Dry Oil Fragrances by LOVORIKA

From Lovorika Website:

We often hear of political conflicts overland. But what does the land have to say? There is wisdom if we listen closely enough. It’s telling us that it’s not peace that we seek, but harmony. A balance rather than a silence. We are part of a magnificent ecosystem - and it will always be more powerful than our squabbles.

And so, we decided to create a natural fragrance that embodies one of the most contentious places on earth: the Middle East. We named it Jerusalem as it is the epicentre of a deep, mystical and often misunderstood history. The markets of Jerusalem are adrift with Middle Eastern aromas. If you’ve ever walked through its buzzing stoney passages you’ll smell fresh herbs, fruit, incense, tobacco, flowers and attars. Jerusalem fragrance is a genderless evocative, soft spicy-floral that encapsulates the best of Middle Eastern culture. If the ‘leaders’ are not ready to bring harmony to the land for their people, then we’ll bring the people the harmonious land. 

Our Grapefruit is grown in the coastal plains of Israel. Not only will you see locals eating it on the beaches and having it with their breakfast, it is believed to be the original fruit that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden. It has been indigenous to the land since the very beginning of recorded history and so it is aptly our top Top Note.

From Palestine, we have olive oil ethically sourced from rain-fed and hand-picked olives that have been pressed on the day they were picked, which adds not just to the taste but to the aroma! The local farmers have tended their trees by hand for generations. Agriculture is the most significant sector in Palestine and ours comes from a company committed to protecting, supporting and making local farming sustainable.

Our Jaffa orange is particularly special. Not only is the intoxicating aroma sweet, but so is the history of coexistence from which it is born. Jaffa (in Hebrew Yafo and in Arabic Yafa) is an ancient port famous for the biblical story of Jonah and the whale. It is an area today - in Southern Tel Aviv - where Jews and Muslims live together peacefully. It is also home to the Armenian Church at Saint Nicholas Monastery. It is a vibrant, diverse, and artistic area that - we think - exemplifies ‘peace in the Middle East’.

Jasmine is one of the most popular flowers in the Middle East. It is also the national flower of Syria. The two types popular in the Middle East are jasmine (Jasminum officinale) and Arabian jasmine or al-full (Jasminum sambac) - both in our Jerusalem. Some in the Muslim world believe that the jinn, or genies – spiritual beings said to interact with the human world – are attracted by the plant’s heady, intoxicating fragrance.

Our Orange Blossom from Tunisia is a refreshing and uplifting floral. Early spring is the time of year when Tunisians living in Cap Bon have their annual orange blossom harvest. The days of distillation are a time of celebration and perhaps no coincidence that the oil is known for calming the nerves and soothing the soul. 

Our Turkish Rose simply exudes joy and is grown in Isparta, also known as the Rose District and located in the south west part of Anatolia aka Asia Minor, the peninsula of land that today constitutes the Asian portion of Turkey.

Persian Saffron. Just. Magical. This popular spice from Iran has a salty-leathery aroma that is tremendously sensual and warm. Saffron is quite significant in Iranian culture. In mythological episode of Shahnameh, there are cases provided on how ancient Iranians used saffron in their ceremonies and rituals.

Frankincense is synonymous with church. As soon as you enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, incense bearers waft frankincense throughout (they take this role seriously- you may not want to get out of their way!) The Church was built into the traditional site of Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. But did you know most frankincense today comes from Somalia? Ours comes from a Somalian Cooperative project committed to granting small, local stakeholders both access and control on the frankincense market.

Tobacco. No, it’s not originally from the Middle East, however it has been embraced into the culture. Hookah is the name of a large water pipe that originated in India but gained popularity in the Middle East, and Shisha is the name of the tobacco mixture that is smoked in it. The smoke dances throughout the Armenian, Jewish, Muslim and Christian quarters of Jerusalem... and so it’s in our Jerusalem.

Our Jerusalem is not about politics or religion. It is about a unified culture with an intertwined history that harnesses scent to tell its story. 

From Lovorika Website:

We are huge advocates of transparency. The overall objective should be to let consumers know everything in the products they purchase, and to protect consumers that are subject to allergies. This is done by providing thorough and detailed information of all ingredients. Consumers deserve the basic right to know if their perfume or beauty product contains allergens or toxic ingredients in order to avoid intolerance symptoms and prevent future ailments.

Perfume is thousands of years old, with evidence of the first perfumes dating back to Ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia and Cyprus. The English word "perfume" comes from the Latin per fume, meaning "through smoke.” The Ancient Egyptians were the first to incorporate perfume into their culture, followed by the ancient Chinese, Hindus, Israelites, Carthaginians, Arabs, Greeks, and Romans.

In the 19th Century natural fragrances became replaced with a concoction of scent creating chemicals. Guerlain perfumers began the synthetics revolution in 1889 by pouring three synthetics into its perfume Jicky. As fragrance was becoming ‘mass marketed’, scientists discovered that they could imitate nature’s scent for a fraction of the cost.

