Interview with On Skin

The full interview in Croatian can be found on onskin.hr.

With the new line Psyche, the artist Kamila Aubre entered the field of psychoaromatherapy by creating scents that can affect our mood and health.

Imagine botanical perfumes in which an artist, in addition to natural ingredients, pours all the threads of her hobbies,:jazz, black and white photography, poetry, literature, psychology... It is precisely because of her interest in psychology that the new Psyche line was created, which is based on the principles of subtle aromatherapy or psychoaromatherapy. This part of aromatherapy is also called vibrational aromatherapy, and is a holistic approach that uses synergistic formulas or individual essential oils for healing. Such formulas can be successfully combined with acupressure, yoga, breathing, meditation, physical exercises that involve the mind-body connection, as well as help with stress, insomnia or hormonal and emotional imbalances. The fragrance names clearly communicate their purpose and in the collection you can currently find Breastcare, Breathwork, Female cycles, Femininity, PMS, Menopause, Burnout & Fatigue, Depression & Melancholy and Daydreaming. As you can see from the names, part of the collection is especially dedicated to women and their health through life cycles, and that is why I wanted to introduce you to the Psyche line, the way it is used and its creator.

Kamila Aubre is a professional photographer, independent creator of botanical niche perfumes and certified aromatherapist from Belgium. She started producing perfumes and herbal skin care products in 2015, in small quantities. Since 2017, she has focused exclusively on botanical perfumes and launched her first three products inspired by poetry: Villanelle, Summer 1928 & Sonnet 98.

In one of your journal posts, you mentioned that you started creating niche perfumes because it was a way to stay mentally and physically close to nature. What inspires you? What does the process of creation look like?

I do not seek inspiration per se, it comes to me from my own experiences & interests. So basically, the perfumes I design show me as a person with all my aspirations and intricacies. I do have multiple hobbies which include classic literature, poetry, jazz, black and white photography, psychology, etc. It is a subtle moment which leads to the creation of a scent, a hint, a thread, I may hear or read something about, but more often I think to myself: Has this been talked about by anyone else? Can this open a new conversation between two people? Is this an open end theme? And more important: the inner world of an artist is very subjective but perfumes must stay evocative, at least partially, so if other people feel what I feel, there will be connection and this is when a fragrance is born. Natural perfume making is so complex that the whole process from seed to the final blend can be called poetic.

What is the difference between botanical perfume and synthetic perfume?

Botanical perfumes are much safer for our skin and health and can even benefit our mental well-being. They are not ubiquitous which makes them perfect as signature scents. Although there are independent perfumers who make mixed media perfumes, remember they do still use synthetic ingredients for various purposes, mostly for their longevity. But people who switch to natural perfumes avoid that aspect, I call it 'stickiness' (when you can't get rid of a smell on clothes, hair, etc). Not all noses are the same. If you are looking for soft, gentle scents which do not make you sneeze or have a headache, it is worth trying some natural perfume samples.

These days botanical perfumes are also more often associated with small scale production, the handmade movement and the niche market. So today, if I hear it is a botanical perfume, it is made by one person using all natural aromatics, bottled and packed by hand. Which is another reason to support small businesses.

In which way scents affect our psyche?

Natural aromatics are essential oils, absolutes and CO2 extracts widely used in aromatherapy (the latter two ones have been included into aromatherapy by many experts). So whether it is a synergistic blend (all the ingredients are used for one common goal) or simply a harmonious natural perfume blend, both of them may affect our mood, emotions and our general mental well-being. Many of my clients say how good they feel when they use my perfumes. They do not use them intentionally for their aromatherapeutic properties, they simply want to wear something different. Natural aromatics are subtle, gentle and slow, whether it is simply a single oil or blend, they will leave an impact on you whether you want it or not. It is not enough to write about it, one drop of pure essential oil or absolute on skin can transform your idea about perfumes. Try rose absolute, French lavender oil, iris CO2 extract, you will be blown away by their 'naturalness' and depth. We are losing touch with nature in many ways! And this is only an aesthetic aspect, give it some time and you will realise to yourself that this is what should be used as perfume, every single day. And remember, essential oils have not been fully studied yet due to their complexity, we do not know what other potential they may have! But speaking more in scientific terms, essential oils affect us both through our nose (olfaction) and skin (absorption, this is why it is important to wear aromatherapy on skin). The science of essential oils and the brain is a complicated issue, still in the process of studies and there is no definitive conclusion as to how natural aromatics really affect our mental state. One thing we know is that these plants have been used for hundreds and thousands of years in many different ways, including aromatic extraction, so why not trust nature, as we have everything we need around us to survive.

