Professional Online Education since 2007

Natural Perfumery

Welcome to The Natural Perfumery Institute

Educating Perfumers online since 2007

Learn step-by-step perfumemaking in a structured syllabus that has been used by students successfully for 14 years. Faculty maintains forums for students where questions can be answered and community relationships developed. The recording forms, charts, and supplemental materials are in addition to many educational materials in this lifetime enrollment course.

Basic Independent Study


At the Basic Level:

Diluting your oils to save 90% on the cost of making each test perfume, learn how to evaluate, blend, and make perfume. History, production of aromatics, regulatory, and many other topics covered.

Learn More

Basic
Private
Tutorial


At the Basic Level:

Diluting your oils to save 90% on the cost of making each test perfume, learn how to evaluate, blend, and make perfume. History, production of aromatics, regulatory, and many other topics covered as well as one-on-one access to Anya McCoy for the course.

Learn More

Intermediate Natural Perfumer


At the Intermediate Level*:

  • Excel worksheet for perfumemaking with specific gravity
  • Laboratory equipment introduction and instructions
  • Extensive Compare and Contrast exercises

*Prerequisite of the Basic course is required.

Learn More

Graduate Natural Perfumer


At the Graduate Level*:

A thesis-based course that elevates and encompasses all the education of the earlier Levels.

*Prerequisite of the Intermediate course is required.

Learn More

Basic Independent Study


At the Basic Level:

Diluting your oils to save 90% on the cost of making each test perfume, learn how to evaluate, blend, and make perfume. History, production of aromatics, regulatory, and many other topics covered.

Learn More

Basic Private Tutorial


At the Basic Level:

Diluting your oils to save 90% on the cost of making each test perfume, learn how to evaluate, blend, and make perfume. History, production of aromatics, regulatory, and many other topics covered as well as one-on-one access to Anya McCoy for the course.

Learn More

Intermediate Natural Perfumer


At the Intermediate Level*:

  • Excel worksheet for perfumemaking with specific gravity
  • Laboratory equipment introduction and instructions
  • Extensive Compare and Contrast exercises

*Prerequisite of the Basic course is required.

Learn More

Graduate Natural Perfumer


At the Graduate Level*:

A thesis-based course that elevates and encompasses all the education of the earlier Levels.

*Prerequisite of the Intermediate course is required.

Learn More

Included with the Basic Course

Dozens of Bonus Modules!

  • Diluting Thick Aromatics
  • Enfleurage
  • European Union Labeling
  • Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Labeling (USA)
  • Filtering Perfume
  • INCI Labeling
  • Label Sample
  • Natural Isolates
  • Oil-Based Perfume
  • Perfumed Bath Salts
  • Potpourri
  • Prefixing Alcohol
  • Sanitize, Disinfect, Sterilize
  • Specific Gravity
  • Tinctures and Infusions
  • Solid Perfume
  • Ultrasonic Extracts
  • Vintage and Modern Videos on Perfumery
  • Water and Alcohol-proof Pens
  • Working with CO2s
  • Diluting Thick Aromatics
  • Enfleurage
  • European Union Labeling
  • Federal Drug Administration (FDA) Labeling (USA)
  • Filtering Perfume
  • INCI Labeling
  • Label Sample
  • Natural Isolates
  • Oil-Based Perfume
  • Perfumed Bath Salts
  • Potpourri
  • Prefixing Alcohol
  • Sanitize, Disinfect, Sterilize
  • Specific Gravity
  • Tinctures and Infusions
  • Solid Perfume
  • Ultrasonic Extracts
  • Vintage and Modern Videos on Perfumery
  • Water and Alcohol-proof Pens
  • Working with CO2s

Why Study with Us?

Why Learn with Us?

Z

Over 100 Years of Combined Experience

Our dedicated faculty has been working with perfume materials and teaching the art of natural perfumery for over 100 years. Our experience will guide you.

Z

Education at Your Pace

We understand that you can’t be online at specified times. Instead we offer written material that you can work on in your schedule.

Z

World Class Educator

Anya McCoy launched her first perfume line in 1991 and has since mentored and taught thousands of natural perfumers. She is regarded as a pioneer in the art and created the first online course in natural perfumery in 2007. She wrote the first American textbook on perfumery for this course.

