About the Natural Perfume Academy (NPA)

About the Natural Perfume Academy (NPA)

Our Mission

At the Natural Perfume Academy, our mission is to nurture and empower a global community of natural perfumers – honoring the artistry and heritage of perfumery while championing ethics, sustainability, and authenticity. We strive to provide world-class education and certification that elevate natural perfumery as a credible, vibrant art form and profession in its own right.

Our Story: From Passion to Academy

The Natural Perfume Academy  (NPA Business Details) was founded in September 2008 by Ruth Ruane and Justine Crane. What began as a humble online class born of passion and necessity has blossomed into a pioneering educational institution recognised worldwide. Ruth, an Irish-born creative entrepreneur with a background in natural skincare and branding, and Justine, a master natural perfumer and author, joined forces to fill a void in the perfumery world. At the time, quality formal online training devoted exclusively to 100% natural perfumery was virtually nonexistent – traditional apprenticeships in working with only natural materials were scarce, and an increasingly restrictive regulatory environment made proper training more critical than ever. Both founders shared a deep love for the art of fragrance and a conviction that natural perfumery deserved its own standard of excellence. Together, they envisioned a modern “academy” without walls, where students from anywhere could learn the alchemy of botanical scents without having to travel the globe. NPA was thus born as a distance-learning platform – one of the first of its kind in the field – dedicated entirely to natural and botanical perfumery.

From the very first cohort (our pilot class in 2008, led by Justine Crane), the Academy embraced a collaborative spirit. In fact, one of our first graduates, Ane Walsh of Brazil, quickly became an integral part of NPA’s growth. Ane was a student in that inaugural class and went on to translate course materials and mentor others; today she teaches her own classes and serves as NPA’s Ambassador to Brazil exemplifying the “for perfumers, by perfumers” ethos that NPA cultivates. In the early years, other talented alumni and colleagues joined the mission: Holly Simpson and Lisa Abdul-Quddus, for instance, have been with us nearly since day one as dedicated mentors, guiding new students through the intricacies of the art. Over time, our team has grown to include educators and supporters across the world – from Juliana Oliveira da Cruz in Brazil, to Ari Bertine, who help with translations and mentorship respectively. What started as a small online class has evolved into a thriving international academy with a close-knit community spanning continents.

Inspired by Nature’s Bounty

Our inspiration to create the Academy came directly from nature’s most exquisite gifts. Simply put, we were (and remain) enchanted by the raw materials themselves. Imagine the musky, earthy whiff of a superb patchouli oil or the deep, intoxicating floralcy of Bulgarian rose otto – or the rare, buttery-smooth aroma of genuine sandalwood. These pure botanical essences captured our hearts and convinced us that an educational program should exist to celebrate and harness their beauty. Every lesson at NPA is built on this foundation: a reverence for natural aromatics in all their complexity. We teach our students to truly know their materials – to explore the rich palette that nature offers, from resins and roots to blossoms and barks – because the soul of natural perfumery lives in these authentic scents. Our coursework emphasises hands-on experience with naturals so that perfumers-in-training develop an intuitive, intimate understanding of each note’s character.

At the same time, NPA’s philosophy is enriched by the long heritage of perfumery art and science. We draw wisdom from the past, standing on the shoulders of giants like G.W. Septimus Piesse and Jean Carles as we chart new paths forward. Piesse, for example, famously created the Odophone in 1857 – a conceptual scale linking musical notes to perfume notes (from top, heart, to base) – and his Victorian-era insights continue to inform how we think about fragrance composition. Likewise, we take inspiration from mid-20th-century master perfumer Jean Carles, whose techniques and teachings (e.g. his articles in Recherches magazine, later compiled in the 1974 book “Perfume”) helped formalse the training of a perfumer’s nose. By weaving these timeless principles into our curriculum, we honour perfumery’s history even as we innovate for modern natural perfumery. The Academy has even developed its own exercises and formulation techniques, blending classical methodology with contemporary advances in aromatherapy, botanical extraction, and safe formulation practices. This balance of tradition and innovation defines our educational approach – we believe the best natural perfumers are those who respect the past, marvel at nature in the present, and create for the future.

Commitment to Sustainability & Ethical Practice

At the heart of NPA is a profound commitment to ethics, sustainability, and authenticity. We see natural perfumery as an art that must be in harmony with nature and respectful of people. Thus, we teach and uphold the highest standards of sourcing and practice. This means guiding our students to choose raw materials that are not only of the finest quality, but also ethically obtained – from sustainable harvesting of wild botanicals, to fair trade partnerships with growers and distillers around the world. We emphasise eco-friendly extraction techniques and conscientious use of resources, ensuring that the creation of beautiful fragrances never comes at the expense of ecosystems or communities. Sustainability isn’t a buzzword for us; it’s a core tenet of our curriculum and culture. Students learn about environmental impacts and conservation efforts, and many carry those values into their own artisan businesses after graduation. We want our graduates to be as conscientious as they are creative, leading the industry by example in transparency and ethical decision-making.

