#Enfleurage Method

I’ve talked about enfleurage before, but I wanted to share another overview and behind-the-scenes look for those who might be new or unfamiliar with the process and how we do it at Wit & West Perfumes. I love this method of extraction because it produces a beautifully fragrant and true-to-life result that captures the living flower’s scent in a way that other techniques, such as solvent or CO₂ extraction, can’t. If you aren’t familiar with enfleurage, it is a traditional French method of extraction for perfumery that uses a scentless fat such as coconut oil and fresh flowers, which are applied to the fat daily until the fat, or pomade, absorbs the scent of the flowers (usually 2-4 weeks depending on the flower). Once the pomade has sufficiently absorbed the scent from the flowers, I begin the second phase of the process: washing the pomade in perfumer’s alcohol. Over a period of 2–4 months, the alcohol absorbs the scent of the flowers. From there, I cold-filter several times to remove all traces of fat, resulting in a clear, beautifully scented enfleurage extrait. But the process doesn’t end there. The enfleurage extrait is just one component that must then be blended with other perfumery ingredients to create a complete and finished perfume composition. I’ve been using this method to extract the scent of peonies, roses, lilacs, and irises from the Wit & West garden for over six years. It’s a labor-intensive process, subject to weather and growing conditions, and yields can vary year by year. Some extraits have taken me several seasons of collecting flowers just to get enough for a single batch of perfume. Our limited-edition Reserve Collection perfume, The Violetear, features iris flowers extracted using this exact process, and more enfleurage-based perfumes are in the works. ❤️ #naturalperfume #botanicalperfume #indieperfume #artisanperfume #enfleurage #enfleurageperfume #madeincolorado #witandwest

Lilacs are notoriously difficult to capture the scent of- which is sad because they are one of my absolute favorites! Steam distillation doesn’t really work for them. Enfleurage is a very old method of capturing scents for plants like this, where you use a liquified solid fat in contact with fresh flowers, strained and changed for new plant matter each day until you’ve reached your desired scent level. ✨Here I’m using organic unscented coconut oil. Can’t wait to see how it turns out! 💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜 #enfleurage #lilac #plantlove #wildfoodlove #flowers #spring #perfume

🌀Oldest perfume extracting method: Enfleurage. To lay the flowers of mute plants (ex violets, jasmine, dafodils) on top of a layer of 1cm fat. I used perfume free and organic coconut oil. This is a really lengthy method. Each flower needs to be replaced every day for 10 days until the pommade is saturated with scent 🪻 #perfumemaking #foraging #enfleurage #ancestral #diycosmetics

What does the enfleurage perfumery technique consist of? 🥀 The technique called enfleurage is used to obtain the essential oil from fresh flowers thanks to the absorption power of a deodorized fatty material. It is an ancestral and extractive method, respectful of the flower and its perfume, which is particularly ideal for fragile flowers such as rose, jasmine, violet, varieties known from Provence. Read all in so good.. magazine issue 31. Shop now at @booksforchefsofficial

A very small batch of violet enfleurage for a special perfume. Enfleurage is an age-old process where fat is used to capture the scent of elusive flowers too delicate for other processing methods. The traditional technique became widely know after the method was adopted in the 16th Century perfume hub Grasse, France. Traditionally, glass plates in a wooden frame called a ‘chassis’ were generously coated in fat. Whilst I have used organic shea butter, back then it was tallow. Hand-picked blooms, such as jasmine and tuberose, were carefully placed on the fat and recharged daily until the scent was strong enough. It typically takes up to 60 days, and at least 30 charges to render a highly fragrant fat, which is then called a ‘pomade’. The pomade would then be washed with alcohol to render an ‘extrait’, and then further processed to reveal the most heavenly, true-to-life ‘absolute’.

The key to getting the best results lies in choosing the right flower - some species are more ideal than others. In this lesson, taken from @jamjar_edits upcoming course “Learn the Art of Flower Pressing”, you’ll find out specific flowers that work well and how to prepare them for the press. A celebration of the botanical world, this course is ideal for gardeners, artists, crafters, and anyone who has a love of flowers. Stay tuned for the course launch! Learn more about the course by clicking our link in bio. #createacademy #createacademyofficial #jamjaredit #jamjarflowers