Z

The Textbook

Anya McCoy compiled 45 years of perfumery experience to author the 350-page textbook for this course. She also designed innovative modern recording forms to supplement the textbook in Word.doc, and Excel.xls forms to easy searchability and ease of study.

FAQ

Frequently Asked

Frequently Asked

What is Natural Perfume?

Natural perfume, as defined by the Natural Perfumery Institute (NPI), is the use of pure and natural aromatics from the land, sea and soil, along with select animal essences (optional), such as beeswax, ambergris and others, professionally combined to produce a beautiful, luxury liquid perfume. Natural isolates may also be used if carefully sourced, as many are synthetics yet sold as natural.

There are accessory products in natural perfumery, such as solid perfumes, incenses, candles, soaps and other body and bath products, and natural perfume blends are used to fragrance them.

Natural perfumers are dedicated to seeking out the finest natural aromatics, and never using synthetic fragrance aromachemicals or synthetic or chemically-denatured alcohol (except where the law does not permit the use of undenatured alcohol). Natural isolate aromachemicals, obtained by fractional distillation of essential oils and absolutes are used in natural perfumery, as are tinctures, infusions, and other extracts.

Why Study Natural Perfumery?

People study natural perfumery to so that they may quickly and expertly understand the complex and demanding art of natural perfumery. With a a systematic study, under the instruction of an experienced and successful natural perfumer, the student can save not only time, but expensive mistakes with the aromatics. You will also learn many of the classical methods of blending, and the art and science behind the discipline.

The NPI natural perfumery course is designed to create professional perfumers, adept body care scent formulators, advanced aromatherapy practitioners, and other fragrance formulators. You will be proficient in all phases of perfumery basics. You will start by learning how to work with the best aromatics from initial dilution and evaluation experiments. By the end of the sixth module, the student will know how and why they used the specific aromatics, in the precise measurements, to create their perfume for certification. In other words, you will be guided so that you may avoid pitfalls, confusion, and questions about what are the best techniques for blending.

What Prerequisites do I need?

There are no previous qualifications required, except the ability to read and write English. Ability to work with Word.doc and Excel.xls files is not necessary but encouraged. There are free versions of these programs available. Basic computer skills to log-in, download, and work with simple files and pages are needed.

What supplies will I need?

If you have many of the oils listed on the Perfume Making Kits page, you may use them. If not, you are encouraged to purchase them because they are referenced in the textbook. Alcohol, glassware, and other supplies are listed in the Materials and Supplies page, and you may need a month to obtain them from various vendors before you begin studies.

Will I receive a diploma?

You have that option.  Diplomas are awarded upon submittal of perfume and essay. There is a $75 review fee for this process.

Is there a time limit for the Course?

You are encouraged to complete the course in one year, to keep your studies moving at a pace that will keep you engaged, but not rushed, with the exercises. If you need more time, just contact the Instructor via the contact page and arrangements will be made.

Is there a payment plan for the tuition?

You will be able to sign up for a payment plan at enrollment. Payments will be automatically deducted from your credit card or PayPal account.

What is the Institute’s refund policy?

There is no refund on the deposit or tuition.

What is the process to become a certified natural perfumer?

After completing the six modules,  the student may submit a perfume and essay to the Instructor. The perfume and essay should reflect that the student learned the basics as taught in the course, and that they are able to articulate them. Receiving the certification will allow the student to continue studies at the Intermediate level. There is a $75 review fee for the certification and diploma.

Pricing

Basic Courses:

  • Independent Study – $1200
  • Private Tutorial – $2600

Advanced Courses:

  • Intermediate* – $2000
  • Graduate** – $2000

*Prerequisite of the Basic course is required.
**Prerequisite of the Intermediate course is required.

Education, Excellence, Elegance

Become a Student

BECOME THE PERFUMER YOU WANT TO BE

Enrolled students have lifetime access to a dynamic, updated series of benefits.

Some of the professional techniques and modern methods you’ll learn at the NPI were based on corporate perfumery courses and adapted by Anya for artisan perfumers, and they are unique to this course.

Upon completion of the course, and submittal of a perfume and essay, the student will receive a diploma. This signifies that the student has worked through the modules of study, learned the basics of perfume making, and is proficient in the spectrum of perfumery topics.

