Anya’s Garden Basic Natural Perfumery Course

Syllabus

revised January 10, 2008

This course is for those who desire comprehensive basic training in:

- Natural Perfumery

- Body Care and Toiletry products

- Spa Products

- Education in a natural art

- General interest in exploring a career in natural perfumery

- Natural Perfume retailer

The course is one year in length, and consists of twelve modules.

Materials Provided for Study:

- An aromatics kit of 25 absolutes and essential oils, labeled with botanical name, country of origin and amount. The bottles are 4ml in size, and four of the rare essences are diluted to 10%.

- An updated Natural Perfumery Primer that is professionally printed and will be the main textbook for the course. The Primer is 65 pages in length, and is heavily supplemented by online materials, charts, forms and links.

- Scent strips, pipettes and small pots that can be used to contain solid perfumes.

Curriculum Goals and Objectives:

Goals

After completing the twelve modules of study, you will be able to:

-Discuss natural perfumery both past and present.

-Be proficient in maintaining a professional workspace for perfume creation.

·-Discuss, identify and work with a wide array of concretes, absolutes and essential oils.

-Develop a comprehensive Scent Memory and know how to build upon it.

-Create a library of your own written, detailed notes on organoleptic evaluation.

-Be proficient in aromatics terminology to work at a professional level.

-Be adept at basic blending.

-Realize the need for peer review and critique of your blends and listen to suggestions on how to refine or revise the blends.

-Know and be able to discuss the safety and regulatory aspects of perfumery.

-Conceptualize and plan for further development as a natural perfumer.

Objectives

-To successfully complete the course, the student is expected to:

-Read and review the course materials in the Primer and the online website.

-Read the Primer and the corresponding online modules.

-Complete one discussion assignment per module, more if you desire.

-Take part in the online discussion forum.

-Review the teacher’s lectures.

-Swap your basic blends with other students for feedback.

-Submit a blend and essay to the teacher for certificate that you completed course (small additional fee).

Optional: add to the online knowledge base, e.g. the glossary, links, book list.

Curriculum

The online modules, the Natural Perfumery Primer materials, the Yahoo group and the monthly online discussion chat with the teacher form the core of the course. They interrelate with each other, and the Primer is the key to entering them with a basic idea of the areas of study that they cover. There should always be an open-minded approach to how all of the information offered interrelates.

Every component of the study materials are crucial to your development as a natural perfumer. The discipline demands that you be an experimenter, a real scientist of the aromatic arts and that you use both sides of your brain at all times. You will be encouraged to engage in reverie when evaluating the aromatics while simultaneously applying mathematical and scientific rigor to your findings.

You will be required to upload some of your reports of the aromatics, called organoleptic studies, to the website library. There you can compare your observations to the 25 aromatics in the kit and gain insight into how others record their impressions of the same materials in either similar or vastly different manners. You will be provided both printed sheets for recording your findings and later in the program, an Excel program for those who wish to use it.

Schedule of Modules

The 12 Modules will be uploaded to the class website on the sixth of the month. Modules 2 and 3, will be stretched over three months due to the initial need for the student to begin to work with the essences and complete numerous evaluations.

It is encouraged that each student stay on the calendar schedule of each module to best foster camaraderie and the learning process. History may be of little interest to someone, yet a learning experience is guaranteed in that module, and eventually the student will be required to finish that module, so it is suggested to best fit every module into your schedule as they occur.

Grading Policy

There is no grading policy in this course other than pass/fail. Failure means you did not complete at least one assignment per module during the course. If the assignment is not handed in before the start of the next module, the student is expected to contact the teacher for assistance or an extension. Circumstances may prevent the student from completing the assignment on time, and consideration will be given to the student so that they may work at their pace.

The Virtual Classroom

This virtual classroom is designed to be interactive, fun and a powerful learning experience. After logging in, you will be able to listen to lectures, view the modules, take part in the discussion study forum, upload pictures, click on links, surf into Wikipedia, use the virtual library, and chat in real time.

During the course of the school year, new features may be added, as either the teacher becomes aware of them, or a student suggests them.

The Yahoo Class Group

Daily interactions can occur in the Yahoo class. Enrollment is mandatory, but participation is not. This group is where the teacher will make announcements, where students can ask questions, conduct group buys, etc. The teacher will add the students to the Yahoo group before class commences.

The Study Schedule

It is recommended that you spend 5-8 hours per week on the study materials, which include the Primer, the study modules, the discussion group and outside readings from the reading list. If you pretend that you are enrolled in a real world school, with classroom meetings, it will help you focus and discipline yourself.

The discussion group will prove invaluable in many ways, including helping your bonding and networking with other students. You’ll be able to encourage each other, help answer questions and generally move the evolution of each of you along in the study of natural perfumery.

Course Completion

Upon completion of all of the assignments, the student will have completed the course satisfactorily with a Passing grade. If the student wishes to obtain a Certificate of Completion, that will require the submittal of a perfume within one month of the end of the school year for evaluation. A short essay should accompany the perfume, and the student will be assessed a fee of $50 for the evaluation and feedback on the perfume.