So You’re Into Natural Aromatics—What’s Next?

Choosing Your Path: Hobbyist, Perfumer, Aromatherapist, Educator, Author, or Spiritual Practitioner

If you’ve chosen natural aromatics as your passion or hobby, whether you're thinking about turning it into a source of income or simply want to keep it as something you enjoy in your free time, and you’re not quite sure which direction to take next, this post is for you.

Maybe you fell in love with the romantic idea of blending perfumes in your studio, surrounded by bottles, droppers, and the quiet magic of scent. You love the hands-on process: mixing, evaluating, and learning about each raw material. It’s fascinating, isn’t it? But the world of natural scent is quite different from the fast-paced world of synthetics. It’s slower, more tactile, often more intimate, and, for many, more meaningful.

So where do you go from here? Let’s explore the possibilities.

Start Where You Are

You might begin as a DIY hobbyist, crafting your own skincare, personal perfumes, or aromatic blends for the home. This is a perfectly valid and enriching path. You’ll save money, learn through trial and error, and develop a deeper connection with the materials through personal use.

Or maybe you’re drawn to the spiritual side of scent, as a spiritual practitioner, using aromatics to support meditation, ritual, or energetic work. This merges traditional aromatherapy with vibrational or subtle aromatherapy, an underexplored but profound area that blends the sensory with the sacred.

You might step into the role of an aromatherapist, working with clients or loved ones to support physical and emotional well-being. While often labeled “alternative,” aromatherapy is rooted in long-standing healing traditions. Essential oils have been used for centuries, sometimes millennia, and their impact on body, mind, and spirit is very real, something that modern medicine is only beginning to fully appreciate.

Or perhaps you’re called to be a natural perfumer, taking a creative, artistic approach to scent. This path is more niche, and because natural perfumes often require more time, effort, and cost to produce, you'll likely need to invest in marketing or outreach unless you're content creating for your own enjoyment.

Grow Into It

With time, hands-on experience, and confidence, you might evolve into an educator or even an author. But these roles usually come later, once you’ve done the deep work of blending, experimenting, receiving feedback, and engaging with the wider aromatic community. Your voice carries more meaning when it's rooted in practice.

And it’s also completely valid to simply engage with scent for the love of it. Maybe you’re collecting books, listening to podcasts, reading articles, diffusing oils at home, or slowly making your way through the materials you’ve acquired. This kind of quiet curiosity is often the best starting point. From there, you might begin making basic blends, exploring natural perfumes, or cultivating a more intentional relationship with aromatic plants.

As your interest deepens, you might begin to take it more seriously as a hobby: investing in rare or exotic materials, training your nose, and learning how to describe and evaluate scent. Eventually, you may find yourself blending more structured compositions and experimenting with more complex perfumes.

Then comes the question: should you start selling? Maybe you’ve gifted dozens of blends to friends and family, and charging a little feels like a natural next step to support your passion. Many start this way. But I understand the doubts. Marketing is challenging, sales can be slow, and running a business isn’t for everyone. Still, if the call is there, you might feel that inner pull to make something more of it.

Go Off the Beaten Path

So—what’s next?

If perfume or aromatherapy don’t quite feel like the full picture, consider exploring paths that are less talked about. The realm of natural scent is vast. Here are just a few ideas to inspire you:

• Be a scent stylist. Create immersive natural scent experiences for homes, events, or office environments.

• Use scent in therapy. Psychotherapists, bodyworkers, psychedelic guides, and breathwork facilitators are incorporating aromatics in meaningful ways.

• Write books. Whether fiction or nonfiction, grounded in your aromatic experience. There's a real hunger for fresh, personal perspectives on scent.

• Become a formulator. Develop custom or white-label blends for brands that don’t want to create their own.

• Study perfumery abroad. Learn in places like Grasse and pursue work in the broader fragrance industry.

• Be a supplier. Distill essential oils or source rare absolutes. Supply chains need more integrity.

• Write about scent. As a journalist, essayist, blogger, or researcher, there's room for new voices and deeper insight.

• Create aromatic tools. From ceramic diffusers to handmade incense holders and unique perfume bottles, these items are in demand. Many perfumers are seeking alternatives to mass-produced designs.

• Host conversations. Interview makers, thinkers, and artisans in the field. Build community through storytelling.

• Offer visual design. Graphic designers with an understanding of scent culture can support small brands and elevate their presence.

• Revive the past. Translate or reprint out-of-print books on natural scent. Many are lost to time but still hold immense value.

• Start a publishing house. Focused on natural scent, olfactory culture, and sensory exploration.

• Be an olfactory artist. Use scent as a medium in installations, performances, or mixed-media creations. Natural aromatics add a unique, immersive layer to sensory art.

Follow Your Curiosity

And that’s just the beginning.

You can work with natural scent on so many levels. The key is to keep exploring, scanning the landscape, and listening to what draws you in. What’s underrepresented? Where can your personal interests meet the needs of others? What do you wish existed in this field, and could you be the one to create it?

The world of natural scent needs more advocates, not just for health and well-being, but for reconnection with nature, sustainable practices, and creative expression. We need voices that understand the beauty, power, and responsibility that come with working with the earth’s aromatic gifts.

If you’re already doing something unusual with natural aromatics and it’s not mentioned here, I’d love to hear about it. Send me a message, I’ll happily add it to this growing list.