Explore Basic Syllabus

Enroll Today

Testimonials

From Our Students

Over the last two years I have focused my energy on learning the technical art of perfumery by attending seminars, classes and groups with renowned Natural Perfumers and organizations. When it comes to education, I have very high standards, both as a student and as a teacher. The Natural Perfumery Institute’s Course is simply the best text book and program I have seen on the subject of natural perfumery. It is presented as a higher educational text book, clearly written and organized in a coherent manner. For those who have looked into the conventional path to becoming a modern perfumer, which has many hurdles, this program is a great option. Clear, concise and extremely informative.

Daniel Krasofski, Educator at Southwest Institute of Healing Arts, Los Angeles

“The best part of the course is, undoubtedly, Anya herself. I’ve never had a teacher in any subject who was so wholly devoted. She manages not only to be there unfailingly for students, in addition to running her own perfume house but is also one of the loudest and longest working advocates for the art and industry of natural perfumery, which is currently under threat from all sides- bureaucratic, climactic, economic, legal… Most likely, wherever you encounter a problem facing artisan perfumery, you’ll also find Anya, already there, in the thick and at the forefront of the effort to find a solution. If you’re looking for answers, there’s no better person to know. I recommend her course wholeheartedly.”

Sophia Aletheia Lexis Astraea, UK

“When I first read my coursebook, I was quietly confident that I had studied much of it already, having been learning by myself for a few years now. However, I decided I had been wanting to do this for so very long, that I would go through the course page by page anyway, and reinforce what I had learned. I am so glad I did this, because this more methodical journey than mine has been bringing to me to many delights that I knew a little of, but had forgotten to smell for a while, nor in so much depth, nor in this way. I am loving this course for the sheer methodical approach to learning and I certainly don’t know it all, so thank you, Anya.”

Fran, UK

“Anya’s natural perfumery course is a worthwhile investment for a wide range of students, from those with no prior experience to those who wish to add to their knowledge base. An NPI student who is already a recognized perfumer, when asked about why she enrolled in the course, stated:
I realize that even though I make lovely perfumes, I need to learn the basics from an expert. It would be the same if I were a successful musician, and later in my career started studying music theory. The creative possibilities jump a hundred-fold.”

Suzy Larsen, Suzy Larsen Perfumes, Canada

Anya’s natural perfumery course is a worthwhile investment for a wide range of students, from those with no prior experience to those who have significant blending behind them but have an interest in advancing their skills.

In particular, the lectures and accompanying self-managed exercises provide even experienced students with tools for more systematically building their scent memory, getting to really know the synergies between aromatics, and leveraging that knowledge to design perfumes with more certainty in the expected outcome.

Sharon Schetelick, New Jersey, USA

Dear Anya, I hope you will allow me to study with you further. I love the process and you are an excellent instructor. As a person who has been in many classrooms observing teachers, I recognize a great teacher in you. Thank you so much.

Carla Lam, Ancorage, USA

It really is impressive how much information is there for us and I’m really learning with our class.

Susan Stype, Fort Lauderdale, USA

I studied with Anya (our Yahoo list mom) and the course was fantastic, I highly recommend it if you want to get some great training and support making natural perfumes. Her course is a lot of work, and worth every penny you will spend, she is amazing as are her gorgeous perfumes!”

Natalie Beaulieu, Toronto, Canada

I highly recommend to anyone to take this journey for a year with Anya. Anya is a wonderful, patient teacher that truly inspires her students to expand and explore. (thank you Anya). I feel inspired everyday to search out new oils, read about them and smell them and now this month we are learning to blend them together, creating accords. A new world has certainly opened up for me. If you love being creative and the smells of nature you will love this class.”

Wendy Moore, Australia

I would like to say that if anyone taking Anya’s class course gets to thinking that this information in the course is a lot to handle or gets discouraged, they should purchase some quality natural perfumes. It will spark you. My perfumery work was never as intense as this course is, but it is an amazing journey. I say intense because there is a lot of knowledge there and it’s brilliant.”

Maureen Sunde, Florida, USA

BECOME A NATURAL PERFUMER

ENROLL TODAY