Authenticity is another pillar of our philosophy. In a marketplace awash with synthetics and false marketing, NPA stands for truth in labelling and composition. Our Academy’s very existence is predicated on the belief that 100% natural perfume can and should be made to the highest standard – and clearly distinguished from synthetic or mass-produced fragrances. This commitment to authenticity led us to establish rigorous certification standards (through our NPA Certification program) to verify when a perfumer, a supplier, or a product is truly natural. When you see the NPA Certified seal, it means every drop in that bottle is derived from nature and crafted with integrity. By educating perfumers in ethical sourcing and by certifying natural products, we aim to foster trust – so that end customers, retailers, and fellow perfumers can have confidence that “natural” really means natural.

A Student-Centred, Global Classroom

One of the things that makes the Natural Perfume Academy unique is our educational approach. From the beginning, we wanted NPA to be student-led and community-oriented. What does that mean in practice? It means that students are not just passive recipients of information, but active participants in their learning journey. Our courses encourage extensive interaction, discussion, and personalised feedback. Each student is guided to develop their own creative voice and style as a perfumer, rather than just copy recipes. In fact, many of our assignments and projects are designed to be open-ended explorations that let students express their individuality while mastering core skills.

Crucially, NPA has leveraged technology to bring people together across distances. We chose the Moodle online learning platform as our virtual home, creating a safe and robust digital campus where our global student body can connect. Within our Moodle-based academy, learners and instructors engage through forums, assignments, practical challenges, and one-on-one mentorship – fostering a vibrant peer community that often feels as intimate as an in-person classroom (if not more so). This platform-centred approach has allowed us to build a true alumni network: students from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and beyond swap insights, share raw material sources, and support each other’s growth long after they’ve completed their courses. In essence, once you join NPA, you become part of an international family of natural perfumers. Many of our alumni go on to collaborate professionally, form regional meet-ups, or even become mentors to new students – creating a wonderful cycle of learning and teaching that extends around the world.

Maintaining high standards and clear structure in our courses has always been a priority. All our curricula are carefully developed by seasoned experts (like Justine Crane, who crafted our flagship Diploma syllabus) and are kept up-to-date with the latest industry knowledge and safety guidelines. We’re proud that the NPA Natural Perfumery Diploma Course is CPD Certified, meaning it has met the Continuing Professional Development criteria for rigour and quality in education. This external accreditation reflects our dedication to providing a professional-level training that is respected in the industry. Whether students are hobbyists or aspiring entrepreneurs, they receive a comprehensive foundation in natural perfumery – from perfume history, chemistry basics, and scent evaluation techniques to advanced formulation, branding, and even regulatory compliance. By the end of the program, graduates are fully equipped to navigate the natural perfume industry with confidence and competence, ready to create beautiful fragrances and successful businesses of their own.

Our Community & Team

Above all, the Natural Perfume Academy is a community-driven endeavour. We truly believe that our students, instructors, mentors, and even alumni collectively are the Academy. The role of our faculty is to guide and facilitate, but every student brings their own perspective and culture into the mix, which enriches the learning for all. Over the years, we have had students from dozens of countries, each contributing to a multicultural tapestry of scent traditions and ideas. This global classroom environment means that a student in Ireland might pair up with a classmate in India for a blending exercise, or a graduate in Brazil might share tips with a perfumer in Japan. The cross-pollination of knowledge across borders is something we cherish and encourage. It’s not unusual that, upon completing the course, our graduates say one of the most valuable aspects was the friendships and professional connections they formed along the way.

Guiding this community is an experienced and passionate team of instructors and mentors. Co-founder Justine Crane – with over two decades of experience in natural botanical perfumery – remains a cornerstone of our teaching faculty, mentoring students with her depth of knowledge and no-nonsense dedication to the craft. Co-founder Ruth Ruane, as the Academy’s director, brings her expertise in sustainable business and digital strategy to ensure NPA’s operations and curriculum continuously evolve and excel. We’ve introduced new courses (for example, in natural product branding and marketing, drawing on Ruth’s experience) and ensured that our platform stays future-ready. Long-standing mentors like Holly Simpson and Lisa Abdul-Quddus have been instrumental in supporting students through their coursework from the earliest days – answering questions, providing feedback on formulations, and sometimes just offering encouragement when a student hits a creative block. Their generosity and knowledge-sharing embody the supportive culture we aim for.

Our faculty also includes long-time co-creator and core team member Ane Walsh, who was part of the Academy’s founding circle and has remained a vital force ever since. An acclaimed natural perfumer, author, and educator, Ane leads classes in both English and Portuguese and serves as our Ambassador in Brazil, helping to grow and support the natural perfumery movement across South America. We’re also proud to have dedicated team members such as Juliana Oliveira da Cruz, who has helped expand access to our courses through Portuguese-language translations and mentorship, and Ari Bertine, who works quietly behind the scenes offering thoughtful guidance and mentoring support. This growing, multilingual faculty underscores NPA’s commitment to inclusivity – we are breaking down barriers so that anyone, anywhere with a love of natural scent can learn with us.