You recently introduced us with Psyche line which is in the field of psychoaromatherapy. Was it created according to the principles of subtle aromatherapy? What exactly is subtle aromatherapy?

Yes, the collection is based on subtle aromatherapy principles which means that each ingredient plays a role to create a synergy, as well as aromatic harmony. Subtle Aromatherapy has many names (vibrational aromatherapy, psychoaromatherapy) but they all mean one thing: using essential oils to elevate our spirits and affect our mental health in a positive way. There are many subtleties just as there are many mental and emotional states a human may have. In my opinion, aromatherapy must also be aesthetically pleasing to your nose and be partially a perfume in its structure to make it last longer on skin. Subtle aromatherapy may seem to be a new field due to its name but people have been using oils for hundreds of years for religious, spiritual and medicinal purposes, all for the sake of our mental care. It is only in the last few decades natural aromatics have gotten more attention which is a good way to avoid antidepressants and other synthetic prescriptions.

What scents can we currently find in Psyche line and for which conditions are they intended?

There are around 25 scents in the collection and 10 of them are currently available for purchase in samples, small bottles and refill vessels. The blends as well as the packaging invite you to approach each scent slowly and use them with care and intention (pipettes, stoppers). They are created to remind people to take care of themselves, in this case, mental health is interconnected with physical one and once we learn self-care and self-love, we will be able to track our physical state and well-being. For women it is based on cycles, for men it is important to remember that anyone can use aromatherapy, this has never been a feminine ritual (the packaging is unisex). It is never too late to start caring for our own mental health. A few other blends are supposed to be used along with various practices, such spiritual, mental, psychological, creative and even psychic ones (Clairvoyance, Introspection, Intuitive Writing, Nightdreaming etc.)

Which perfumes are specifically intended for women and how can they help women's health?

The scents speak for themselves and are designed to be recognised easily (Female Cycles, PMS, Femininity, Menopause, Postpartum & Pregnancy). One thing women must remember is to always consult their doctor during the most important periods of their life, such as pregnancy, even though the safest aromatics are used in this case. Speaking of safety, it is also important to test each scent for any allergies and skin reactions and start using new blends slowly. I highly recommend applying a holistic approach in aromatherapy which means adding other natural methods (herbal teas, massage, meditation, etc) because they are gentle and take time, you can increase their potency by combining them with practices or other plant based therapies. Women are welcome to combine blends or add them to body oils or use them as perfumes if they wish.

Lot's of women I speak to struggle with hormonal imbalance. This is why I am especially intrigued with the Female Cycle fragrance. How can Female Cycle help with hormonal imbalance?

There have been many studies on the use of essential oils in a clinical setting and other facilities for many ailments and diseases. Most of them have shown excellent results but again, you cannot achieve results in treating hormonal imbalance with just aromatherapy if your lifestyle is unhealthy. This is where we call for a holistic approach, looking at a problem from many different aspects. Hormonal imbalance can have many different causes and roots, adding aromatherapy may have a visible effect. It is essential for every woman to get to know her cycles (each has her own manifestations, such as symptoms, emotional and physical condition on different days). I recommend reading as much as possible about the topic because it does help to understand why we feel a certain way on a certain day (Toni Weschler's book is a must read for every woman on cycles). Once we can see a pattern, we can cope with it much better. I also call aromatherapy 'a scented reminder' to slow down and get to know yourself.

How can we use and apply fragrances from the Psyche line on the body?

Since each blend is equivalent to eau de parfum concentration (around 10-15%) and all body products (face including) are supposed to have 1-3% of perfume in them, you can easily make your own diy blends at home. But for quick use, you can simply add 1-3 drops of a Psyche scent to the amount of body oil you use each time, for face products - 1 drop for face, neck and decolletage. You can use each blend as a hair oil, but I recommend using each blend on skin, to help oils to be absorbed by skin to be truly therapeutic.

On your webpage, you announced new fragrances in the line, when will they be available?

The new perfumes will be available this year and will be released one by one. The perfume oils have a different concept: each batch will include a variation of the theme (new notes) because the four subjects chosen for them are extremely vast (Darkroom - black and white photography, Antique - vintage and antique perfumery, Meditations - philosophy, Jazz Standards - classic jazz). 

For us who want to try, where can we buy your botanical perfumes?

At this moment you can buy them exclusively on the website kamilaaubre.com. I used to cooperate with shops and my shop was once open on Etsy but I have decided to focus more on quality than quantity.