Step 1: Information

The first step in a perfumer’s journey is learning as much as possible. Our recommendation is to watch as many informative videos from creators such as Sam Mercer, School of Scent, and BK Scents. Videos are more digestible and understandable for beginners. However, articles and books can provide more insight and often give a more indepth and detailed analysis on perfume creation. Our personal favorites are "Scent and Chemistry" (Ohloff, Pickenhagen, Kraft) for raw materials, "Perfumery: Practice and Principles" (Calkin & Jellinek) for construction, and "The Big Book of Perfume" (Nez) for an industry-insider's view, alongside technical texts like "The Formulation & Preparation of Cosmetics, Fragrances & Flavors" (Appell) for practical formulas. Try to learn the process as much as possible before attempting it. Perfumery is, at its core, an artistic science and should be treated as such. Learning all the basics and taking small steps before trying it yourself is key to avoiding cost and material headaches later on. For example, there are many methods to perfume creation and finding your favorite niche or type of products, whether that be oil-based, natural, synthetic, aroma therapy, etc., is a key thing to research before beginning creation.