I founded The Old Tamarack in 2013 as a traditional perfume shop specializing in natural, organic colognes. I have since expanded The Old Tamarack’s offerings to oil-based, botanical perfumes and rustic hair styling products.

ARTISTIC APPROACH

Scents – I begin the process of creating each scent by generating a concept. This concept might be based on a mood, feeling, color, place, time period, or even a particular ingredient. I then select combinations of oils and absolutes that would fit this concept. With a draft recipe, I proceed to blend. Blending lasts several hours and involves mixing very small amounts of each ingredient together, observing the resulting odor, revising my recipe, and repeating. Olfactory fatigue is virtually guaranteed. Upon re-smelling my creations several days later, I determine which recipes are candidates for replication. For every scent that is retailed by The Old Tamarack, there are at least twenty experimental formulas that didn’t make the cut.

Brand and Marketing – I am solely responsible for designing, printing, photographing, and describing items sold by The Old Tamarack. My signature design, the growth-ring pattern of a pine, is intended to harken back to the tamarack tree, after-which my shop is named. This embodies the rusticity and uniqueness of my scents as well as the age-oldness of natural perfumery.

UNCOMPROMISING PURITY

Many people dot not realize it, but most perfumes and cologne on the market are made using synthetic, chemical substances that have unknown effects on the body. Fragrance oils, which are commonly used in DIY perfumery for their affordability, are in this category of petroleum-derived, potentially toxic, and irritating substances.

The Old Tamarack is different. I’ve chosen to use only high-quality, natural ingredients. Instead of fragrance oils, I use purely botanical, plant-derived essential oils and absolutes. When they are available, I incorporate organic and wild-harvested oils and absolutes, as an extra assurance of freedom from chemicals.

Most perfumers’ alcohol has been denatured (rendered undrinkable) by the addition of chemical denaturants. However, I believe that if something can’t be consumed, then perhaps it shouldn’t be put on our skin. For this reason, I only use 100% organic, 190-proof grain alcohol as the primary base for my colognes. Organic castor oil, organic almond oil, and jojoba oil comprise the bases of Old Tamarack perfumes.

ENJOY THE SHOP!

Thank you for taking the time to read about The Old Tamarack! Please take a look at the items in my shop. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about my offerings.