The Perfume Making Podcast

• Decoding Aldehydes - The Chemistry of Chanel No. 5

  Over the years, Karen has received countless questions about one fragrance family in particular: aldehydes. They often leave people puzzled about what they are and how they’re used in perfumery. In this episode, Karen breaks down the fragrance family that sparked a true revolution in the perfume industry. Focusing on Chanel No. 5, the impact it made, and its groundbreaking use of aldehydes, this show explores what aldehydes are, and why they matter. KEY TAKEAWAYS Coco Chanel lived a very interesting and, at times, controversial life. But, as Karen explains, it was her life experiences that enabled her to create Chanel No. 5 Chanel No. 5 had an interesting early life, both as a product and as a formulation. Karen gives a brief history of this iconic fragrance. Due to the success of Chanel No. 5, other perfume houses started to use aldehydes more aggressively. Karen shares an overview of the scents that it inspired. Aldehydes also begin to be incorporated into other products, and in turn, bleed into daily life. Karen details just how prominent aldehydes are in day-to-day living. BEST MOMENTS “Coco Chanel was not considered mainstream, but her style created a shift in fashion and culture.” “What we might think of modern today is going to be the old fashioned of the future.” “Comparing fragrances of the same genre is an incredibly useful learning tool.” VALUABLE RESOURCES The Secret of Chanel No. 5: The Intimate History of the World's Most Famous Perfume Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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• Synthetic Scents - The Risks of AI in Perfumery

  Last week, in one of Karen’s classes, a student was surprised to learn that some information she had received from ChatGPT was inaccurate. With AI becoming increasingly common in perfume making - from formulations to safety advice - this week, Karen is offering an overview of how AI fits into the world of fragrance, where it can be helpful, where it falls short, and how you can get the most out of this ever-evolving tool. KEY TAKEAWAYS How exactly do models like ChatGPT work? Where do they get their information from, and how do they differ from search engines? Karen explains it all. Any answer you get from ChatGPT sounds 100% correct and authoritative. As Karen explains, not only is there a reason for this, but it’s also one of its major flaws. A lot of the big perfume houses have been very vocal recently about incorporating AI into their formulation process. However, as Karen points out, it’s not in the same way that you might be using it. However, despite its flaws, AI can be a very useful tool in some areas. Karen lays out some of the ways in which AI can help you. BEST MOMENTS “ChatGPT doesn’t evaluate credibility or cross-check sources to see what is accurate.” “It isn’t just incorrect, it’s wrong with confidence.” “If the AI models have been trained by mistakes on the internet, then you can start to understand where the mistakes are coming from.” VALUABLE RESOURCES G⁠etting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind  ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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• When Chemistry Meets Creativity - A Beginner’s Guide to Synthetic Perfume Materials

  Karen often hears from people who work exclusively with natural materials in their fragrances but are beginning to notice the limitations, whether it’s their blends smelling too much like aromatherapy products or lacking longevity. If you want to move past these challenges and create fragrances that compare to commercial ones, the key is to incorporate synthetics. In this episode, Karen will share her recommendations for ten synthetic materials to add to your toolkit that will elevate your perfume creations to the next level. KEY TAKEAWAYS Hedione is a synthetic material that closely resembles jasmine, but smells lighter. Karen gives you an overview of this material, which is impossible to overdose, and changed perfume history forever. Musks are one of the biggest gaps when you’re only working with naturals and it is synthetic musks that give perfume longevity. There are so many synthetic musks that can solve this problem. Karen shares her recommendations for the best synthetic musks to use. The ‘Heart of the Floral’ is a fragrance made up from a trio of materials, and one of them, muguet, is only available as a synthetic. However, there are a few variations. Karen breaks down the differences between them. Sandalwood is a widely used material in perfumery, but if you want it to go all the way from the base to the top, you will have to rely on synthetics. Karen explains why and gives her recommendations for materials. BEST MOMENTS “Unless you start using synthetics, you're not going to learn how they work.” “Synthetics don’t replace naturals, they enhance them.” “There are so many synthetic materials out there that it can be overwhelming to explore them for the first time. But, with the right approach, understanding them can add a new dimension to your perfume making.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Perfume Making 101  Studio Classes Episodes on materials  Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind  ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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• Eau de What? - Demystifying Perfume Concentrations

