Return to Naturals

What We Mean by Natural

At House of Apocrypha, we work exclusively with materials derived directly from nature — minimally altered, richly complex, and rooted in tradition. Here's how we define the types of scent materials, and what we choose to work with:

  1. Raw Natural Materials (e.g., Macerations, Concretes, Tinctures)
    Whole plant extracts with minimal processing. These dense, waxy, or resinous materials carry the full complexity of the original plant.

  2. Condensed Natural Extracts (Essential Oils, Absolutes, CO2 Extracts)
    Highly concentrated, these are the heart of botanical perfumery — distilled or extracted directly from flowers, roots, leaves, bark, or resins.

  3. Isolated Natural Molecules
    Individual scent compounds separated from essential oils — like vanillin from clove or citral from lemongrass. Still natural in origin, but more refined.

We do not use:

❌ Synthetic Aroma Molecules

These lab-created compounds do not exist in nature and are commonly used in commercial perfumery to mimic natural scents or create novel ones. While they offer control and consistency, we find they lack the soul, texture, and vitality of real botanical materials—and many of them trigger headaches or discomfort for sensitive individuals, including our founder.

❌ Nature-Identical Compounds

Though chemically identical to naturally derived molecules, these materials are made in laboratories, often from petroleum byproducts. We choose not to use them because they remove the material from its context—separated from the plant, the soil, the light it grew in. For us, that context is part of the magic.

❌ Fragrance Oils 

These are umbrella terms that can hide dozens (or hundreds) of undisclosed ingredients. We don’t use them. Our perfumes are made entirely from plant extractions and plant derived materials.

❌ Preservatives or Stabilizers

Our perfumes are alcohol-based and self-preserving. We do not add preservatives, phthalates, UV inhibitors, or other stabilizing additives commonly found in mainstream formulations.


Why We Chose Naturals

When I first began experimenting with scent, I worked with both synthetics and natural materials. I was fascinated by the clarity and impact that certain synthetic aroma molecules could bring. There’s no denying their power—they can be bold, transformative, and long-lasting. But over time, I began to notice something else: when I spent long hours working with synthetics, I didn’t feel well. Subtle at first—light headaches, a hint of nausea—but persistent. The same thing happened when I wore many commercial perfumes. It felt like something in my body recoiled.

In contrast, working with naturals felt entirely different. There was—and still is—an aura around them. Not metaphorical, but sensory: herbal, dimensional, alive. Even when raw or unruly, they have a kind of wisdom encoded in their complexity. Each material carries the memory of sun, soil, root, and time. They don’t shout. They evolve. They invite.

This is why House of Apocrypha is dedicated to natural perfumery. Not because we believe synthetics are “bad,” - we don't, and amazing compositions can be crafted with synthetics that aren't possible with naturals - but because naturals offer something more aligned with our vision: scent as ritual, as memory, as a return.

So I transitioned. Slowly at first, then completely. Now I work only with materials derived directly from the natural world—raw tinctures, distilled oils, delicate absolutes. The difference isn’t just olfactory; it’s energetic. It’s about presence. When I blend now, it feels like I’m part of something older. Like the process itself is a ritual.

This is the foundation of House of Apocrypha. Our perfumes aren’t built to dominate a room. They’re tools for return—for grounding, memory, reverie. They are part of a daily ritual that helps us pause, reconnect, and remember that we are part of the natural world, not separate from it.