Justine Crane — Natural Perfumery Pioneer & Reflective Mentor
The Perfumer, the Teacher & the Writer
Justine Crane – NPA Co Founder
“She walks softly and carries a big scent strip.”
With over two decades immersed in the discipline of natural perfumery, Justine Crane stands as a quietly authoritative figure in the field—respected not for spectacle, but for her sustained and rigorous dedication to working exclusively with whole-plant materials.
Her professional journey began in 1997 with the founding of Sierra Soapourri, a soap and skincare enterprise rooted in the distinctive flora of California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains, where she was raised. What started as a modest operation quickly evolved into a local landmark—appearing at exhibitions, craft shows, and eventually transforming into a grassroots teaching studio. Traveling across rural California, Justine offered in-person instruction in soap formulation and oil-based perfumery, passing on foundational skills through hands-on workshops long before digital classrooms were common.
In 2005, she co-founded Delicia Skincare, a Tower District storefront that became the home of her early perfumery work. There, she began formulating emotionally rich, finely crafted all-natural perfumes—each one layered and complex, designed with a sensory and symbolic precision that has since become her hallmark. Among them:
Bianche Fiore – neroli, vanilla, magnolia
Amare Mezzanote – jasmine grandiflorum, natural amber, oakmoss, clove
Celestiale – sandalwood, vetiver, jasmine sambac, Bulgarian rose otto
In 2008, she launched The Scented Djinn Parfum Apothecary & Thurificorum, her independent perfumery house and incense atelier. That same year, she began shaping curricula for the Natural Perfume Academy, where she continues to lead advanced instruction. Her “Working the Bench” books, based on years of first-hand formulation practice, were later translated into Portuguese and compiled into Perfumaria Botânica—a widely respected volume published by Editora Laszlo in Brazil.
“I don’t think perfumery, as an art form, can be quantified. The approach is as individual as the perfumer. As such, I think our course offers unique aspects such as my deeply personal experience with natural aromatics and overall understanding of the materials themselves”.
Influences & Inspiration
Justine Crane’s work is shaped not only by formal knowledge and years at the bench, but by a life steeped in sensory memory and elemental experience. Her earliest mentors were women of instinct and earthcraft—her grandmother, a quiet practitioner of green witchery, who cultivated fragrant gardens with unerring skill, and a wise woman in a remote mountain logging camp who introduced her to incense making with foraged forest resins and botanicals: pine, cedar bark, oakmoss, manzanita berries. These formative encounters laid the groundwork for a lifelong intimacy with raw materials—not simply as ingredients, but as living, storied mediums.
This reverence for aromatic matter continues to inform Justine’s practice. Whether it’s sourcing a rare essence from across the globe or harvesting a plant from her own perfumer’s garden, her creative process begins with listening—allowing each material to speak before shaping it into an olfactive narrative.
Vision
Justine’s teaching is grounded in humility and accessibility. She cultivates an environment where mastery and experimentation coexist, where students at various stages of their journey feel equally welcome. Her commitment is not only to the transmission of technique, but to the formation of a collaborative and generous community of natural perfumers.
She views natural perfumery not as a competitive sport, but as a shared lineage of craft—one in which we grow stronger by lifting each other up.
Note: This section is adapted in part from an interview with Justine Crane originally featured on The Winged Seed Blog by Samara Botane.