Re: Scent preferences in Japan

[Guest guest]

lasaponaria wrote:

> Hello everyone

>

> I have been asked to make some soap for someone in Japan. I scent my

> soaps only with EOs.

>

> Maybe someone here know if there are scent preferred by Japanese.

Hi Bella:

I remember reading a story a few years ago about perfumes on display in

Japan. They don't have testers on counters, they have scent strips that

have been sprayed and left out in the air. All the top notes have

dissipated by the time the customer sniffs them. Top notes don't seem

important to them.

The article also stated that they don't wear much perfume in Japan,

especially the loud synth stuff that invades other people's space. Very

discreet is the way to go. Of course, with soaps, the wash-off aspect

means not much of a scent will be left on the body, so the product

you'll make should be OK.

About preferred notes, e.g., lavender, rose, cedarwood - sorry, I don't

have a clue. At this point all I can offer is that perhaps don't spend

too much time or effort on top notes ;-)

--

Anya's Garden http://AnyasGarden.com - perfumes, aromatics, classes,

consultation

Natural Perfumers Guild + blog with daily updates

1500+ member Natural Perfumery group -

/

[Guest guest]

> > Hello everyone

> >

> > I have been asked to make some soap for someone in Japan. I scent

my

> > soaps only with EOs.

> >

> > Maybe someone here know if there are scent preferred by Japanese.

> Hi Bella:

>

>

>

> The article also stated that they don't wear much perfume in Japan,

> especially the loud synth stuff that invades other people's space.

Very

> discreet is the way to go. Of course, with soaps, the wash-off

aspect

> means not much of a scent will be left on the body, so the product

> you'll make should be OK.

>

> About preferred notes, e.g., lavender, rose, cedarwood - sorry, I

don't

> have a clue. At this point all I can offer is that perhaps don't

spend

> too much time or effort on top notes ;-)

>

I am a soapmaker and use the eo's in mine. Start with Lavender,

Rosemary and cedarwood and see what you think. Not too much rosemary

or it will take over. It is a soft scent that you might like. A bit

of black pepper is nice in this blend and gives some depth. Top

notes in soap are elusive sometimes.

Jane

adobesoapworks

[Guest guest]

--- Anya <anya@...> wrote:

> lasaponaria wrote:

> > Hello everyone

> >

> > I have been asked to make some soap for someone in

> Japan. I scent my

> > soaps only with EOs.

> >

> > Maybe someone here know if there are scent

> preferred by Japanese.

responds Anya:

> Hi Bella:

(snip)

> The article also stated that they don't wear much

> perfume in Japan,

> especially the loud synth stuff that invades other

> people's space. Very

> discreet is the way to go.

I lived in Kyoto for several years and have to

corroborate what Anya says in the above paragraph.

In Japan perfume,in this case meaning perfume that is

applied to the body directly, is considered an

interesting Western thing. The Japanese admire the

refinements of French culture quite a bit and there

are some people who wear French perfumes but they are

very few and far between, as for many centuries the

prevailing thought considered scent something to apply

not to the skin but to the fabric of one's clothing

and to the ambient atmosphere, and these were both

accomplished with incense. In cases where the

clothing would have been scented it would have been

placed over a clothes rack underneath which the

incense was burning.

Ingredients used in Japanese incense, which have been

the same for a long, long time, are cloves, cinnamon,

kaiko (a kind of shell), aloeswood, sandalwood,

camphor, and spikenard; and quite a number of others

(thought the aforementioned things are what one

notices in the incenses). The prevailing smells were

woodsy, slightly bitter, and almost always with the

warmth of sandalwood and in the more expensive

varieties, aloeswood.

There is a kind of powdered incense called " Zuko "

which is applied to the body directly, in tiny

amounts, but that is not in common use anymore and was

used by people to refresh the incensey smell of their

clothing if they were arriving at a tea ceremony.

Some monks also applied it to help keep insects away

during meditation.

For soap, the bywords are purity and subtlety. Modern

soap in Japan usually has synthetic fragrance

additives, though due to the dislike for pronounced

smells of any kind among the Japanese even the

cheapest, most synthetic-loaded soaps will still smell

less harsh than an equivalent found in America.

For a natural smell for a handmade soap that might

appeal to someone in Japan, I would think along the

lines of any e.o. that was subtle and which might fade

quickly. I have made soap with lavender and that

didn't fade quickly, but I think that lavender would

also make a very elegant impression as long as it was

very, very subtle. A very subtle citrus might also be

a good idea , or even clove as long as it was really,

really restrained - just a hint of it. And I once

scented a soap with a tiny amount of fir absolute -

and friends visiting from Japan praised it, though

again one of the things they liked about it was that

it was so subtle and did not linger on the skin.

Have fun,

Alfred

in Berkeley

[Guest guest]

>

> Hello everyone

>

> I have been asked to make some soap for someone in Japan. I scent my

> soaps only with EOs.

>

>

Good morning!

I am a soapmaker who has had several orders from Japan, and I would say

that about half the soaps that were ordered were unscented. The others

were: patchouli, chamomile, lavender, lavender/citrus, anise/vanilla,

and rose geranium.

I hope that helps!

Sue

[Guest guest]

<In Japan perfume,in this case meaning perfume that is

applied to the body directly, is considered an

interesting Western thing. The Japanese admire the

refinements of French culture quite a bit and there

are some people who wear French perfumes but they are

very few and far between, as for many centuries the

prevailing thought considered scent something to apply

not to the skin but to the fabric of one's clothing

and to the ambient atmosphere, and these were both

accomplished with incense. In cases where the

clothing would have been scented it would have been

placed over a clothes rack underneath which the

incense was burning. >

Maybe I was Japanese in another life.   While I love to make perfumes, I hardly

ever wear them myself! (do scented lotions count?)  I do scent everything else

though!   I'm an incense junkie!   I go through that stuff like a nicotine

addict goes through packs of cigarettes.

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[Guest guest]

>

<I am a soapmaker and use the eo's in mine. Start with Lavender,

Rosemary and cedarwood and see what you think. Not too much rosemary

or it will take over. It is a soft scent that you might like. A bit

of black pepper is nice in this blend and gives some depth. Top

notes in soap are elusive sometimes.

Jane

adobesoapworks>

Maybe if you could get rosemary absolute it would be even better.  The absolute

is soft, subtle with a herbal/floral tone that I love.  It smells so much like

the fresh or dried herb, rather than that harsh, medicinal smell that you get

with the essential oil.  I got some from Aftelier and I just love it.

[Guest guest]

This is a link to Nippon Kodoh ingredients page, which might give you

a little insight into some of the scents they use. Of course this is

for incense, which is going to smell a bit different, but not bad for

some general ballpark ideas.

http://66.102.9.104/translate_c?hl=en & langpair=ja%

7Cen & u=http://www.nipponkodo.co.jp/alacarte/material/index.html & usg=AL

kJrhgKx49m7G9Fg9JrRv27z1zClNMRTQ

Hope this helps

- Ross Urrere

[Guest guest]

Many thanks to all for sharing those interesting informations.

Bella

from Tel Aviv