A 1986 report by the National Academy of Sciences noted that 95 percent of chemicals used in synthetic fragrances are derived from petroleum (crude oil) and include benzene derivatives (carcinogenic), aldehydes, toluene, and many other known toxic chemicals linked to cancer, birth defects, central nervous system disorders and allergic reactions. A 2001 study by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found that synthetic fragrances were often shown to contain hormone disruptors linked to abnormal cell reproduction.

In September 2018 the Breast Cancer Prevention Partners put out a scathing report against synthetic fragrances called Right to Know.

As we are a natural perfumery, we avoid synthetics in all our Parfums. Luckily in the EU, legislation is better, however, our biggest concern is the nebulous ‘fragrance’ ‘parfum’ ingredient on labels which can hide hundreds of toxic undisclosed chemicals.

•

These chemical ingredients are not only harmful for us, they are polluting our environment as well. Published in the journal Science, the study finds that using scented products (which include items such as perfumes, hair sprays, air fresheners, and paints) emit the same amount of chemical vapors as petroleum emissions from cars — even though 15 times more petroleum is burned as fuel.

•

In addition, as a plant-based company we will never use animal products nor those tested on animals. The fragrances with most cruelty towards animals are often synthetic. There is a growing number of synthetic perfumes that are vegan, but they’re only vegan from source to shelf. Once used they no longer are. Synthetics bio-accumulate and do not break down in the environment so have therefore been found in bodies of water and stored in the fat of animals, causing toxic harm.

•

Most perfumes today use alcohol as the carrier (aka ‘Alcohol Denat’). It’s thin enough to go through an atomiser and easily breaks down the fragrance oils for blending. However, in order to be used on the market perfumer’s alcohol has to be ‘denatured’ by having toxic chemicals added to it so it cannot be purchased in bulk for human consumption. What is in these toxins is not very clear, nor if it’s been tested on animals so we personally don’t trust it and don’t use it. Our skin is our largest organ and it drinks and eats too. If the added chemicals are not fit for human consumption, they’re too toxic for our skin as well.

•

We use a fractioned coconut oil emollient (aka coco-caprylate) as our carrier. It is a fatty ether of coconut and considered a ‘dry oil’ in beauty products. It’s viscosity is similar to water so it’s thin enough to go through an atomiser, yet unlike alcohol which destroys your natural body oils and dries your skin, ours hydrates your skin and is healthy for you. It is also 100% organic, certified by EcoCert, kind to animals, the environment and skin.

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE

In fairness and support of full disclosure most things aren’t black or white. There are shades of grey for natural ingredients too!

•

Some naturals contain allergens. In the same way some people are allergic to certain fruits or nuts, some botanicals can cause allergies. For this reason, we take a four-prong compliant approach:

• first, all of our formulas are assessed by a cosmetic chemist who will let us know if any of the botanicals we use need to be further diluted to avoid possible allergic reactions.
• once approved, each possible natural allergen is listed in our ingredients. You will see them listed with an asterisk and note that they are natural isolates. Natural Isolates are natural occurring chemicals (single chemicals) found in botanicals. Simply put, part of the larger rose compound (e.g.,), can be an allergen unless it’s properly diluted. To err on the side of caution, the EU requires potential allergens to be listed on all labels. [It’s important to note that these names can be used for synthetics as well. The synthetic versions are cheaper to buy and are often coloured to mimic the natural. Unless a company tells you it’s a natural ingredient, it is a very likely the synthetic version.] See the list of allergens here for more information about them.
• next, we clearly list any necessary precautions for essential oils. Whilst essential oils are fantastic (and created through a pure process called steam distillation), even too much spinach can be harmful and therefore appropriate doses and dilutions are needed.
• finally, we take this extra step of breaking it all down so it’s not merely words on a label and you have the links to do your own research if desired.
• please note that while our Parfums are 100% natural, we use high grade vegan synthetics in small amounts in our incense. The formula is mostly natural, but does contains a few synthetics (e.g., musk, that cannot be harnessed ethically or sustainably).

A couple other things to note in natural perfumery. Some natural perfumers use animal derivatives such as musk, castoreum, ambergris and civet... so stay away from these! Finally, please note that Absolutes are produced by solvent extraction. This causes heavy substances to pass through the prepared part of the plant. The solvent is then evaporated leaving only a natural material. 

Our ethos is simple. All products, synthetic or natural, need to be clearly listed on all labels. ‘Fragrance’ or ‘parfum’ simply won’t fly. Not anymore. Consumers deserve to know what’s in their products so they can make an informed choice.

•

We believe natural fragrances are far healthier for you, for the environment and for the animals which we co-habitat with on this beautiful and complex planet. Our intention is to provide you with as much information as possible so you can decide if you agree with us. And of course, it’s ok if you don’t. Free will and all that, right?

•

We hope you found this helpful!