Natural Vs. Synthetic – NEZ: The Olfactory Magazine (Issue 05)

We tell ourselves over and over again that only the finest and most exotic natural essences are worthy of a place in the best perfumes. Conversely, the word ‘synthetic’ is enough to make us shudder. But synthesis is the sole reason perfumery exists as we know it today, and the perfumer is able to compose formulae that are balanced but also diffusive, tenacious and, above all, unprecedented. We delve into the issue, taking in perspectives from science, botany, history, law, industry and marketing.