An Aromatic Life

#82: In this episode, Frauke sits down with Australian aromatherapist Audra James to discuss her aromatic life journey that led her to create her brand Audra James Botanicals (Cate Blanchett is a fan!). As a self described "late bloomer," Audra shares her scent woven path through life that led her to becoming an aromatherapist. She describes how much aromatherapy has changed over the last 30 years and reveals why she left the field for a while, only to come back with renewed vigor. Audra and Frauke discuss the importance of getting children to connect with their sense of smell as early as possible, how aromatherapy can support us in so many ways, how easy it is to integrate into everyday life, and how you can connect it to other modalities like meditation and journaling. Audra also talks about her new book "Late Bloomer" - what led her to write it and what messages she hopes to share. For anyone who feels passionate about something, but feels that it might be too late to start, this episode will inspire you to begin immediately. Her message - it's never too late!Visit Audra's WebsiteAudra JamesBuy Audra's book Late BloomerFollow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#81: In this episode, Frauke sits down with Healthcare Design’s Break Through 2022 competition finalists Erica Parker, Pulkit Jain, and Chris Brause to discuss their A.R.O.M.A. Project. They discuss the enormous potential AI has to support the health care space through olfactory concepts. The team shares what need they saw in the healthcare space, reveal how they came up with the concept, and explain the different ways the design could be implemented. They discuss the enormous possibilities for environmental monitoring devices that can serve the many underrepresented communities, including those of color and people living with anosmia. In fact, Pulkit shares a heartbreaking story from "Cancer Alley" that hits far too close to home. Imagine a public device that can monitor the air and capture data about all kinds of things like disease (think COVID), pollution, allergens, and harmful chemicals. Or a personal device that can monitor changes in your personal space which warns you about gas leaks, smoke, or believe it or not an intruder. Even a hand-held device that can monitor changes in your personal scent profile, helping you detect diseases like cancer through changes in your body odor. This episode will leave you inspired to see so much potential that you'll spread the word to make the project come to life very soon.Learn more about the A.R.O.M.A. Project ⁠here⁠. Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#80: In this episode, Frauke brings back a favorite guest, Master Perfumer Christophe Laudamiel, to help educate us on the age-old debate of natural vs. synthetic in Perfumery. Christophe begins by defining what natural and synthetic molecules are, explains the role of petroleum and pine oil in perfumery raw materials, as well as describes the safety, availability, and consistency of natural materials vs. those from a lab. He debunks the myth that natural disasters are the reason brands move from natural to man-made (ie. Madagascar vanilla, Grasse rose, Tunisian neroli), and passionately pleads for more support for aromatic plant farmers and communities around the world. Christophe explains how he uses both naturals and synthetics to inform his artistic creations, and what role each plays based on what you're trying to achieve. He also discusses the "clean" movement and the importance of getting facts from the right sources, as well as explains the incredible misinformation about sustainability. This conversation is not only eye-opening and clarifying, but will leave you more informed that one is not better than the other, but rather both play important roles in Perfumery.Learn more about Christophe and his workhere.Learn about Christophe's initiativeThe Perfumery Code of Ethics.Read the Keap article aboutFragrance Transparency: Natural vs SyntheticsFollow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#79: In this episode, Frauke sits down with neuroscientist and Google Research spinoff Osmo CEO Alex Wiltschko to discuss the exciting frontier of digitizing smell through artificial intelligence. Alex shares the groundbreaking work Osmo is doing to help the fragrance industry find new and interesting odor molecules never smelled before. He discusses where we are in terms of understanding our sense of smell vs. our other senses of sight and sound (hint: it's about where we were with vision in 1820) and the incredible potential he sees in having AI support the artistic work of perfumers, and providing them with the means to be even more creative. Alex shares how Osmo works exactly, where its potential lies beyond perfumery, and what the future holds for digital noses. This episode will leave you amazed at what possibilities lie in store for olfaction - we just have to follow our nose.  Learn more aboutOsmo.Read theWired article to learn more about the company.Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#78: In this episode, Frauke sits down with analytical chemist Luciano Vera to discuss his use of different analytical methodologies to make invisible odors visible. Luciano explains how describing odors is a way we humans try to make odors visible, yet our odor vocabulary is a paradox that needs to become more robust, standardized, and must include emotion.  He then explains the analytical tools he uses, including Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS), GC-Sniffing, and E-Sensors to identify and interpret odor molecules. He shares what we can learn from the data and how it can be useful in various industries. He explains what the machines can't detect, but our human noses can, and vice versa. He also shares what olfactory nuances he's observed among various cultures, and reveals what project he found to be particularly curious (hint: it involves a gorilla). Finally, Luciano shares what he believes is coming in the future, which in fact may already be here. Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#77: In this episode, Frauke sits down with choir conductor, vocalist, vocal and piano teacher, and aromatherapist Yuliana Kireyeva to discuss how she translates scents into musical melodies. Yuliana shares how she smelled everything as a child growing up in Belarus, and reveals what innovative measures she took to create her very first perfume. She explains in which ways composing music and perfume are similar and different, and clarifies the elements of notes, chords, melodies and dynamics. Yuliana and Frauke then engage in a fun exercise where they smell 3 scents - lemon, clove, and patchouli - and Yuliana translates their scent into music. They invite you to join along, too. This episode will have you engaging with scents in a whole new way, and maybe even singing or playing an aromatic tune.  Follow Yuliana on Instagram@olfactorysoundsFollow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#76: In this episode, Frauke gives an inside peek into how a fragrance house creates a scent for an everyday body or home care product. If you've ever wondered how that scent in your shampoo or deodorant came to be, here's your chance to learn how much work actually goes into every whiff.  Not only will you learn what the client/brand considers when briefing a fragrance house to create the scent, you'll gain an understanding of how the house translates the information and what all they need to take into consideration for the final fragrance to get to market. This episode will leave you with a new appreciation for all the scented products in your home. Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#75: On this two year anniversary of An Aromatic Life, just like last year, Frauke shares what some of her guests revealed when asked “What does the sense of smell mean to you?” This New Year's episode is a chance to reflect on this beautiful, complicated, and under-appreciated sense and ask what it can do for you. It's also an invitation to incorporate more smelling into your life this year. Be curious. Be open. And stay connected.Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#74: In this year end episode, Frauke revisits some of her favorite guest insights from 2022.  Follow Frauke on Instagram:⁠⁠⁠@an_aromatic_life⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to Frauke's Substack:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://anaromaticlife.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Visit Frauke's website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.anaromaticlife.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn about Frauke's⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Scent*Tattoo Project⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

#73: In December I'm releasing a few Scent*Tattoo stories that reminisce about the smells of the holiday season. This episode is about the smell of Christmas in Trinidad. If you're not familiar with Scent*Tattoo, it's a passion project of mine that aims to connect humans through our sense of smell. I interview people and ask them to share a deeply emotional and personal scent memory, and then I document the story on my websitescenttattoo.com. This episode is a reading of one of the scent tattoos. Happy Holidays!In December I'm releasing a few Scent*Tattoo stories that reminisce about the smells of the holiday season. This episode is about the smell of pine. If you're not familiar with Scent*Tattoo, it's a passion project of mine that aims to connect humans through our sense of smell. I interview people and ask them to share a deeply emotional and personal scent memory, and then I document the story on my website⁠scenttattoo.com⁠. This episode is a reading of one of the scent tattoos. Happy Holidays!If you'd like to contribute to the project, and share your own scent memory, email me atanaromaticlifepodcast@gmail.com.