Journey back to Summer, pressing dreamy wedding flowers. 💕

A lot of you keep asking me about a lot of technicalities while working with resin. And while I have figured out what works for me, it might not be the best trick for the fellow artists. One thing I would suggest is to be patient and keep trying new ways. ✅ And, Ofcourse one of the most important thing is the resin that you use. I can’t emphasis this enough as to how wonderfully resin from @resincult works for me. You have to give it a try. You wouldn’t want to use any other resin once you use their product. The process that I have recorded in less than 30 seconds took me over 2 hours to complete. Just the front side pouring. Then comes back coat. Then finishing then assembling. And not the forget drying each petal and pressing. But all the hardwork pays off when I come across lovely people carrying them so effortlessly. ☺️ #khwabidah #resinart #pressedflower #flower #flowers #driedflower #resinjewelry #accessories #resin #bougainvillea #bougainville

¿te gustaría aprender como preservar flores en su forma original con resina?🧚🏼‍♀️✨ este viernes estará disponible el manual que he trabajado para tí, que deseas saber que materiales yo utilizo y como preservo las flores😊🤍 florecpr.com🌿

This lilac butter is made using the enfleurage method, a french method for making perfume from some of the harder to capture floral scents, like lilacs. It looks and sounds complicated but it’s not. You’ll need two containers that fit together so that you can seal the butter and lilac blossoms in an airtight fashion. Traditionally glass planes are used but we are doing it DIY style. Only use the lilac blossoms, don’t use the stems or any green bits. Make sure they are clean, free of contaminants, correctly identified, and dry. And shake them free of any little bugs. Layer soft butter into a dish. Layer lilac blossoms on top of the butter and cover with wax paper. A piece of plastic wrap works also, but I don’t buy plastic wrap so wax paper it is. Smoosh down the wax paper so it is completely sealing the lilacs onto the butter. Then place the other dish on top of the wax paper. Ideally there is no room between the wax paper and the second lid that is holding it down. You want the butter to absorb all the lilac scent and lose as little as possible to the surrounding air. After 24 hrs strain or pick off the blossoms and replace with a fresh batch. Once again seal and cover. Keep repeating this process until you get the strength of lilac butter that you want. I did two rounds of pressing, because I wanted a light lilac scent, not an overwhelming lilac scent. I’ve seen recipes out there that incorporate lilac butter into baking, but I’ve also read that the scent fades quickly after baking. Lilac is so fickle with heat, so I can see this happening. I’m just going to use mine slathered on bread, biscuits, and oatmeal. You can also swap the butter for shea butter or mango butter and make a lovely solid lilac perfume. Enjoy! Let me know if you make it :) #lilacs #edibleflowers #herbalists #folkways #seasonalflowers #seasonalliving #slowliving #cottagecore #petals #diycrafts #wildcraft #eatyourflowers #herbcraft #kitchenherbs

Leave a #🔪 if you like! 😇 Saving the forget-me-nots from my flower arrangement from drooping with this drastic measurement 🤭 ——————————————————————- #cozy #calming #comforting #relaxing #satisfying #cottagecore #flowerarrangement #asmr #flower #flowers #cutflowers #bouquet #flowerhack #hack #howto #droopstop #vintagehome #vintagekitchen #vintagevibes #beardedgay #gaybeard #slowliving #slowlife #forgetmenot #forgetmenot #cuttingflowers #relax

Cómo preservar hortensias con glicerina: el secreto para que duren años Las hortensias son flores espectaculares, pero cuando se secan pueden perder parte de su color y volverse quebradizas. Si quieres mantenerlas flexibles y con un tono más vibrante, la preservación con glicerina es la mejor opción. Paso a paso para preservar hortensias con glicerina 1️⃣ Elige el momento adecuado: Lo ideal es cortar las hortensias cuando han madurado lo suficiente, es decir, cuando sus pétalos han cambiado de textura y color (suelen volverse más coriáceos y menos frescos). 2️⃣ Prepara la solución: Mezcla una parte de glicerina líquida con dos partes de agua caliente y remueve bien. 3️⃣ Coloca los tallos en la mezcla: Recorta los tallos en cruz y sumérgelos en la solución. 4️⃣ Déjalas absorber: Coloca las hortensias en un lugar fresco y sin luz directa. En 2-3 semanas los tallos habrán absorbido la glicerina y las flores estarán flexibles y listas para decorar cualquier rincón. Preservar flores con glicerina es casi mágico: no es lo mismo que secarlas, porque no se vuelven quebradizas ni pierden su color tan rápido. Es un equilibrio entre lo vivo y lo seco, una forma de conservar su belleza sin que parezcan marchitas. Si quieres aprender a preservar no solo hortensias, sino muchas otras flores con técnicas profesionales, en mi curso “Entre lo vivo y lo seco: flores con glicerina” te enseño todo lo que necesitas saber para dominar este arte. Link en mi bio #preservarflores #florespreservadas #cursodeflores #cursopreservarflores #floristarural