Our wider NPA family extends to industry partners and allies who share our vision. We’ve built connections with natural raw material suppliers, artisan perfumers, and even other schools, all with the goal of strengthening the natural perfumery movement. In recent years, we’ve celebrated milestones like seeing some of our graduates open their own perfume lines, become teachers themselves, or earn recognition in perfume competitions. We’ve also established NPA-certified sister schools and training centres in various locales (from Athens to Mexico City, and we continue to welcome International Ambassadors who help represent NPA’s values in their regions. These milestones are a testament to how far the Academy’s influence has grown since 2008 – yet we remain as tight-knit and passionate as a small atelier of artists.

Aims and Objectives

From the outset, the Natural Perfume Academy has set clear aims and objectives to guide its journey and uphold its standards. These serve as both our compass and our promise to the community:

Aims:

  • Excellence in Education: To provide comprehensive knowledge and understanding in the field of natural perfumery, offering an education that blends science, artistry, and hands-on practice.

  • Career Enhancement: To enhance the careers of individual natural perfumers and elevate their contributions to the perfume industry, helping them gain credibility and success as professionals.

  • Industry Advancement: To add merit and credibility to the natural perfume industry as a whole – demonstrating that natural perfumery is a serious and viable art form and segment of the fragrance world.

  • Global Awareness: To spread the word of natural perfumery internationally as a valid and viable art and craft, raising awareness and appreciation across the globe.

  • Heritage & Environment: To educate students on the preservation of perfume’s history and cultural heritage, while also instilling environmentally sound practices for a sustainable future of perfumery.

  • Authenticity Assurance: To ensure that all natural perfumers, suppliers, and end users are confident in the authenticity and quality of natural products, through rigorous standards and certification.

Objectives:

  • Educational Excellence in Practice: Provide each NPA student with the theory, practical skills, and mentorship necessary to excel as a natural perfumer, ensuring they graduate capable of creating at a professional level.

  • Worldwide Support & Accessibility: Offer adaptable education and support on a worldwide basis – accommodating varying needs, time zones, and levels of expertise – so that our program is accessible to any committed learner around the world.

  • Industry Integration: Educate perfume professionals at all levels, from those crafting bespoke artisanal blends to those developing natural product lines, as well as marketers and retailers of natural fragrance. In other words, integrate our teachings into all facets of the fragrance industry where naturals play a role.

  • Developmental Evaluation: Equip students with a robust framework for self-evaluation and development, including structured feedback and assessment throughout the course, to ensure they successfully meet all learning outcomes of the NPA curriculum. (We want every student to not just pass, but truly grow.)

  • Confidence in Industry Navigation: Prepare students to navigate the natural perfume industry with confidence and competence – covering practical business skills, safety and regulatory knowledge, and networking – so that they can turn their passion into a lifelong profession with assurance.

Certification & Quality Assurance:
In line with our commitment to authenticity and high standards, the Academy also has specific objectives around certification and quality control:

  • Supplier Verification: We assure natural perfumers that their raw material suppliers meet rigorous NPA certification standards, guaranteeing the authenticity, purity, and ethical sourcing of the essential oils, absolutes, and other materials they use. This creates a trusted supply chain for our community.

  • Product Authenticity: We ensure end users (the customers who buy natural perfumes) that any perfumer selling their creations under NPA certification is providing a truly natural product – free from synthetic additives or adulterants. This transparency builds consumer trust in NPA-certified brands.

  • Quality Assurance: We maintain high standards of quality and integrity in all certified products and processes. Through our certification programs, we continually monitor and uphold the quality of natural perfumes that carry the NPA seal, fostering credibility within the natural perfume community.

  • Ethical Practices: We promote environmentally sound and ethically responsible practices across the industry. This includes advocating for sustainability in ingredient sourcing, fair trade and labor practices, cruelty-free testing, and cultural respect when using traditional ingredients. By championing ethics, we contribute to the long-term sustainability of natural resources and the communities that depend on them.

Looking Ahead

What started as a small initiative fueled by love for natural scents has grown into a full-fledged Academy that stands at the forefront of natural perfumery education. Yet, we feel we are only at the beginning of what we can achieve. Our guiding principles – passion for naturals, commitment to integrity, and dedication to our students – remain unchanged. As we look to the future, we plan to continue innovating in how we teach (with new courses, workshops, and maybe even in-person retreats or labs), and to broaden our community through translated courses and international partnerships. Our ultimate vision is to see natural perfumery flourish worldwide, with NPA graduates and certified perfumers leading the way as ambassadors of creativity and conscience.

We invite you to join us on this journey. Whether you’re an aspiring perfumer eager to learn the craft, an enthusiast curious about the world of botanical scents, or an established natural perfumer seeking formal certification and community, the Natural Perfume Academy welcomes you. Together, we are preserving an ancient art, pioneering new techniques, and proving that luxury can be green, ethical, and deeply personal. In the words we live by: “True artistry knows no borders” – and at NPA, we would add, true fragrance has nothing to hide. Come learn, create, and inspire with us at the Natural Perfume Academy.