format that can be consumed over a cup of tea.
A downloadable PDF handout includes all notes from the slides, so you can print it out for easy access to class content.
We'll go over how to make custom perfumes, and you'll also receive printable recipe cards for some of our most-loved perfume formulations.
Test your knowledge with quick quizzes at the end of each module. Don't stress ~ you can take them over again as many times as you want (or skip them if quizzes aren't your thing).
Post any questions & feedback regarding the class content on a virtual Q&A board open to everyone who takes the class, and get responses from the herbalist! You are also encouraged to share recipes you've tried, relevant research, and questions for others who are currently enrolled in the workshop.
Access all of the above directly through our website for a minimum of two years after your purchase. Your enrollment will automatically be designated as 'unlimited' to include all future course additions & updates. While 'lifetime access' is a big promise, that is fully my intention, and the course will be open to you for as long as I am able to host it!
This workshop is taught by Deanna Rose Ahigian, L.Ac & Dipl.OM, founder of Indigo Elixirs and clinical herbalist. Deanna has spent the past 15+ years immersed in the study & practice of botanical formulation, advanced herbal medicine, and holistic wellness. Botanical Perfumery was her earliest inception into herbalism, and has remained one of her deepest passions. She has taught in person botanical perfumery workshops on O'ahu for over a decade and loves watching the creativity of students unfold while engaged in this ancient & immersive art.
This class is for anyone interested in the eternal world of botanical perfumery. Whether you already make your own blends at home or are completely new to the subject, you will find value in this class! It is especially designed for those interested in learning to work with pure plant extracts to create oil based perfumes.
All class materials need to be accessed online through our website, so a stable internet connection is required.
No previous knowledge or experience is required, just a curiosity and desire to learn about some of the most wonderful botanical aromatics on earth.
If completed in one sitting, all lessons will take under two hours to watch ~ but each is designed to be a digestible 5-10 minute module for easy learning. This class is self-paced, which means you can complete it on your own time, and there are no specific completion requirements.
You are encouraged to post any questions regarding the content of the workshop in the Community Forum, which you will have access to for the duration of the class (2 years from purchase).
For technical or logistical issues, please email us at team@indigoelixirs.com.