  This week, Karen is tackling a question she's asked all the time, especially by those transitioning from aromatherapy to natural perfumery: “What’s the deal with concentration levels for leave-on and rinse-off products?” It’s a topic surrounded by myths, often fueled by social media posts or 'how-to' guides, and the conflicting advice out there only adds to the confusion. That’s why, in this week’s episode, Karen will set the record straight and share everything you need to know about concentration, so you can step confidently into the world of natural perfumery. KEY TAKEAWAYS One of the biggest misconceptions around this topic is the idea that you can only use 1.5% for a leave-on product and 3% for a wash-off. Karen busts this myth and explains what numbers you should be aiming for. Many people think that blending a scent for a room product is different from formulating perfume, but this could not be more wrong. Karen explains why the process is the same, but also points out some differences. The key to getting the fragrance you want is understanding your materials, not hitting targets. Karen gives various examples of how different products are best served with different formulations. Safety regulations also play a part when deciding upon the concentration of your materials. Karen shares a brief overview of this topic and provides you with valuable resources so you can understand this area fully. BEST MOMENTS “Fragrance is fragrance, regardless of what medium you dilute it into.” “It’s not about the amount of fragrance that you can use in each different product category, it’s about the materials that you use in the formulation.” “In higher end products, you have a much higher fragrance load, because people expect more performance from a more expensive product. ” VALUABLE RESOURCES Short Masterclasses Spreadsheet Download Studio Classes Episode 16 - Navigating Safety Regulations  Episode 58 Understanding MOCRA  Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind   Website ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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• The Art of Weaving Time - Crafting Order from Chaos

  After a well-deserved break, which was extended by a week, Karen is back. During her time off she took part in ‘Hampshire Open Studios’, a scheme where artists across Hampshire open up their workshops to the public. Karen decided to run a pop-up perfume bar and actually learned a lot. She also had a lot of downtime and was able to reflect on its importance. So, in this week's episode, Karen is sharing her learnings from both these events and her overall message of creating a healthy work life balance. KEY TAKEAWAYS Karen is used to teaching people who want to learn about perfume. What she discovered with the pop-up bar is that most of the people visiting were there out of curiosity. She shares how you can adapt your offering to this type of customer. One thing Karen noticed is that there was a huge inconsistency with the number of people who visited and the length of time they spent in the studio. She gives suggestions on how you can make the most of this. Ideas come thick and fast when you're creative, and most times we feel the need to act on them straight away. However, this just leads to burnout. Karen gives her top tips on how to manage your ideas in a time-friendly manner. On top of the ideas you generate for your business, there are also the creative projects that you want to do for yourself, which are equally important. Karen discusses how to make that all important ‘time for yourself.’ BEST MOMENTS “If you’re considering doing a pop up, be clear about whether you’re there to entertain or educate.” “The more you step away from your ‘day to day’ the more creative you become and the more ideas you have.” “The idea of running your own business is to love what you do and really immerse yourself in it.” VALUABLE RESOURCES Getting Started Guide Artisan Perfumery Mastermind  ABOUT THE HOST Fragrance expert, author, teacher and speaker; Karen Gilbert runs courses in the UK and online which demystify the secretive world of perfumery in a fun and interactive way. Karen has inspired thousands of students to explore their olfactory sense and create their own personalised fragrances. With extensive product development experience in both the commercial perfumery and the organic skincare industry, Karen is able to offer a unique insight into creating natural and mixed media fragrances for fine fragrance, room scents and skincare/bodycare products using commercial perfumery techniques. Karen is also a certified meditation teacher and has a passion for helping people to create daily rituals that integrate scent with other modalities to shift state and increase your sense of wellbeing. CONTACT DETAILS Website Instagram Facebook YouTube Email This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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