June has nearly escaped without a newsletter, although there has actually been quite a lot happening behind the scenes at the Natural Perfume Academy.
A New Practical Course for Makers
Our new Build Your Online Business course by Juliana Cruz is open in both English and Portuguese.
This course is for artisans and independent makers who know how to create something wonderful but feel less confident about turning that work into a properly organised online business.
It covers the practical things that often hold people back: choosing and registering a business name, setting up a domain and professional email address, product photography, pricing, financial organisation, sales channels and customer service.
It is not only for perfumers. It will be useful for anyone building a small creative or natural-product business and wondering how to bring all the pieces together without becoming completely overwhelmed.
You can explore the current NPA courses here:
https://npacertification.com/natural-perfumery-courses-online/
The Tincture Evaluation Course Is Taking Shape
Work is also continuing on our new organoleptic training programme using botanical tinctures.
There have been a few delays because we want the evaluation framework, exercises and supporting information to be properly developed rather than rushed. The course is designed to help students observe, compare and describe tinctures systematically, while developing a more disciplined and confident approach to sensory evaluation.
There is also another very exciting course quietly taking shape in the background. I am not allowed to say too much about it yet, but I am genuinely looking forward to sharing it when the time is right.
Open Studio Monday
Tomorrow is our monthly NPA Open Studio Monday.
This is an informal Zoom space where you can drop in, say hello, ask a question, talk about how your studies are going or share something you are currently working on. It is not a formal class, and there is no need to prepare anything.
I will be available from 11.00 am until 8.00 pm Irish time, allowing students in different time zones an opportunity to join.
Current Diploma and paid-course students will receive priority for live questions, feedback and mentoring, but the wider NPA community is also welcome to drop in.
Join the Open Studio:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/85344430178?pwd=YLOllKCjxRloPf6FaILYKLEJ7zV7Tu.1
Meeting ID: 853 4443 0178
Passcode: 19102025
There is no need to book. Come in for five minutes or stay for a longer conversation.
Sessions will be recorded so that useful teaching discussions are not lost. Recordings are never shared or used publicly without permission and can be deleted at a student’s request.
The NPA Podcast Reaches 1,000 Subscribers
Our YouTube channel has now reached 1,000 subscribers, which is a lovely milestone.
The recent was great fun to record, and the podcast is beginning to develop into the kind of deeper conversation about scent and natural materials that we hoped it would become.
Our next ingredient discussion will focus on vetiver and will be released in July.
We are also looking for interesting future guests and topics. They do not necessarily need to be famous. We are interested in people with genuine knowledge, unusual experience or a good story connected with perfume, aromatic plants, extraction, materials, culture or the wider world of scent.
Please send me their name or details if somebody comes to mind. We would be very happy to reach out to them.
You May Have Been Training Your Nose for Years
One thing struck me very strongly this month while reading through students’ first Diploma assignments.
Again and again, students described noticing scent deeply from childhood.
They remembered forests after rain, flowers from a family garden, incense, herbs, markets, kitchens, animals and particular materials carried on the wind years ago. Some had collected oils and perfume books for decades. Others had spent years circling perfumery without quite knowing where to begin.
Many thought they were starting from nothing.
They were not.
They had already spent years paying attention.
The Diploma gives that instinct a structure. Students learn how to train the nose, understand natural aromatic materials, formulate safely, keep accurate records and gradually turn memories and ideas into balanced perfumes of their own.
You do not need to arrive as a perfumer.
You bring the memories, curiosity and ideas. We teach you how to make the perfume.
The CPD-Certified Natural Perfumery Diploma Course can be started at any time. It is online, self-paced and includes lifetime access and tutor support.
Explore the Diploma Course:
https://npacertification.com/product/cpdcertdip/
Thank you, as always, for being part of the Natural Perfume Academy community.
Warm regards,
Ruth Ruane
Natural Perfume Academy, Ireland